My Teaching and Student Blog: Using Documentaries in Social Studies

Using documentaries in Social Studies classes works very well; giving students a sense of what life was like for a group of people at a certain period in time. One of my favorite sources for documentaries is PBS' American Experience series. Below are links to the ones I use in my U.S. History classes. Due to the 11th grade CA Standards, there is not a lot of time to cover Native Americans in U.S. History (yes, it's atrocious!). I do a bit on them at the beginning of the class when we talk about the colonies and then I do a segment on the Indian Removal Act. I show part 3 of We Shall Remain, the part of American Experience on Native Americans. I use note-taking activities, role plays/simulations and group activities like Socratic Seminar or the Decision Making Process with the documentaries to develop student understanding of the material, to develop their study skills, discussion abilities and critical thinking skills. I do a similar process with Eyes on the Prize during our Civil Rights unit and Journey to America for our immigration unit. I follow up with contemporary videos to explore how far we have come regarding the subjects since these historical periods. We watch Little Rock Central: 50 Years Later, an HBO documentary comparing Little Rock's Central High in 1957 and 2007. It is quite good at showing the changes and the shocking similarities. Students are always interested in it, particularly because it focuses on students their age. We always have engaging discussions, comparing not only Little Rock then and today but also Little Rock to their own experiences. I use shorter videos interviewing Native Americans today and ones of modern day immigrant experiences, as well. Those also produce interesting discussions.