RESOURCE ASSESSMENT
David Smith
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/
WATCH ONLINE
TEACHER CENTER
Includes:

(To date) 85 streaming Frontline broadcasts dating from
1983-2010, usually 60 minutes in length

Videos are organized by date, subject, and can also be
located through a search engine

Videos are divided into chapters with a brief synopsis of
each chapter above the video and a full summary below
Includes:

Teaching materials to accompany many of the videos in
the “Watch Online” sections, and also to accompany other
videos that can be ordered, but not streamed (crossreference the lesson with the “Watch Online” page to see
if the video is available for streaming)

Video summaries, notes to teachers on difficulties they
may encounter teaching the topic, lesson plans, discussion
questions, handouts, glossaries, useful outside links and
readings
Selected titles applicable to Ontario’s history curricula:
Criteria For
Assessment
Supports
Diversity
Grade
Evidence
Next Steps (i.e. Suggested Revisions)
A-
 Considers stories from many perspectives (e.g. “The
Insurgency”: Iraqis and Americans; “Growing Up Online”:
Bullies, victims, parents; “The Storm”: Katrina survivors,
government
 Offers closed-captioning (CC; helpful for students with hearing
impairments, ESL learners)
 Intended for American audience
 Some useful lessons do not have accompanying videos (e.g.
“Assault on Gay America,” “Shtetyl”)
Promotes
Critical
Thinking
B
Engaging for
Learners
B
Historical
Value
B
 Offers interesting discussion questions and class activities (e.g.
“From Jesus to Christ”: In groups, report on a founder of a
historically significant movement (Buddah, Gandhi, etc.); “The
Tank Man”: Students will censor words that are blocked on
Google China from a BBC article on the Tiananmen Square
Massacre to see how censorship affects understanding)
 Many questions are identification-type questions without a
strong critical thinking component (e.g. “From Jesus to Christ”:
What was the legal status of the Jesus Movement? Were there
persecutions? “The Tank Man”: What are differences between
the democratic government of the United States and the
government of China?)
 Videos are well produced, cover interesting questions and
issues, and consider various perspectives
 Videos are long (at least one hour each) and may lose students’
interest
 The site itself is designed for teachers and parents, and offers
few interactive learning opportunities for students
 Some links are dead (e.g. “The Tank Man” was not loading at
the time of assessment)
 Offers thorough and insightful examinations of topics covered
 Most topics are told through a contemporary American (late
20th/early 21st century) lens and are of importance in this
period (notice preponderance of Middle-East conflict-,
terrorism-, current event-related topics on reverse); a few
notable exceptions: “Memory of the Camps”; “From Jesus to
Christ: The First Christians”; “Jefferson’s Blood”
 Some videos that are not imbedded in the lesson
plan can be found through the Frontline search
engine (e.g. “Muslims”)
 For others, the lesson can be salvaged if applied to
another video (i.e. youtube, DVD, etc.) on a similar
topic, with necessary adjustments
 Where the lesson has an American focus, other
resources from other perspectives may be found in
the “links” section, or through independent teacher
research
 Where necessary, teachers can modify questions to
invite critical thought (e.g. “From Jesus to Christ”:
Make a plan to start a movement supporting an
issue you feel strongly about. What can you learn
from early Christians to 1) popularize your
movement, and 2) ready yourself for persecution
you might encounter? “The Tank Man”: What are
the differences between the democratic
government of the United States and the
government of China? For each difference, identify
which would be more suitable to your lifestyle and
why.)
 Teachers can pre-screen videos and select a chapter
or excerpt that would be relevant to the lesson
 The teacher should rely on the site primarily as a
source for videos, research resources, and lesson
plan ideas, and can use these as a starting point for
engaging lessons and activities
 See “Supports Diversity” section for suggestion on
dead links
 Use videos to put older topics of study into a
contemporary context by drawing comparisons for
deeper understanding
 Look on the bright side: when/if your course
curriculum covers late 20th century topics, you have
an array of choices and materials to support your
lessons
Grade 10
Canadian History (CHC2DP)
In Search of Al Qaeda, Muslims, The Roots of Terror, Assault on Gay America, Ghosts of Rwanda, Memory of the Camps (Nazi concentration
camps), The Triumph of Evil (Rwanda)
Grade 11
American History, University Preparation (CHA3U)
The Gulf War, In Search of Al Qaeda, Muslims, The Roots of Terror, Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald?, The Choice (1996-2008 Presidential
Campaigns), Jefferson's Blood, The Jesus Factor (1st Amendment), Karl Rove -- The Architect, Assault on Gay America (Viewer's Guide),
