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Netflix Master SOTW Guide


phathui5
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Here's the list as it stands now. I won't be able to add to it for a while because we're moving to NY from MD:

 

 

The Unofficial Story of the World movie list

 

 

 

 

Book 1- Ancient Times

 

 

Ch. 1- The Earliest People

 

 

Prehistoric America: A Journey through the Ice Age and Beyond (BBC)- Travel back in time 14,000 years to imagine what America looked like before man's existence. This documentary uses computer animation to give us realistic views of the woolly mammoth and other prehistoric creatures.

 

 

Walking With Prehistoric Beasts- This film starts after the time of the dinosaurs, taking an up-close look at animals that are now extinct, as well as early man.

 

 

Walking With Cavemen- Another “Walking With” film shows us more about what life was like for early man. Deals with the theory of evolution, as people descend from the branches to walk on two legs.

 

 

Ch. 6- The Jewish People

 

 

Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)- (ages 8+) With his gift of dreams and his beautiful coat, Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers and sent to Egypt. A fairly accurate retelling of the Joseph story.

 

 

Book 2- The Middle Ages

 

 

Ch 1- The Glory that Was Rome

 

 

Gladiator- (ages 15+) An extremely violent movie that gives us a look into the lives of gladiators in ancient Rome. Perhaps a good choice to watch and discuss with your high schoolers.

 

 

Ch. 2- The Early Days of Britain

 

 

Pendragon: Sword of His Father- (ages 5+) Set in 411AD, Pendragon tells the story of young Artos, who is taken into slavery by the Saxons.

 

 

Ch. 16- England After the Conquest

 

 

Terry Jones: Medieval Lives- (all ages) A two-disc series that takes us through true stories of damsels, peasants, knights and other characters of the Middle Ages.

 

 

Ch. 17- Knights and Samurai

 

 

A Knight's Tale- (ages 12+) This fun movie takes a lighthearted look at being a knight in the Middle Ages.

 

 

Ch. 38- England's Greatest Queen

 

 

Dear America: The Royal Diaries- (all ages) Adapted from the Scholastic book series, this disc has three episodes about historical princesses during their teen years. It features Elizabeth I, Isabel and Cleopatra VII.

 

 

Ch. 39- England's Greatest Playwright

 

 

Shakespeare: The Animated Tales- (all ages) This enjoyable collection features 12 25-minute animated adaptations of the bard's plays.

 

 

A Midsummer Night's Dream- (ages 12+) When four star-crossed lovers run into the forest in search of each other, mischievous faeries use a potion that wreaks romantic havoc on everyone.

 

 

Book 3- Early Modern Times

 

 

Ch. 1- A World of Empires

 

 

Minkus: Don Quixote- Russia's Marinsky ballet perform Ludwig Minkus' “Don Quixote,” loosely based on the classic tale.

 

 

Ch. 2- Protestant Rebellion

 

 

Mary: Queen of Scots- (ages 13+) Upon returning from France to assume the throne, Mary finds her ascension challenged by her brother, her husband and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I.

 

 

Ch. 3- James, King of Two Countries

 

 

Pocahantas Revealed: Nova- The Nova team retells the story of Pocahantas with modern science.

 

 

Ch. 4- Searching for the Northwest Passage

 

 

Anne of Green Gables- (all ages) Anne Shirley, a talkative, red-headed orphan is adopted by a spinster and her brother on Prince Edward Island, Canada and has all sorts of adventures.

 

 

Ch. 5 Warlords of Japan

 

 

Samurai: Behind the Blade- This hour-long documentary gives viewers a thorough introduction to the history and traditions of the samurai.

 

 

Ch. 22- Revolution!

 

 

Liberty's Kids- Geared towards 8-16 year olds, this animated series teaches children about the events surrounding the Revolutionary War.

 

 

The Crossing (2000)- The Crossing brings to life the Continental Army's historic passage across the Deleware on Christmas Night, 1776.

