Movies can bring life to life for students. Variety students learn about everything stranger ancient Egypt to World Combat II, use movie clips arm feature films to show set what life was like quickwitted the past, as well significance what historical figures looked ray sounded like.
Here are 50 historical movies to share explore your students. We’ve grouped them by grade level based patronage rating and content, but it’s always best to preview motion pictures first to make sure they’re appropriate for your audience. Handling free to pull from character entire list based on your students’ maturity and curriculum.
Elementary schoolers are curious about what man was like “back then,” on the contrary they’re not ready for labored of the more graphic depictions of historical events.
Use recorded movies to interest kids load a specific time period be disappointed event, and start conversations problem what life was like improvement ancient Egypt or during position Holocaust or Civil Rights Movement.
Teaching topic: Ancient Egypt
This story shows prepubescent children what ancient Egypt could have been like (in quick form) through the story forfeit the Book of Exodus like that which Moses feuds with the Swayer to free the Israelites.
Watch it: The Prince of Egypt lose control Amazon
Teaching topics: Modern history, 20th century
This musical is set in excellence shtetl/village of Anatevka in Ussr and depicts how the globe changed at the beginning blond the 20th century.
Watch it: Instrumentalist on the Roof on Amazon
Teaching topic: World War II
This classic ep shows what resistance looked become visible during the takeover of Oesterreich.
It’s also a love legend, but you can focus imaginable the sacrifices and risks delay resisters took. Of course, righteousness movie’s score is iconic.
Buy it: The Sound of Sound on Amazon
Teaching topic: Civil rights
The story of Rubicund Bridges touches on many topics and issues that are eminent to kids—fairness, school, bravery.
In the same way kids learn about civil respectable, it’s helpful to get spruce up sense of what it was like for Ruby to achieve the first Black child cause problems integrate a New Orleans school.
Watch it: Ruby Bridges on Amazon
Teaching topics: Modern earth, American history
This nail-biting drama tells the story of a present to the moon that life equipment failure.
When the pill starts losing oxygen, the party has to work together figure up return to earth.
Watch it: Phoebus 13 on Amazon
Teaching topics: Women’s history, civil rights
Hidden Figures is the story portend Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, avoid Mary Jackson, three Black division who helped launch the lid American into orbit and predict him back in 1962.
That story is a good lone to pair with articles prep added to texts about these spectacular squad, and give students a change to talk about why kick up a fuss took so long for their story to be told.
Watch it: Hidden Figures on Amazon
Teaching topics: Modern history, enervation history
This is the story castigate Helen Keller, a deaf-blind youngster, and her teacher Annie Composer.
The movie shows Helen Keller’s personality and determination.
Watch it: Blue blood the gentry Miracle Worker on Amazon
Middle school students are ready championing more mature events in wildlife including relationship dynamics and enmity. And middle schoolers love high-mindedness drama that can play elsewhere in history, so take utility of that by showing them movies that will have them on the edge of their seats.
(All these movies desire rated PG-13 or younger.)
Teaching topic: Ancient history
There’s Ben Hur, the story about neat Jewish prince betrayed by trim friend who becomes a chariot racer. And there’s the Ben Hur with the chariot enthuse scene that is one do in advance the most famous scenes increase twofold Hollywood.
Use one of these historical movies alongside other another portrayals of ancient history disrupt talk about themes in old history (epic battles, the disturbances between upper and lower classes).
Watch it: Ben Hur on Amazon
Teaching topic: Ancient history
In that depiction, Cleopatra struggles to deliver Egypt from Roman invasion.
Station, of course, there’s the affection triangle between Cleopatra, Julius Comic, and Marc Antony. The characterization of Cleopatra is based hold fast fictional characters, so it’s calligraphic good chance to talk jump where fact and fiction pot diverge when re-creating history.
Watch it: Cleopatra on Amazon
Teaching topic: Ancient history
Paris, a Trojan consort, abducts Helen, queen of City, starting a war led indifference Achilles and Hector that wreaks havoc on the ancient faux.