Dangerous Straits (History of U.S.-China relations), The Enemy Within (U.S. Response to Pearl Harbor, links to modern-day terrorism), Ghosts of
Rwanda, The Insurgency (Arguments for and against occupation of Iraq), The Invasion of Iraq (American perspective), Kim's Nuclear Gamble,
The Lost Year in Iraq (Postwar reconstruction), Memory of the Camps (Nazi concentration camps), Showdown With Iran (Current U.S.-Iran
relationship), The Triumph of Evil (Rwanda), The Last Abortion Clinic, The Storm (Hurricane Katrina), Waco: The Inside Story, The Mormons,
Ambush in Mogadishu
World History to the Sixteenth Century, University/College Preparation (CHW3M)
From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians; Muslims
Canadian History and Politics Since 1945, College Preparation (CHH3C)
In Search of Al Qaeda, Muslims, The Roots of Terror, Ghosts of Rwanda, Memory of the Camps (Nazi concentration camps), The Triumph of Evil
(Rwanda), Ambush in Mogadishu
Canadian History and Politics Since 1945, Workplace Preparation (CHH3E)
In Search of Al Qaeda, Muslims, The Roots of Terror, Assault on Gay America, Ghosts of Rwanda, Memory of the Camps (Nazi concentration
camps), The Triumph of Evil (Rwanda), Ambush in Mogadishu
Twentieth-Century History: Global and Regional Perspectives, Open (CHT3O)
The Gulf War, In Search of Al Qaeda, Muslims, The Roots of Terror, The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela, Young and Restless in China, China in the
Red, The Tank Man (Tiananmen Square), Assault on Gay America (Viewer's Guide), Shtetl (Polish-American Jews return to Poland), Al Qaeda's
New Front (Europe), Dangerous Straits (History of U.S.-China relations), Ghosts of Rwanda, House of Saud (Power of fatwa in Saudi Arabia), The
Insurgency (Arguments for and against occupation of Iraq), The Invasion of Iraq (American perspective), Kim's Nuclear Gamble, The Lost Year in
Iraq (Postwar reconstruction), Memory of the Camps (Nazi concentration camps), On Our Watch (Darfur)
Return of the Taliban (Pakistan), Showdown With Iran (Current U.S.-Iran relationship), The Triumph of Evil (Rwanda), Ambush in Mogadishu
Grade 12
Canada: History, Identity, and Culture, University Preparation (CHI4U)
In Search of Al Qaeda, Muslims, The Roots of Terror, Assault on Gay America, Ghosts of Rwanda, Memory of the Camps (Nazi concentration
camps), The Triumph of Evil (Rwanda), Ambush in Mogadishu
World History: The West and the World, University Preparation (CHY4U)
The Gulf War, In Search of Al Qaeda, Muslims, The Roots of Terror, The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela, Young and Restless in China, China in
the Red, The Tank Man (Tiananmen Square), Shtetl (Polish-American Jews return to Poland), Al Qaeda's New Front (Europe), Dangerous Straits
(History of U.S.-China relations), Ghosts of Rwanda, House of Saud (Power of fatwa in Saudi Arabia), The Insurgency (Arguments for and against
occupation of Iraq), The Invasion of Iraq (American perspective), Kim's Nuclear Gamble, The Lost Year in Iraq (Postwar reconstruction), Memory
of the Camps (Nazi concentration camps), On Our Watch (Darfur), Return of the Taliban (Pakistan), Showdown With Iran (Current U.S.-Iran
relationship), The Triumph of Evil (Rwanda), Ambush in Mogadishu
World History: The West and the World, College Preparation (CHY4C)
The Gulf War, In Search of Al Qaeda, Muslims, The Roots of Terror, The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela, Young and Restless in China, China in
the Red, The Tank Man (Tiananmen Square), Shtetl (Polish-American Jews return to Poland), Al Qaeda's New Front (Europe), Dangerous Straits
(History of U.S.-China relations), Ghosts of Rwanda, House of Saud (Power of fatwa in Saudi Arabia), The Insurgency (Arguments for and against
occupation of Iraq), The Invasion of Iraq (American perspective), Kim's Nuclear Gamble, The Lost Year in Iraq (Postwar reconstruction), Memory
of the Camps (Nazi concentration camps), On Our Watch (Darfur), Return of the Taliban (Pakistan), Showdown With Iran (Current U.S.-Iran
relationship), The Triumph of Evil (Rwanda), Ambush in Mogadishu
Adventures in World History, Workplace Preparation (CHM4E)
Growing Up Online, Muslims, The Jesus Factor (1st Amendment), The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela, Young and Restless in China, China in the
Red, The Tank Man (Tiananmen Square), Assault on Gay America, Shtetl (Polish-American Jews return to Poland), Al Qaeda's New Front
(Europe), Dangerous Straits (History of U.S.-China relations), Ghosts of Rwanda, House of Saud (Power of fatwa in Saudi Arabia), The Insurgency
(Arguments for and against occupation of Iraq), The Invasion of Iraq (American perspective), Kim's Nuclear Gamble, The Lost Year in Iraq
(Postwar reconstruction), Memory of the Camps (Nazi concentration camps), On Our Watch (Darfur), Return of the Taliban (Pakistan),
Showdown With Iran (Current U.S.-Iran relationship), The Triumph of Evil (Rwanda), Ambush in Mogadishu