Social Studies

 I am excited to share a learning tool that I have been using for 3 years now.  You may have heard of Netflix, the giant online and home mailing movie rental service.  I have been a Netflix subscriber since 2006.  Originally, I could search for a movie on the site, select it, and have it mailed to my house.  A few years ago Netflix began streaming many titles online.

Attached to this page is a collection of the movie descriptions for all of the historical documentaries on the Netflix site.  Enjoy searching, but before you begin, I have a few points/suggestions to make.

1.       The page is 286 pages long on Microsoft Word.  So unless you have a lot of time, you may want to click “find” and enter a keyword.  Remember, this is not a Google search, so the “find” search will only locate the exact word you typed.

2.       Movies get added and removed from Netflix all the time.  The second that the list is posted, it is likely to be slightly different from the online offerings.  Still, 95% of it will match what is online.

3.      There are movies for nearly every major topic and every HSCE and GLCE.  Use the search function on Netflix.com to find information on individual topics.

4.      Remember that you can log on to the Netflix site and do a search there.  On that site you can get member reviews of the films, which are usually quite useful.  Each movie has a page with relevant information.

5.      Not every single movie on the list may be appropriate for your class.  If a movie is rated R and has content inappropriate for class, you may still find it useful to watch yourself for your own preparation.  I am not endorsing any film on the list and take no responsibility for the content.  It is your job to screen films.

6.      There are different priced plans for Netflix.  Check out the different plans.  Some social studies departments have an account that is paid for by the school.  It is actually quite a bargain for the school, as they have access to a video library that would cost a fortune to purchase individually.

7.      If you subscribe individually and pay for it yourself, you can mix business with pleasure.  I rent 3 movies at a time, and I might be renting 2 for school and 1 for at home.  Plus, the streaming is unlimited, so you can watch all the movies you want online.

8.      You can project the online movies through a projector or through your television.  There are multiple methods to project to your television.  Check the Netflix site to find out what you need.

I hope you find this useful and are able to use Netflix in your classroom!

Matt Johnson