 

 

Ch. 36- The Slave Trade Ends

 

 

Amazing Grace- (ages 10+) Tells the story of William Wilberforce, an English politician fighting for the abolition of slavery.

 

 

Book 4- The Modern Age

 

 

Ch. 3- British Invasions

 

 

The Secret Garden- (all ages) Mary Lennox is a strong-willed English girl who is orphaned when her parents die of cholera in India. She's sent to live with her uncle in a lonely English mansion and turns an abandoned garden into a thing of beauty.

 

 

A Little Princess- (all ages) The story of Sarah Crewe, sent by her father in India to live at Miss Minchins's boarding school in London.

 

 

The Jungle Book- (all ages) Several good movie adaptations of Rudyard Kipling's book are available from Netflix.

 

 

Ch. 5- The American Civil War

 

 

The Red Badge of Courage- (not rated) Set during the American Civil War. Examines a boy's feelings as he prepares for battle. As the war continues, he comes to terms with the realities of warfare.

 

 

Little Women- (all ages) Four sister and their mother living in Civil War era America after their father leaves to join the conflict.

 

 

Gettysburg- (PG- but may be for older children) The fiercest battle fought on American soil comes to life as we see those three fateful days from July 1863 recreated.

 

 

Ch. 6- Two Tries for Freedom

 

 

Anne of Green Gables- (all ages) Anne Shirley, a talkative, red-headed orphan is adopted by a spinster and her brother on Prince Edward Island, Canada and has all sorts of adventures.

 

Ch. 16- Moving West

 

 

Little House on the Prairie- (all ages) Disney's adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's novel chronicles the family's wagon trek from Wisconsin to Kansas, where dad Charles will claim the family's parcel of land.

 

 

Ch. 20- Revolution in America... War in the World

 

 

Lawrence of Arabia- (ages 13+) The movie opens with the death of Lawrence at the age of 47, then flashes back to recount his adventures in Cairo during World War I.

 

 

Ch. 21- A Revolution Begins and the Great War Ends

 

 

Mary Poppins (all ages)- Mary Poppins is the “practically perfect” nanny who shows up just at the right time for the Banks family. The movie is set when women are demanding the right to vote and Mrs Banks is a suffragette.

 

 

Ch. 26- The Great Crash and What Came of It

 

 

American Experience: The Orphan Trains- From the 1850s to the 1930s, the Children's Aid Society sent more than 150,000 children out to live with families in rural areas.

 

 

Kit Kittredge (ages 6+)- This Depression era drama inspired by the American Girl series. When Kit's father is away looking for work, Kit and her friends have all sorts of adventures.

 

 

Ch. 28- The Second World War

 

 

The Hiding Place- In WWII Holland, Corrie ten Boom and her family of Christian watchmakers are quietly sheltering Jews in their small house. When Nazis discover them, it leads to concentration camps and a test of faith for Corrie and her sister.

 

 

A League of Their Own (ages 10+)- The story of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. Takes place during WWII.

 

 

Ch. 36- Struggles and Assasinations

 

 

Dr Martin Luther King Jr: A Historical Perspective- An hour long documentary that focuses on the Civil Rights leader's many accomplishments. Includes the “I Have a Dream” speech.

 

 

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With all the requests lately, I'm going to spend some time working on expanding this. Here's where we are now:

 

 

 

The Unofficial Story of the World movie list

 

 

 

Book 1- Ancient Times

 

 

Ch. 1- The Earliest People

 

 

Prehistoric America: A Journey through the Ice Age and Beyond (BBC)- Travel back in time 14,000 years to imagine what America looked like before man's existence. This documentary uses computer animation to give us realistic views of the woolly mammoth and other prehistoric creatures.

 

 

Walking With Prehistoric Beasts- This film starts after the time of the dinosaurs, taking an up-close look at animals that are now extinct, as well as early man.

