This year’s Carter G. Woodson winners include books about a Chinese American trail chef who helped bring attention to national parks; Rep. John Lewis’s civil rights activism; and a look at American immigration history.

Analyzing historical movies and TV dramas for content, structure, and themes can help students advance their media literacy and historical literacy skills.

International films are valuable tools for sparking meaningful debate on important human rights issues.

When used well, film can make the past come alive, develop historical empathy, and stimulate student interest in learning.

Making documentaries about human rights engages students in the full Inquiry Arc of the C3 Framework, culminating in taking informed action through film production.

By understanding how cinematic devices are used to direct audience’s emotions and interpretations, students can develop a critical eye for film and a richer construction of meaning.

While Hollywood has finally caught up with the times in regards to portraying the histories of LGBTQ individuals, the social studies curriculum is still lagging.

When students are put in charge of examining a political or social-issue movie and preparing a class presentation, they become more critical consumers of film.

The featured naturalization petition belonging to Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s daughter, who lost her U.S. citizenship when she married an Englishman, can spark an interesting lesson on citizenship rights, women’s suffrage, and the Fourteenth Amendment.

The half-century anniversary of the Loving Supreme Court case offers a valuable opportunity for students to examine this key decision in furthering marriage equality.