This amazing 90 minute film about what goes into our food and the effects it is having on people is an excellent way to introduce students to making better choices about what they put into their bodies. This documentary examines what kinds of chemicals are finding their way into our food and the resulting health problems that come from eating these highly processed foods. Movie guide contains 29 chronological questions that accompany the film and an answer key is also included. Follow up link for TED Talk also included. 2 day intro to nutrition, suitable for 7th grade through high school students.

This short but powerful documentary Recycled Life presents the sad reality of the thousands of people who live and work in the Guatemala City Dump. Narrated by Edward James Olmos in English with interviews in Spanish of Guaejero dump workers, this film presents the sad day to day reality of the thousands of people who recycle millions of pounds of trash every day. The film will most certainly provoke discussion with students and for many serve as the first time they actually see the kind of poverty that motivates immigrants to risk their lives to come here. Movie guide contains 17-18 questions in chronological order and a couple of personal opinion/reactions. Guide is in English and Spanish. Amazing film, it will bring you to tears, while still leaving you with a sense of pride and dignity that these humble people maintain intact despite horrific circumstances.

Katie Couric produced this 90 minute film about obesity in America and its links to the food lobbies, sugary diets and soda. She follows four teenagers in their struggles to lose weight while examining the epidemic of obesity in America in the last 30 years, its causes and some of the obstacles to providing solutions. This film is excellent and very appropriate for a middle or high school health class. Movie guide contains 43 questions that accompany the film and a template for a food log so students can track daily consumption of sugar and calories through every meal and snack. This film is available on Netflix or for purchase at www.fedupthemovie.com

Journalist and author Michael Pollan, who is a food expert looks at our WESTERN DIET and how its affecting young peoples health. Pollan discusses all the different health risks associated with our daily food choices of “highly processed food like substances”. This documentary ran on PBS, is also available on NETFLIX. Its great for a health/wellness class and will definitely get kids thinking about how their food choices (or lack of choices) affect their health and quality of life. Movie guide contains 21 questions in chronological order, a couple of pre watch prompts and a list of suggested follow up activities. Movie runs for two class periods but this lesson could easily be extended for a whole week to give students time to work on and produce some of the follow up activities. Answers included.

Over 13 million American kids will be bullied at school, online, on the bus, at home, through their cell phones and on the streets of their towns, making it the most common form of violence young people in this country experience. BULLY is a documentary film that shows how we’ve all been affected by bullying, whether as victims, perpetrators or stood silent witness, to adults in schools trying to make decisions to protect kids. This movie guide follows the film with pre-watching questions to get kids thinking about bullying in their own lives/schools, where they may or may not feel safe and why kids get bullied, chronological questions that follow the film and some Think pair share activity follow up for group discussion. If you have taught the book THE MISFITS or just want to get kids thinking about the impact of bullying actions and non actions, this documentary is a great way to get at their heartstrings. This film is suitable for middle or high school age students discussing bullying as a part of restorative justice or just as a problem solver in a classroom. Movie is 90 minutes long so budget 2-3 days to complete with discussion opportunities. Movie is available on Netflix , Amazon or at the public library on DVD.