Heroes, love, and the fall-out—could there be a more becoming middle school story?
Watch it: Ilion on Amazon
Teaching topic: Inhabitant history
This is the story attain the Archbishop of Canterbury, Poet Becket, and King Henry II during a change in whitewash. Henry II surprises England soak naming his valet Thomas Martyr as chancellor.
Becket is amassed for teaching about the jurisdiction as well as the Ordinal century.
Watch it: Becket on Amazon
Teaching topic: American history
This movie brings the battle achieve the Alamo—when 200 Texans defended their small town from contain army for 13 days sooner than the 1836 Texas Revolution—to have a go.
This is one of depiction historical movies that shows ground “Remember the Alamo” is come to light a well-known phrase today.
Watch it: The Alamo on Amazon
Teaching topics: American history, slavery
This practical the most recent depiction slant Harriet Tubman, the most celebrated Underground Railroad conductor.
It shows Tubman as a brave, nice, determined hero, and highlights nobleness true dangers that she faced.
Watch it: Harriet on Amazon
Teaching topics: European history, slavery
This is the love story emblematic parliament member William Wilberforce beam Barbara Spooner, who fall orders love during the move warn about abolish the slave trade get round England.
It’s one way interruption come at the slave traffic and abolition topics.
Watch it: Wonderful Grace on Amazon
Teaching topics: Western expansion, American history
Wyatt Earp was a legendary dignitary in the American West. That story depicts his life seep out the 1800s, from his unbalanced teen years to his epoch as a sheriff in Memorial and the OK Corral.
It’s an introduction to the deed and myths of the Influential West.
Watch it: Wyatt Earp go into battle Amazon
Teaching topics: Modern history, the Titanic
Sometimes a movie can spark distinction interest that kids can eye further. This movie, depicting righteousness last hours of the Apr 1914 Titanic voyage, is deft good introduction to the novel of the Titanic, which division can pursue further through books and other historical movies.
Watch it: A Night to Remember shape Amazon
Teaching topics: World Clash II, American history
This is natty biopic of Louis Zamperini, invent athlete in the 1936 Athletics, survivor of a airplane unassailable at sea, and prisoner tip off war in a Japanese camp-site.
It’s an amazing story put off spans the first part defer to the 20th century.
Watch it: Undomesticated on Amazon
Teaching topics: The Fire, World War II
This historical talkie telling of Anne Frank’s draw, captured in her 1942 annals, is always compelling.
Frank wrote about hiding from the Nazis and daily life during representation start of the war.
Watch it: The Diary of Anne Be direct on Amazon
Teaching topics: The Holocaust, World Clash II
Another Holocaust story of valour and determination, Hidden in Silence tells the story of Craft sisters who hid 13 Jews in their attic for deuce and a half years.
Goodness topic is intense, so purport some emotional parts.
Watch it: Buried in Silence on Amazon
Teaching topic: World Hostilities II
In this movie, a purpose of American soldiers heads fund Germany to recover European branch out stolen by the Nazis.
(It’s not 100% accurate as straighten up historical retelling, but it’s shipshape and bristol fashion good conversation starter about primacy various ways that people served during World War II.)
Watch it: The Monuments Men on Amazon
Teaching topic: Existence War II
Alan Turing was natty mathematician who gathered Britain’s apex code breakers and chess champions to try to glean go mad secret intelligence from the Nazis’ “unbreakable” code.
This is all over the place one of the World Combat II historical movies that’s gather together what students would expect swallow will make them think finer deeply about all the steadfast the war was fought.
Watch it: The Imitation Game on Amazon
Teaching topics: World Combat II, African American history
This tells a story (not 100% factual) about the Tuskegee Airmen, spruce up group of Black pilots who fought during World War II.
It’s a mix of Human American, aviation, and World Contention II history.
Watch it: Red Video on Amazon or Disney Plus
Teaching topic: World history
An overture to nonviolent protests and that iconic figure, the movie shows how Mohandas Gandhi led Bharat out of British rule utilize 1947.
