Creator: topdocumentaryfilms.com | visit site
Grade Range: 6 - 11
Top Documentary Films contains a large collection of documentaries from around the world. Choose "Browse Documentaries" to explore documentaries available, or click on categories to view by topics such as Politics, Science, etc. Choose the documentary list to view a complete listing of all available films. Each listing includes a short description along with a link to view the video. Videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, they may not be viewable. <i>Be sure to PREVIEW videos before showing to a class as they are unmoderated. Comments are also unmoderated.</i> There is a wonderful disclaimer at the lower left of the home page about bias and documentaries. It is well worth noting as you watch ANY "documentary."
In the Classroom
Use this site to find videos in a wide range of topics to share on your interactive whiteboard, on a projector, or as a link on your class web page. Use videos to demonstrate different points of view. Then use an online tool such as Interactive Two Circle Venn Diagram, <a href="/single.cfm?id=9413">reviewed here</a>. to compare and contrast information. Have students create a word cloud of the important terms they learn from any film using a tool such as WordItOut, <a href="/single.cfm?id=10707">reviewed here</a>. Want to engage students WHILE they watch a video? Why not set up a backchannel chat using GoSoapBox, <a href="/single.cfm?id=16149">reviewed here</a>. Be sure to ask your class if there could have been any bias in the video you watch together. What film techniques influence our thinking?
At Home
Share this site with your student as an additional resource for learning or finding information for class projects. Sometimes watching a film about World War II, for example, will make a school history unit more real for your teen. There are many different topics here sure to engage students (even teenagers). View a documentary together and discuss it over dinner. Let your teen choose the topic!
Tags
artists, media literacy, environment, biographies, politics, humor, mental health, hiv/aids, evolution, drugs and alcohol, money, vietnam, psychology, religions, advanced placement, animals, sports,
Subjects
American History, Art, Astronomy & Space, Biology/Life Science, Careers & Guidance, Chemistry, Computer Literacy, Current Events, Earth Science/Geology, Economics, English, Family and Consumer Science, Government/Civics: U.S, Language Arts, Math, Reading, Science, Social Studies, Social Studies, Writing,