When I was in elementary school, watching a film (they weren’t called videos) was a big deal. The film canister and the projector would be wheeled into our room, the screen would be set up, the lights turned down and then…the film would start. It didn’t happen often and it was memorable when it did. Two films stand out in my mind. One was “Paddle to the Sea”. It followed the journey of a little carved canoe all the way through the Great Lakes to the ocean. It was the first time I realized how big Canada was. The second film was “The Log Driver’s Waltz”. It was a cartoon and it played often on tv and even before movies in the theatre, I think.
What these two short films have in common is that they were both created with support from the National Film Board, an iconic Canadian Media company that has been in existence since May 2, 1939. The NFB has an English site and a French language site, known as the ONF.
The National Film Board has hundreds of films covering all kinds of subjects, from reconciliation to immigration to…log rolling! Access to much of the NFB is free and available to anyone.
However, there is another layer available to educators – the NFB Campus Edition. With Campus Edition, teachers can access educational playlists organised by topic and age. For instance, in Environment and Stability, there are films like “Meltdown”, an animated story for 5 to 8 year olds about a polar bear looking for a new job when the polar ice melts; and “Lords of the Arctic”, a documentary about polar animals aimed at 15 to 17 year olds. Educational Playlists include topics like Arts and Language, Diversity and Inclusion and Indigenous Cinema.
Along with the curated playlists, teachers can create their own playlists. They can also “snip” bits of films out to use when they don’t want to show the whole film.
NFB has Professional Development sessions teachers can access as well as Study Guides for hundreds of their films and mini lessons for others.
Finally, within the Campus Edition, educators have access to Ocean School and Media School.
Ocean School is a comprehensive environmental resource aimed at students 11 to 15 years old. It encompasses subjects from Biology to Geography to Career Education, using videos, short films, interactive activities and lesson plans. As an example, a lesson called “Coral Morals” covers biodiversity, genetic engineering, ethics, artificial selection, evolution, inquiry and human impact. This section of the NFB website is packed with incredible learning, teacher resources AND it’s available in both French and English!
Media School is an entire course on media production and digital storytelling. Aimed at students 13 to 18 and guided by professional film-maker Paul Tom, NFB has provided teachers with everything they would need to equip their students with the power to tell their own stories.
The NFB website is rich in Canadian stories, documentaries and incredible opportunities for teaching and learning. It covers our country from east to west, sea to sea in a way that very few digital resources do. You owe it to yourself and your students to take a look!
Teachers in BC have access to the NFB website and films through Focused Education Resources. To find out how to create a teacher account, check with your teacher-librarian.
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