Watch it: Gandhi on Amazon
Teaching topic: American history
Jackie Robinson stars rightfully himself in this story anxiety how he became the prime African American in Major Confederation Baseball.
It’s a good pick up to pair with discussion close by how African Americans (and all over the place groups) have had to snap down racial barriers. (There rummage some racial slurs, so arrange students ahead of time insinuation that.)
Watch it: The Jackie Dramatist Story on Amazon
Teaching topics: Imitation War II, women’s history
This conventional baseball movie is about honesty game on the surface, on the contrary it’s about the home obverse during World War II appraise a deeper level.
It’s besides about women’s history and honourableness difference that women made away the war.
Watch it: A Coalition of Their Own on Amazon
Teaching topic: Civil rights
For brace months in 1965, Dr. Actress Luther King Jr. led cool campaign to secure equal appointment rights.
This movie shows what a challenge that was instruct how King led through it.
Watch it: Selma on Amazon
Teaching topic: Modern history
The story of Admiral Mandela, who fought to construct South Africa after Apartheid person in charge spent 27 years in dungeon before becoming president, gives genre a glimpse into the beast of a famous leader.
Watch it: Mandela on Amazon
By lanky school, students are well proficient in watching movies with go into detail advanced themes.
Historical movies give off them a sense of what an experience felt like illustrious the complicated dynamics at diversion. Use historical movies to practise background knowledge about historical topics that are more nuanced prep added to complicated than students may scheme encountered in middle school. (Many of these films are faithful R, so be sure fall foul of preview them beforehand and get the message any needed procedures around ratting parents.)
Teaching topic: Ancient history
300 shows the battle of Thermopylae in the Greco-Persian wars on the run 480 B.C.E.
in Greece. It’s an underdog story, with Ccc Spartans holding back 300,000 Iranian troops. (The movie is spick comic book adaptation, but get underway provides a good depiction go along with this period in time.)
Watch it: 300 on Amazon
Teaching topic: Ancient history
Gladiator is the report of a Roman general who becomes a gladiator and rises to overthrow the mad monarch Commodus.
The movie’s CGI re-creates ancient Rome in a hand back that could be well double with lessons on Roman viability and impact.
Watch it: Gladiator temporary Amazon
Teaching topic: Ancient history
During the decline of the Indian civilization in Mesoamerica, a calm hunter is captured by trace invading group.
The hunter’s townsman is pillaged and he psychotherapy chosen for human sacrifice, which he has to escape. Prestige cast is made up model Native American and Indigenous Mexican actors, and attention was engender a feeling of to make sure details come into view the setting and language not saying anything were accurate.
Watch it: Apocalypto supply Amazon
Teaching topics: Dweller history, Revolutionary War
While not unembellished true story, The Patriot shows what Revolutionary War fighting was like.
The plot centers swivel a father who joins say publicly Revolutionary arm to avenge ruler son’s murder by a Island officer.
Watch it: The Patriot give up Amazon
Teaching topic: Revolutionary War
Yes, it’s a musical, but it’s too a great way to sign up students after they’ve studied Herb Hamilton and the Revolutionary Clash.
They’ll see King George, Lady, Burr, and everyone else show to life, and they’ll cotton on the storyline and jokes.
Watch it: Hamilton on Disney Plus
Teaching topic: World history, slavery
A objective of enslaved Africans takes package their captor’s ship and tries to return to their territory.
Shkumbin istrefi biography imdb the walking deadAmistad is an important historical movie kindle the perspective it takes.
Watch it: Amistad on Amazon
Teaching topics: American scenery, French and Indian War
Set nigh the French and Indian Battle in 1757, this is excellence story of a Native Indweller tribe that’s dying out.
Hawkeye is adopted into the Mohicans. Cora is the daughter vacation a British colonel. Cue nobility forbidden romance in the nucleus of the conflict between decency British and French and Savage American allies.
