For Educators

This lesson plan is designed to be used with the film, Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North, which shows one family's journey to come to terms with its roots as the largest slave-trading family in the history of the United States. Classrooms can use this lesson to explore the history and legacy of U.S. slavery and whether or not reparations should be made to the descendents of slaves.

Classrooms can use this lesson, based on the POV film Election Day, to study how the voting process differs around the country and to discuss issues related to elections administration.

This lesson plan is designed to be used with the film, The Ballad of Esequiel Hernandez, the story of an American teenager who was shot and killed by U.S. Marines deployed to the U.S.-Mexican border to watch for drug smugglers. Classrooms can use this lesson to examine the pros and cons of using the military to support law enforcement activities at the U.S.-Mexican border.

This lesson plan is designed to be used with the film In the Family, which explores issues related to genetic testing and the difficult decisions some must face when they learn they are at high risk for certain forms of cancer.

This lesson plan is designed to be used with the 1969 documentary, Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music, which shows a collection of scenes from Cash's life and a number of concert performances. Since Cash's songs frequently reflected his life experiences, classrooms can use his music to inspire personal narratives.

This lesson plan is designed to be used with the film, 9 Star Hotel, which shows the daily struggles of Palestinian men who have illegally crossed the border to work in construction in Israel. Classrooms can use this lesson to examine and compare borders around the world and their related issues. Note: This film is in Arabic with English subtitles.

Classrooms can use this lesson, based on the POV documentary Critical Condition, to examine health insurance coverage in America and create public service announcements to connect the uninsured with free and subsidized health care services.

Belarusian Waltz shows various ways that an artist protests the virtual dictatorship that governs his homeland of Belarus. Classrooms can use this lesson to explore the use of art as a form of protest and means of bringing about change. Note: This film has English subtitles.

This lesson plan is designed to be used with the film The Judge and the General, the story of the criminal investigation of General Augusto Pinochet, a dictator who ran a military regime in Chile for 17 years.

This lesson plan is designed to be used with the film The Last Conquistador, the story of a controversial public arts project that some view as a monument to culture and others as a glorification of genocide. Students can use this lesson to role-play how city leaders might make a decision about spending tax dollars on art and develop proposals for new art projects that would provide the perspectives of underrepresented communities.