 

 

Walking With Cavemen- Another “Walking With” film shows us more about what life was like for early man. Deals with the theory of evolution, as people descend from the branches to walk on two legs.

 

 

Ch. 2- Egyptians Lived on the Nile River

 

 

Ancient Egyptians (2003)- This film uses CGI technology to reenvision Egypt of long ago.

 

Ch. 4- The Old Kingdom of Egypt

 

Mummies: Secrets of the Pharaohs (2007)- Filmed for IMAX, “Mummies” offers a fascinating look behind the secrets of the mummies.

 

Ch. 5- The First Sumerian Dictator

 

Aladdin (1992)- While this one is more entertainment than history, the story of Aladdin is originally from the tales of the Arabian Nights and fits into this time period.

 

Ch. 6- The Jewish People

 

 

Joseph: King of Dreams (2000)- (ages 8+) With his gift of dreams and his beautiful coat, Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers and sent to Egypt. A fairly accurate retelling of the Joseph story.

 

 

Book 2- The Middle Ages

 

 

Ch 1- The Glory that Was Rome

 

 

Gladiator- (ages 15+) An extremely violent movie that gives us a look into the lives of gladiators in ancient Rome. Perhaps a good choice to watch and discuss with your high schoolers.

 

 

Ch. 2- The Early Days of Britain

 

 

Pendragon: Sword of His Father- (ages 5+) Set in 411AD, Pendragon tells the story of young Artos, who is taken into slavery by the Saxons.

 

 

Ch. 16- England After the Conquest

 

 

Terry Jones: Medieval Lives- (all ages) A two-disc series that takes us through true stories of damsels, peasants, knights and other characters of the Middle Ages.

 

 

Ch. 17- Knights and Samurai

 

 

A Knight's Tale- (ages 12+) This fun movie takes a lighthearted look at being a knight in the Middle Ages.

 

 

Ch. 38- England's Greatest Queen

 

 

Dear America: The Royal Diaries- (all ages) Adapted from the Scholastic book series, this disc has three episodes about historical princesses during their teen years. It features Elizabeth I, Isabel and Cleopatra VII.

 

 

Ch. 39- England's Greatest Playwright

 

 

Shakespeare: The Animated Tales- (all ages) This enjoyable collection features 12 25-minute animated adaptations of the bard's plays.

 

 

A Midsummer Night's Dream- (ages 12+) When four star-crossed lovers run into the forest in search of each other, mischievous faeries use a potion that wreaks romantic havoc on everyone.

 

 

Book 3- Early Modern Times

 

 

Ch. 1- A World of Empires

 

 

Minkus: Don Quixote- Russia's Marinsky ballet perform Ludwig Minkus' “Don Quixote,” loosely based on the classic tale.

 

 

Ch. 2- Protestant Rebellion

 

 

Mary: Queen of Scots- (ages 13+) Upon returning from France to assume the throne, Mary finds her ascension challenged by her brother, her husband and her cousin Queen Elizabeth I.

 

 

Ch. 3- James, King of Two Countries

 

 

Pocahantas Revealed: Nova- The Nova team retells the story of Pocahantas with modern science.

 

 

Ch. 4- Searching for the Northwest Passage

 

 

Anne of Green Gables- (all ages) Anne Shirley, a talkative, red-headed orphan is adopted by a spinster and her brother on Prince Edward Island, Canada and has all sorts of adventures.

 

 

Ch. 5 Warlords of Japan

 

 

Samurai: Behind the Blade- This hour-long documentary gives viewers a thorough introduction to the history and traditions of the samurai.

 

 

Ch. 22- Revolution!

 

 

Liberty's Kids- Geared towards 8-16 year olds, this animated series teaches children about the events surrounding the Revolutionary War.

 

 

The Crossing (2000)- The Crossing brings to life the Continental Army's historic passage across the Deleware on Christmas Night, 1776.

