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
 | Art and TransformationStudents will be introduced to Brazilian visual artist Vik Muniz and the motivation behind his art project “Pictures of Garbage.” They will also meet some of the residents and works of the world’s largest landfill, located in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. They will explore the artist’s responsibility to the communities s/he represents. From the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 1 Classroom collection |
 | Benazir Bhutto and the Struggle for Democracy in PakistanStudents will investigate Pakistan’s struggle to maintain a lasting democratic government, and look at various experiences in Benazir Bhutto’s life that shaped her as a leader. From the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 1 Classroom collection |
 | Benazir Bhutto: First Woman Leader of a Muslim NationStudents will study the context in which Benazir Bhutto became the first woman leader of a Muslim nation, and the complexities of being a female leader in a Muslim country. From the Women and Girls Lead, Volume 1 Classroom collection |
 | Can You Own a Sound?The basic foundations of copyright law and how the music industry began to respond legally to sampling as hip-hop grew in popularity in the 1990s. From the Copyright Criminals Classroom collection |
 | 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 |
 | Democracy Around the WorldThis lesson takes a global look at the range of democratic governments in different countries, from new and transitional democratic systems to more established ones. (includes 1 film module) From the Vote Democracy! Classroom collection |
 | Digital Media as a Civic Engagement ToolIn this lesson, students will analyze how digital media tools work in less developed nations or areas where media access is limited. In addition, they will evaluate the savvy, resources, skills and support needed to develop effective media outreach. Students will also explore social networking and video as empowerment tools—and then create their own. (includes 1 film module) From the Women's Empowerment Classroom collection |
 | Dissent in DemocracyThis activity takes a look at how dissent is manifested in American democracy and gives students an opportunity to share their own voice on controversial issues. (includes 2 film modules) From the Vote Democracy! 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 |
