ITVS Community Classroom lesson plans pair educational film modules drawn from ITVS’s acclaimed documentary films with standards-based lesson plans, activities, and other interactive content.
Lesson Plans
 | Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo: Causes and ImpactIn this lesson, students will make personal connections with a family that has been traumatized and displaced by conflict in their homeland, the Democratic Republic of Congo, or DR Congo. Doing so will help put a human face on a far away and unimaginable conflict that is the deadliest since World War II. Students will then investigate various events in DR Congo’s history, determine the causes and impact of the war, and analyze the effects that war has had on women in particular. (includes 2 film modules) From the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 1 Classroom collection |
 | Crime and Punishment: You DecideThis lesson teaches students about some of the laws related to immigrants convicted of crimes and encourages students to form opinions about the legal system and the policies related to convicted immigrants. (includes 3 film modules) From the Sentenced Home Classroom collection |
 | Facing Deportation: Two Cambodian RefugeesIn this lesson students will learn about the history of the Khmer people and the conflicts that brought them to America as refugees. They will learn about changes to U.S. laws governing refugees and why some now face deportation back to their homeland. Students will also study how other countries around the world address refugee issues as part of a research project. (includes 3 film modules) From the Sentenced Home Classroom collection |
 | Understanding Immigration IssuesThis lesson focuses on the history of immigration in the U.S., current immigration reform issues and legislation as students work together to formulate plans for changing immigration laws in the U.S. (includes 3 film modules) From the Sentenced Home Classroom collection |
 | Using Stories to Inspire Community ActionIn this lesson, students will explore how storytelling can be a powerful way to illustrate how problems affect people and to inspire collective action that can bring about positive change. The class will first analyze the potential impact of the experiences described by Rose Mapendo, a woman whose family suffered severe hardships during violent conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Students will then gather and share a true story from their own community that explains the human impact of a local issue. (includes 1 film module) From the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 1 Classroom collection |
 | What Makes Someone an American?This lesson explores what it means to be “American” and how children become assimilated into the culture in which they were raised, not necessarily the culture of their birth. (includes 4 film modules) From the Sentenced Home Classroom collection |