 

 

Ch. 36- The Slave Trade Ends

 

 

Amazing Grace- (ages 10+) Tells the story of William Wilberforce, an English politician fighting for the abolition of slavery.

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Book 4- The Modern Age

 

 

Ch. 3- British Invasions

 

 

The Secret Garden- (all ages) Mary Lennox is a strong-willed English girl who is orphaned when her parents die of cholera in India. She's sent to live with her uncle in a lonely English mansion and turns an abandoned garden into a thing of beauty.

 

 

A Little Princess- (all ages) The story of Sarah Crewe, sent by her father in India to live at Miss Minchins's boarding school in London.

 

 

The Jungle Book- (all ages) Several good movie adaptations of Rudyard Kipling's book are available from Netflix.

 

 

Ch. 5- The American Civil War

 

 

The Red Badge of Courage- (not rated) Set during the American Civil War. Examines a boy's feelings as he prepares for battle. As the war continues, he comes to terms with the realities of warfare.

 

 

Little Women- (all ages) Four sister and their mother living in Civil War era America after their father leaves to join the conflict.

 

 

Gettysburg- (PG- but may be for older children) The fiercest battle fought on American soil comes to life as we see those three fateful days from July 1863 recreated.

 

 

Ch. 6- Two Tries for Freedom

 

 

Anne of Green Gables- (all ages) Anne Shirley, a talkative, red-headed orphan is adopted by a spinster and her brother on Prince Edward Island, Canada and has all sorts of adventures.

 

Ch. 16- Moving West

 

 

Little House on the Prairie- (all ages) Disney's adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's novel chronicles the family's wagon trek from Wisconsin to Kansas, where dad Charles will claim the family's parcel of land.

 

 

Ch. 20- Revolution in America... War in the World

 

 

Lawrence of Arabia- (ages 13+) The movie opens with the death of Lawrence at the age of 47, then flashes back to recount his adventures in Cairo during World War I.

 

 

Ch. 21- A Revolution Begins and the Great War Ends

 

 

Mary Poppins (all ages)- Mary Poppins is the “practically perfect” nanny who shows up just at the right time for the Banks family. The movie is set when women are demanding the right to vote and Mrs Banks is a suffragette.

 

 

Ch. 26- The Great Crash and What Came of It

 

 

American Experience: The Orphan Trains- From the 1850s to the 1930s, the Children's Aid Society sent more than 150,000 children out to live with families in rural areas.

 

 

Kit Kittredge (ages 6+)- This Depression era drama inspired by the American Girl series. When Kit's father is away looking for work, Kit and her friends have all sorts of adventures.

 

 

Ch. 28- The Second World War

 

 

The Hiding Place- In WWII Holland, Corrie ten Boom and her family of Christian watchmakers are quietly sheltering Jews in their small house. When Nazis discover them, it leads to concentration camps and a test of faith for Corrie and her sister.

 

 

A League of Their Own (ages 10+)- The story of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League. Takes place during WWII.

 

 

Ch. 36- Struggles and Assasinations

 

 

Dr Martin Luther King Jr: A Historical Perspective- An hour long documentary that focuses on the Civil Rights leader's many accomplishments. Includes the “I Have a Dream” speech.

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Ancient Egypt

Egypt: Rediscovering a Lost World

 

2006NR2 discs

Relive the splendor of ancient Egypt through the eyes of three of its greatest explorers. Through dramatic re-enactments, you'll experience Italian explorer Giovanni Battista Belzoni's removal of the colossal bust of Ramses II from the pharaoh's memorial temple in Thebes in 1815, Jean-Francois Champollion's translation of the Rosetta stone in 1824 and English archeologist Howard Carter's discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922.

 

The Prince of Egypt

 

1998PG98 minutes

Born into slavery and cast adrift on the Nile to escape mass genocide, Moses (voiced by Val Kilmer) is reared as the son of Pharaoh Seti (Patrick Stewart) and stepbrother of Ramses (Ralph Fiennes). When Moses learns of his true ancestry, he retreats to the desert, where he answers God's call and accepts his destiny: to lead the Hebrews out of slavery and into freedom.

