When learning is fun, the lessons are retained better in young minds. And if the facts and numbers are becoming too much for the class, why not switch things up with a movie or a documentary? Netflix has some really amazing series, movies, and documentaries covering a number of educational subjects for students of all ages. Be it elementary, middle, or high school, Netflix covers it all.
Go ahead and mount a flat-screen TV in your classroom and let the students have a fun learning experience, minus their books and notebooks.
For Elementary School Students:
Here are the five shows ideal for elementary school students.
1. Brainchild
This science-based show answers all kinds of questions that kids usually ask. The producers of the show are the original creators of the hugely popular Brain Games that came on the National Geographic channel. It has one season and thirteen episodes, and each episode is full of interesting facts and activities that students would love.
2. Ask the Storybots
Ask the Storybots is an animated series that is based on the characters from the original StoryBots educational site and videos. The live-action series has three seasons and twenty-two episodes, so mount a flat-screen TV and put on an episode that you want. Don’t forget to wait until the music video at the end.
3. The Magic School Bus
Here’s another animated TV series that can teach science concepts to kids in a fun and entertaining way. So, if the class is finding a particular science concept a bit difficult to understand, let Mr. Frizzle come to their rescue. You will find episodes on weather, gardening, the human body, and more.
4. Disney Nature: Oceans
Oceans depicts the spectacular story of the magnificent creatures that live under the sea. Narrated beautifully by Pierce Brosnan, Oceans will help kids gain some insights on even those elusive deep-sea creatures that they don’t know much about. The stunning visuals and clear explanations will keep the kids engrossed.
5. Dream Big
These are the two words that you must be telling your students all the time. Now, let the kids witness the true meaning of it through an award-winning documentary. Dream Big is an engaging documentary showing some of the biggest achievements made in the world of engineering across the globe.
For Middle School Students:
Five Netflix shows perfect for middle school students are:
1. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind is a riveting movie based on the real-life story of William Kamkwamba. It is the story of a thirteen-year-old boy who saves his village from famine by building a wind turbine. There is a book of the same name that the story derives from, which you can ask the students to read afterwards.
2. I am Kalam
This movie will be a good choice if you want to introduce kids to other cultures. It not only celebrates the indomitable human spirit but also highlights the need for the education of underprivileged kids. The film tells the story of a kid who gets inspired by the life of the Indian president.
3. Carmen Sandiego
If you grew up watching the game show and playing the computer game starring Carmen Sandiego, you would love to introduce the character to a whole new generation. In this series, Carmen is not only trying to stop evil but also teaching valuable educational facts to the students.
4. Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History
Equality, tolerance, and fraternity are the ideals that you would want to instil in the students from a young age, and Kevin Hart’s Guide to Black History is a good choice for that. Comedian Hart teaches viewers about the unsung and brave black heroes of history.
5. The Breadwinner
The Breadwinner is a great animated movie to play in the geography or history class. It is a beautiful and emotional story that lets the kids take a peek into the life of a girl named Parvana who lives in Afghanistan. She becomes the breadwinner after the Taliban take her father away.
For High School Students:
High school students will love watching the following shows:
1. Our Planet
Narrated by David Attenborough, Our Planet is an honest and groundbreaking series on flora and fauna. The series reflects on the critical issues that the kids might not have seen in most other series under this particular genre. Our Planet has already been filmed in over fifty countries and beautifully depicts species diversity.
2. Chasing Coral
Jeff Orlowski is the director of Chasing Coral. The documentary is the result of a lot of hard work done for over three years. The team had more than five hundred hours of underwater shots and the support of over five hundred volunteers. It is one of the best shows to get them interested in marine life.
3. Zion
If you are looking for an inspirational story to screen for high school kids, Zion is a perfect choice. It is a short film directed by Floyd Russ about a teenage boy named Zion Clark. He was born without legs and spent his days in foster care for years, but was always determined to make his name in the wrestling world.
4. Babies
Let’s take those high school kids to the first years of their life with this groundbreaking series. It shows the life of infants across the world in their first years of life. There’s going to be a lot of “aww!” and “so adorable” coming from the class.
5. Knock Down the House
This one is a powerful and touching story of four women who aim to change the face of American politics. So, put up that flat-screen TV in your classroom for the film. And, if you have any difficulty in managing that, you can check out this link here
Parting Note
As a teacher, you are always trying to make the classroom an exciting place to learn and explore varied subjects and lessons. These Netflix shows are going to offer you the chance to do exactly that. So, which of these suggestions are you starting in your next class?
