View all FilmsPolitics and History
From its beginnings, the National Film Board has tackled social and economic issues. Excerpts in this theme show how documentary film can play a part in social action.
Excerpts
Front of Steel
1
"I Just Didn't Want to Die": The 1914 Newfoundland Sealing Disaster
1
"Just One Big Mess": The Halifax Explosion, 1917
1
Land For Pioneers
1
On Strike: The Winnipeg General Strike, 1919
1
Rush for Gold - The Klondike Gold Rush, 1897
1
"They Didn't Starve Us Out": Industrial Cape Breton in the 1920s
1
Trans-Canada Express
1
Voice of Action
1
When Asia Speaks
1
Download this activity (WORD)
This film can help students develop core concepts and interrelated strands that reflect the multidisciplinary nature of Social Studies curriculum. The theme may also be used to introduce the discussion of safety measures in extreme conditions.
Students brainstorm ways the media document disasters today and consider how their own community meets sudden challenges. Students analyze how the filmmaker conveys multiple perspectives through story and film techniques and how those techniques inform the effect the film makes on its audience. Finally, students apply their understanding by representing evidence of good citizenship in the film and by writing a film review based on specific criteria.