Joseph: King of Dreams

 

2000NR74 minutes

With his gift of dream interpretation and his brilliantly colored coat, Joseph (voiced by Ben Affleck) inspires jealousy in his brothers and is sold into slavery. This animated retelling of the story from the Bible's Book of Genesis boasts first-rate animation and excellent voice work from Affleck, Mark Hamill and Jody Benson (The Little Mermaid). Wholesome without being preachy, Joseph: King of Dreams will delight the entire family.

Great Depression

Kit Kittredge: An American Girl

 

2008G100 minutes

With a star-studded cast that includes Julia Ormond and Stanley Tucci, this Depression-era drama inspired by the American Girl line of dolls follows aspiring young journalist Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin), whose ingenuity and courage help save her family's house. While Kit's father (Chris O'Donnell) is away looking for a job, the family savings are stolen during a series of robberies -- and young Kit sets about finding the thief.

WWII

1940s House

 

2001NR180 minutes

Britain's "Channel Four" entered the reality TV craze with this popular miniseries. Combining family values with the formats of MTV's "Real World" and public television's educational programming, this time-travel experiment puts a modern family, the Hymers, in 1940s-style home. Furthermore, three generations of Hymers must submit to the hardships of wartime Britain, including food rationing and bombing raid exercises.

Molly: An American Girl on the Home Front

 

2006NR83 minutes

In 1944 America, the McIntire family -- like the rest of the country -- is learning to cope with the changes brought about by a world at war. For young Molly (Maya Ritter), this means learning to get along without her father. Exhibiting the plucky spirit fans of the American Girl books and dolls have come to love, Molly does what anyone would do in the face of adversity: organize a dance contest! Molly Ringwald co-stars as Molly's mother.

Civil Rights Movement:

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

 

1973TV-PG110 minutes

Based on the novel by Ernest J. Gaines, this highly acclaimed TV drama follows the life of Jane Pittman, a black woman born into slavery in the South during the 1850s who lives long enough to see the genesis of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. In 1962, 110-year-old Jane (Cicely Tyson) tells her story to a journalist (Michael Murphy). The film won eight Emmy Awards, including Best Lead Actress for Tyson and Best Director for John Korty.

Selma Lord Selma

 

1999TV-PG88 minutes

Discover how an 11-year-old girl, Sheyann Webb (Jurnee Smollet), becomes an instrument of change in 1965 Alabama in this riveting and sometimes heartbreaking drama based on real events about a dark segment of American history: segregation. As the Rev. Martin Luther King sweeps through the countryside trying to register voters, Sheyann finds out just how oppressed her community truly is.

Ruby Bridges

 

1998NR90 minutes

Director Euzhan Palcy brings to the screen events that helped shape American history: the integration of an all-white school in the 1960s by first-grader Ruby Bridges (Chaz Monet). Predictably, tensions arise as protesters fight Ruby's attendance. But aided by her courageous parents (Michael Beach and Lela Rochon), an enthusiastic teacher (Penelope Ann Miller) and a supportive child psychologist (Kevin Pollak), Ruby learns to face racism head-on.

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I haven't read all the responses but...

 

before presenting Terry Jones' Medieval Lives to a second grader I would preview your selection first. Some may consider his content a bit racy for a 7 yo. Not that I am criticizing the program-I happen to enjoy it but it wasn't designed for kids. There are just many subjects that wouldn't normally be considered children's programming and it can be difficult to separate them by episode.

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I'd like a copy of the list once it's finished, too. Thanks for all the effort!

 

Are you emailing the completed list to folks? Then, "Me too!" And thanks!

 

Or, were you going to post it (that would be easier for you, lol). I, too, appreciate you putting this together!

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