World History through Movies

$275.00

Teen Focus 12+

Many of the world’s moviemakers have been drawn to recreate pivotal events from our past through the lens of historical fiction, resulting in highly entertaining, and often award-winning, viewing.  These movies have, in some cases, had an impact far beyond entertainment, shaping perceptions of events long after the fact (and the movies’ releases).  During each week of this high school course, students will view a selected movie at home and then critically examine the truths and fictionalizations (intentional or not) in each film during moderated class-based discussions and in written discussion forums.

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Many of the world’s moviemakers have been drawn to recreate pivotal events from our past through the lens of historical fiction, resulting in highly entertaining, and often award-winning, viewing.  These movies have, in some cases, had an impact far beyond entertainment, shaping perceptions of events long after the fact (and the movies’ releases).  During each week of this high school course, students will view a selected movie at home and then critically examine the truths and fictionalizations (intentional or not) in each film during moderated class-based discussions and in written discussion forums.

Through this class, students will gain a deeper appreciation for both the art of movie entertainment and the history being mined by the moviemakers.  Weekly webinars are 50 minutes long. Recordings are available for students who must miss a session.  Discussion topics will be posted in the forums to help guide the viewing of each film in its appropriate historical context.

Note:  Please be aware that there can be multiple versions of some of our films, each from different years and with different actors.  To help you in finding the correct version, we have included the lead billed actor and the year in which the movie was filmed below.

Eras Examined (and associated films):

Shakespearean Histories – Kings of England

  • Looking for Richard (1996)
  • Henry V (Kenneth Branagh, 1989)

Shakespeare and Beyond – Friends, Romans, Countrymen

  • Julius Caesar (Marlon Brando, 1953)
  • Spartacus (Kirk Douglas, 1960)

Racial Inequality to Apartheid

  • Belle (2014)
  • Invictus (2009)

Imperialism into World War 1

  • Gandhi (1982)
  • Lawrence of Arabia (Peter O’Toole, 1962)
  • All Quiet on the Western Front (Louis Wolheim, 1930)

Between Wars

  • Chariots of Fire (1981)
  • The King’s Speech (2012)

World War 2

  • Casablanca (1942)
  • The Imitation Game (2014)
  • Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
  • Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

Many of the selected movies are rated at least PG (a.k.a. ‘Parental Guidance’ suggested), although some are rated R.  We strongly advise parents to be aware of the content that their children will be viewing before signing up for this course and we encourage families to view and discuss films together.

Access to movies not provided by Online G3. All or most are available to rent/stream on Amazon or other services families might be subscribed to, like Netflix or HBO Max. You might also find many of the movies at a local library, depending on the film. The Internet Archive is also worth checking for older films.

Topics Covered

History and Critically Thinking About Sources
War of the Roses
Hundred Years War
End of the Roman Republic
Rome and Slavery
Abolition in England
Leadership and End of Apartheid
Provocative Non-Violent Protest and Gandhi
Imperialism and the Arab Revolt
World War 1 and Patriotism
Antisemitism
Leadership and Handicaps
Isolationism
Codebreaking and World War 2
Bombing Civilians
Pearl Harbor and Beyond

Challenge Level

Aimed at students ready for work appropriate to grades 9 through 12. This is a high school history course open to students ages 12 and up who are prepared to investigate and discuss challenging history topics at a high school level.

Time Commitment

Most students report spending approximately 3-4 hours per week on homework outside of the webinar. Movies must be viewed independently (or with parents) as homework.

Instructor

Headmaster Galahad

Movie List

Looking for Richard (1996)
Henry V (Kenneth Branagh, 1989)
Julius Caesar (Marlon Brando, 1953)
Spartacus (Kirk Douglas, 1960)
Belle (2014)
Invictus (2009)
Gandhi (1982)
Lawrence of Arabia (Peter O’Toole, 1962)
All Quiet on the Western Front (Louis Wolheim, 1930)
Chariots of Fire (1981)
The King’s Speech (2012)
Casablanca (1942)
The Imitation Game (2014)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)

Usually Offered

Spring Semester

Prerequisites

At least one high school level history course. Students must be prepared to read, view, and analyze challenging material at an upper high school level. Students must also be able to write multi-paragraph texts independently and participate actively in written discussion forums and in the live webinar.

Available Sessions

Spring 2025 Tuesday 12pm Pacific, Spring 2024 Tuesday 12pm Pacific, Spring 2023 Monday 12pm Pacific, Spring 2022 Thursday 10am Pacific, Spring 2021 Friday 11am Pacific, Spring 2020 Monday 11am Pacific, Spring 2019 Friday 11am Pacific, Spring 2018 Tuesday 12pm Pacific