Why Documentaries in the Classroom? Why Now?

Description:

Young people are increasingly looking to their screens for information of all kinds, and there is an urgent need to teach them to be critical consumers of visual media. In particular, examining and understanding bias and point of view in media is at the forefront of our national conversation. Using documentary film as text, educators can engage students in skills of media fluency - to recognize the media maker’s perspective, and critically examine how that influences their own understanding.