Jump to content

Menu

Looking for ideas for documentaries and movies for government class


Recommended Posts

I'll get you started -- hopefully others can help fill in the list! ? Topics typically covered in a Government course, with ideas of featurefilms and documentaries:

Types of Government
-1984 (by George Orwell) - totalitarian government

Origins of American Government
-1776 (1972 film) - musical; disagreements in the Continental Congress
- Peanuts animated series: Birth of the Constitution
- Liberty's Kids animated series: #3 United We Stand; #8 The Second Continental Congress; #26 Honor & Compromise; #40 We The People (all are about the Continental Congress)

The Constitution
- The Constitution Project series

First Amendment Liberties
- ?

Federalism
- Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America series: #3 Federalism: U.S. vs. States 

Legislative Branch: Congress
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939 film)
- Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America series: #6 Legislatures: Laying Down the Law

The Judicial Branch -- county/state/federal court systems
- Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America series: #9 The Courts: Our Rule of Law
- The Supreme Court -- PBS documentary; mutli-dvd collection, interesting background
- 12 Angry Men (1957 film) -- film of the classic play; a jury deliberates
- Gideon's Trumpet (1980 film) -- another Fonda classic
- Inherit the Wind (1960 film) -- Scopes Monkey Trial; use with the book Summer for the Gods (by Lawson) to provide background and a more historically accurate overview
- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962 film) OR the novel by Harper Lee -- unfair trial of a black man in the 1930s South
- With All Deliberate Speed -- documentary of Brown vs. Board of Education Supreme Court ruling

Privacy Rights and Rights of Due Process
- ?

Landmark Supreme Court Cases
- American Experience episode: "Simple Justice" -- fight to end segregation, leading to Brown vs. Board of Education

Executive Branch: The Presidency
- Peanuts animated series: The Smithsonian and the Presidency
- Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America series: #7: The Modern Presidency: Tools of Power

Political Parties
- Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America series: #12: Political Parties: Mobilizing Agents

Elections and Campaigns
- ?

Interest Groups
- Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America series: #14: Interest Groups: Organizing to Influence

The Media
- Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America series: #10: Understanding Media: The Inside Story

Policymaking 
- ?

Civil Liberties and Civil Rights
- Eyes on the Prize PBS series -- African American civil rights
- We Shall Remain PBS series -- Native American history and civil rights
- American Experience episodes:
   
"Ida B. Wells: A Passion for Justice" -- 19th century leader in the fight against racism and sexism
   
"One Woman, One Vote" -- women's suffrage movement, resulting in 19th Amendment
   
"Los Mineros" -- Mexican American miners whose labor battles abolished the two-tier wage system
   
"Kennedy vs. Wallace: Crisis Up Close" -- confrontation over keeping University of Alabama segregated
   
"Freedom Riders"
   
"Freedom on My Mind" -- early 1960s Mississippi voter registration struggles

General Government Resources
Annenberg Learner: Democracy in America series -- 15 gov't topics
PBS series: Constitution USA
Teach With Movies website -- see sections on: Civics & Gov't;  Civil RightsPolitics, Law, Press -- also, JusticeHuman Rights
Standard Deviants: American Government -- 10 gov't topics

 
Edited by Lori D.
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...