Good morning teachers! Summer is winding down and I’m sure that you are starting to plan for the following school year. So what will show up as a recommended documentary to show for the upcoming school year? This year, I will do the same but this will be a general list of what can be shown in the classroom from Sixth Grade to high school and even college. Also, if appropriate you can show these documentaries in science, agricultural, English, or art classroom. I have published over 400 documentary reviews, so if you disagree with this list then you can check out my other reviews and make other picks.
If I pick a documentary series, then pick an episode to show in the classroom. First, we will look at last year’s list, and then I will put in my recommendations for 2023. 2022 Recommended Documentaries ANCIENT EGYPT Engineering Ancient Egypt - YouTube Egypt's Lost Queens: YouTube Immortal Egypt: Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Cleopatra's Lost Tomb - YouTube Ancient Egyptian Afterlife - Episode 1 Episode 2 ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME The Minoans - YouTube Athens: The Truth about Democracy - YouTube Meet the Romans with Mary Beard - Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Lost World of Pompeii - YouTube Time Team: Rooting for Romans - YouTube ANCIENT CHINA The Only Empress of China - YouTube The Legendary First Emperor of China - YouTube Confucius - YouTube Diva Mummy - YouTube Bettany Hughes’s Genius of the Ancient World: Confucius (Available on Amazon) 2023 Recommended Documentaries ANCIENT EGYPT *Egypt's Lost Queens: YouTube Professor Joanne Fletcher explores four of Egypt's forgotten queens. Their stories were hidden over the years and now Fletcher brings them into the light, including one Queen that you've never heard of: Arsinoe. She tells the story from the prospective of a mother, a consort, a diplomat and a politician. Fletcher travels to the places where these women lived and shows what they did for Egypt. *Highly recommended for both a middle school and high school classroom.* Immortal Egypt: Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Joann Fletcher explores the history of Ancient Egypt over four episodes. She explores the height of Egypt's power, what caused Egypt to decline. She takes us to Egypt's beginnings and weaves a tale of glory followed by despair. She shows off grand monuments and the smallest finds. This is an excellent documentary series to show while students are studying Ancient Egypt. *Recommend this documentary for middle school and high school classrooms.* Ancient Egyptian Afterlife - Episode 1 Episode 2 In 1906 a group of Egyptologists discovered an intact tomb. Was this the tomb of a king and queen? The objects appeared ordinary. No, it was the tomb of an ordinary couple and their names were Kha and Merit. They were a working-class couple and their tomb gave insight into the lives of ordinary Egyptians. Joanne Fletcher explores the lives of two ordinary Egyptians: Kha and Merit, over two episodes. *Recommend this documentary for middle school and high school classrooms.* Secret City of the Pyramid Builders - YouTube Lost Cities of the Pyramid Builders explores the lives of the people who built the pyramids of Ancient Egypt for decades, their lives have been shrouded and myths and mysteries. New evidence is rewriting the history of the pyramids. Burials have been discovered and these burials are of the people who built the pyramids. How were these pyramids built? Were the pyramids built by slaves? Or was this a community construction project for their Pharaoh? *Recommend this documentary for middle school and high school classrooms.* Metropolis - Ancient Alexandria - YouTube Alexandria was established by Alexander the Great, and it was a port on the Mediterranean Sea. Alexander the Great had just conquered Egypt and wanted to establish a great city in honor of the conquest. Architects designed it on a grid pattern. For a time, it was a construction project. It was home to the great lighthouse at Pharos, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. What was it about this city that made Alexandria so special? *Highly recommended to show in a history classroom.* ANCIENT GREECE AND ROME Rome without Limits with Mary Beard - Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Mary Beard explores the history of the Roman Empire beginning with the origin myths, the period of the republic, and the Empire. She explores the Roman Empire beyond Rome and travels to a variety of places that were a part of the Empire. She concludes the series with the question why did Rome fall? It is a fascinating dive into the Roman Empire. This documentary is a needed update to what available documentaries. *Highly recommended for a middle school and high school classroom. If you do not have space for all the documentaries, then show clips.