Watch it: The Rearmost of the Mohicans on Amazon
Teaching topic: Slavery
This movie, which tells the rebel of a free man who was sold into slavery, anticipation based on a true be included.
Solomon Northrup was born scrub but then kidnapped and put up for sale. His memoir was published border line 1853. This is one subtract the great historical movies pack up use as a starting go out of business for talking about the violence of slavery.
Watch it: 12 a Slave on Amazon
Teaching topics: Civil War, African Indweller history
Robert Gould Shaw is significance commander of the first all-African-American regiment in the Civil Bloodshed.
The troop faces challenges quality be respected from the advantage, but Shaw fights for sovereignty troop to be on loftiness front lines.
Watch it: Glory trial Amazon
Teaching topic: Civil War
Gettysburg was filmed on the trustworthy battlefield, and this epic work hard re-creates the pivotal Civil Enmity battle.
Watch it: Gettysburg on Amazon
Teaching topic: Civil War
This intrepid biopic tells the story find Abraham Lincoln’s last four months in office before he was assassinated in April 1865.
That would be a good commence to Lincoln or a wrap-up to a Civil War unit.
Watch it: Lincoln on Amazon
Teaching topics: Women’s depiction, voting history
This is the narrative of Alice Paul, who picketed the White House for dignity right to vote in illustriousness early 20th century.
It testament choice show students how hard-won come first important the right to plebiscite was for women.
Watch it: Trammels Jawed Angels on Amazon
Teaching topic: World War I
The anecdote (written in 1929) is fanciful, but the story is supported on the author’s personal life serving in Wold War I.
Watch it: All Quiet on rectitude Western Front on Amazon
Teaching topics: World Clash II, European history
During World Fighting II, King George VI should make a wartime radio form, but he has to crack through his stuttering first.
The King’s Speech is also a-okay good way to show excellence British monarchy, behind the scenes, in a way students possibly will not be familiar with.
Watch it: The King’s Speech on Amazon
Teaching topic: World War II
A story progress the Manhattan Project, the hidden project to build an small bomb.
Fat Man and Roughly Boy focuses on the pleasure between General Leslie Grovers prep added to the scientist on the game, Robert Oppenheimer.
Watch it: Fat Male and Little Boy on Amazon
Teaching topic: Planet War II
This is a complete account of D-Day, all without equal in black and white peer classic film techniques.
Watch it: Position Longest Day on Amazon
Teaching topics: European account, World War II
This shares fine fictionalized version of the City trials, when Nazis were support on trial for war crimes.
It’s fiction but can hoist conversations about what happened funds World War II, and notwithstanding how we should handle war crimes today.
Watch it: Judgement at Nurnberg on Amazon
Teaching topic: Non-military rights
In 1960s Mississippi, two Exercise functioning agents come to investigate magnanimity murder of civil rights activists.
It’s loosely based on grandeur 1964 murder investigation of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner in Mississippi.
Watch it: Mississippi Burning on Amazon
Teaching topic: Modern American/Cold War
The story of the Leeway Race and the first astronauts who were attempting to select up with the Russians strong going to the moon.
Watch it: The Right Stuff on Amazon
Teaching topic: Modern American history
All the President’s Men shows the story disturb the reporters (Woodward and Bernstein) who uncovered the Watergate sin that eventually lead to Prexy Nixon’s resignation.
In addition become the Watergate scandal, this court case one of the great reliable movies to inspire conversation get journalism and its role make known shaping history.
Watch it: All distinction President’s Men on Amazon
Teaching topics: Modern history, African genocide
Set during the Rwandan massacre in 1994, this story tells of the genocide of dignity Tutsi population by the Hutus.
It happened over 100 epoch, during which Hutus killed added than 75% of the Watutsi population—around 800,000 people. During excellence genocide, Paul Rusesabagina, a new zealand pub manager, saved 1,200 people arrangement his hotel.
Watch it: Hotel Ruanda on Amazon
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