About This Lesson
Harness the power of film to boost student engagement about climate, the environment, and saving the planet!
These lessons are designed to work with compelling contemporary science documentaries from around the world — plus many lessons work well on their own or with just short scenes from the films. They connect directly with key instruction areas.
Lessons may include discussion questions, class activities, extension activities, additional resources, handouts and worksheets. Select resources are also available in Portuguese and Spanish.
This collection includes teaching resources for the following award-winning films. Pick and choose what you want to use!
- Chasing Coral, about vanishing coral reefs, for grades 6-12.
- Chasing Ice, about polar glaciers, for grades 6-12 & adult/higher ed.
- Chasing Time, about disappearing glaciers, glacial calving, mentorship, intergenerational friendship, and climate solutions, for grades 7-12 & adult/higher ed.
- Climate Emergency: Feedback Loops, about climate tipping points and regreening solutions, for grades 7-12 & adult/higher ed.
- From The Ashes, about the impacts of coal mining (/fossil fuels) and green energy alternatives, for grades 5-12 & adult/higher ed.
- Greener Pastures. about climate stresses on family farming, for grades 6-12 & adult/higher ed.
- Landfill Harmonic. about a youth orchestra that plays instruments made entirely out of garbage + waste & recycling, for grades 6-10.
- One Strange Rock. about Earth’s history from a planetary perspective, for grades 10-12 or AP Environmental Studies.
- River of Gold, about the global impact of illegal gold mining in the Amazon. Lessons include he Hydrological Cycle, the Amazon Region, Rainforest Ecology, Biodiversity of the Amazon Region, Industry and the Environment, and more. For grades 9-12 & adult/higher ed. Available in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
- Searching for Amani, set in a Kenyan conservancy facing extreme drought and threatened by climate change. For grades 7-12, adult/higher ed.
- The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind, based on the real life story of a boy whose engineering brilliance saves his family and village in Malawi from drought and famine. For grades 5-12, adult/higher ed.
- The Crisis Scientists, about seven extraordinary people working to galvanize policy makers and the public to save the planet. For grades 9-12, adult/higher ed.
- The White House Effect, about how climate change was transformed from a scientific issue to a political crisis. Includes a Climate Emotions Map activity, calls to action, and a climate-related media literacy lesson. For grades 6-12, adult/higher ed.
- The Wild, about a race against time to save wild salmon that invites students to take part. For grades 6-12.
- Youth v Gov, about 21 young people who file a ground-breaking climate justice lawsuit against the U.S. government. For grades 7-12, adult/higher ed.
These teaching tools can be used for STEM learning, Climate Studies, Earth Science, Environmental Science and more.
These are great resources for Arbor Day, Earth Month, Earth Day, and all year round.
Get more information on how to get educational licenses and how to view these films yourself from the Journeys in Film Resource Library.