* Meet the Romans with Mary Beard - Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Mary Beard is back and this time she is introducing the world to the Romans. She explores the lives of everyday Romans. Both the living and the dead are explored, from the poorest to the richest. Beard seeks out the ordinary voices. They were determined that they would be remembered. Their tombstones did not just leave behind the birth and dates of the Roman, but their thoughts and feelings. How did ordinary Romans think? Tune into this documentary to find out. *Highly recommended for a middle school and high school classroom. If you do not have space for all the documentaries, then show clips.* Storm over Europe - Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Barbarians were heading to Rome. What made these barbarians leave their homelands? They left behind beautiful objects in their wake. They were in the search of a new homeland because another tribe was threatening their lives and livelihoods. Eventually, Rome was sacked. These barbarians would be left to pick up the pieces Rome left behind. Who were these invaders? Why were they called barbarians? How did they shape European history? What did they leave behind? *Recommended for a middle school history classroom. Appropriate for independent study students.* *The Minoans - YouTube Bettany Hughes explores the Minoan Civilization and its mysterious collapse. She narrates a tale of the archeologists who discovered the site to the discoveries that are being made. Each discovery tells us a bit more about the story of the Minoans. She discusses the Minoan kings. It is a fascinating look on a precursor to the Greeks. This is one civilization that isn't covered in a school classroom when I was in school. *Recommend for a high school classroom.* *Athens: The Truth about Democracy - YouTube Bettany Hughes visits ancient Athens and explores the foundation of democracy. Athens was a radical place because for the first time that the people acted a political agents. The archeology demonstrates that the people took some thoughtful and complex steps to protect their democracy. Hughes presents Athens warts and all. This episode is a good foundation for studying Ancient Greece. *Recommended for a middle school and high school classroom, research purposes, and clips.* ANCIENT CHINA Diva Mummy - YouTube While ordinary people fought in battles, the aristocrats celebrated and grew wealthy. There was a Han aristocrat named Lady Dai. Lady Dai would not ordinarily make history. However, when her tomb was opened the discovery sent shockwaves through the archeological community. Her mummy was the best-preserved mummy in the world. She was known as the perfect mummy. Her lifelike mummy leaves the Egyptian efforts in the dust. *Recommend for teacher and student research purposes. Highly recommended for a history and science classroom.* Mysterious Hanging Coffins - YouTube China's Sichuan Province is home to ancient coffins hanging from the mountains. How did they get there? Who put them there? Why did they bury their dead vertically? Do any of their descendants remain? This mystery has baffled historians for centuries. This documentary documents the efforts to learn about them as well as preserve them for the future. It also attempts to learn more about the descendants of the people who built them. *Recommended for research purposes for independent study students and to use in a lecture.* The Legendary First Emperor of China - YouTube Qin Shi Huangdi was the first Emperor of China. He unified the Chinese people. He built an empire that lasted thousands of years. He left behind a legendary tomb. This documentary explores the man and the legend. It will be a challenge to separate fact from fiction but Professor Jeffrey Reigel takes on that challenge. How did Qin create an empire? How could such a person exist? Why is he such a legendary man? *Recommend for high school classrooms. Highly recommend for independent study students or use for clips.* Confucius - YouTube This docu-drama tells the story of Confucius. His ideas were radical and only adopted after his death by the Emperors. His teachings were the foundation of Chinese education for 2,000 years. He taught obedience, meritocracy, and morality. Rituals and etiquette were tools to unite the people. His ideas still govern everything in China. This documentary is the story of Confucius and his legacy. *Highly recommended for a high school history class or class projects.* Genius of the Ancient World - Amazon Bettany Hughes explores Socrates, Buddha, and Confucius and each of their philosophies throughout three episodes. They were the giants of the ancient world. She kicks off the series in India learning about the life of the Buddha, then explores Socrates and the hemlock cup, and finally concludes with Confucius who looked to the past to solve issues in the present. This series provides a good introduction to the philosophies that shaped the world. *Recommended for both a history and philosophy class.*
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The purpose of this blog is to share information on what can be used in a classroom, private school, or home school setting as well as serve as a portfolio of my personal and professional work. The reviews are my opinions and should be treated as such. I just want to provide a tool for teachers to select documentaries for their classrooms. |