It’s September, and if you’re not back in school yet, you’re in the minority. Whether you attend a university, a public school, a private school, or even if you homeschool, the new academic year is in full swing. I’ve been in just about every type of school you can imagine: semi-public school, private school, and homeschooled. When I was in semi-public and private school, you could always tell when the teachers were having a rough day: they put on a movie. But movies don’t have to be a way to kill time in an unruly classroom. If you home school, using educational TV shows and movies can be a great way to complement whatever you’re studying.
My little brother used to watch documentaries for fun. When my mom realized how much he was learning— and remembering— from these documentaries, she started using them as classroom aids. Learning about World War II? There’s a documentary to help your tech-obsessed kids remember what you taught them. Studying geography or natural history? There’s a documentary for that too.
Whether you want to add documentaries to a home school curriculum or just use them as a way to make sure your kid doesn’t totally let their brain turn to mush during a school break, Netflix has what you’re looking for. Here’s our top five educational documentaries recommendations: (Note: These are recommended for middle and high school home school programs.)
5 Educational Programs for Middle and High School
1. Planet Earth
Planet Earth takes you from the North Pole to the tropical rainforest in a series of 48 minute episodes featuring a particular ecosystem. Learn about the vibrant animals camouflaged in a coral reef, or learn about the world’s greatest mountain ranges. Planet Earth is a BBC production, so the whole thing is narrated in a British accent. Of course. Planet Earth is rated TV-PG.
2. American Genius
Perhaps you’re studying American history and you want to know more about some of those great advances in science and technology. Well, this is the show for you. American Genius focuses on high profile rivalries in science and tech, like Bill Gates vs. Steve Jobs and the USA vs the USSR. This is rated TV-14 and is probably most appropriate for middle school grades and up.
3. Human Planet
Another BBC production, Human Planet focuses on people around the world, the challenges they face, and the ways they have learned to thrive in difficult circumstances or climates. A great addition to a world history or world civilizations class, learn about people who live deep in the jungle or people who live in the urban jungle, modern cities. Like Planet Earth, this series is rated TV-PG.
4. Freakonomics: The Movie
One vivid memory of high school was reading Freakonomics as my summer reading for an AP economics class. While I may not remember much from the actual class (supply? Demand? Something about hardwood forests?), I remember a lot from the book. For a fun addition to a traditional economics class, try reading the book and then watching this movie. It’s rated PG-13.
5. The Sixties
Another great choice for American History, The Sixties is a miniseries focusing on different aspects of the Sixties, a radical time in American history. From the Civil Rights Movement to the Cold War to the more lighthearted British Invasion, this series hits all the highlights. It is rated TV-PG.
Which documentary would you watch? Do you have any suggestions to add to our list?
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This is a partnered post as part of the Netflix Stream Team program, but all opinions are my own.
That’s a lot of shows! I think it’s good to have a list of shows that they can enjoy and learn something from especially since sometimes it’s going to be hard to keep up in school with all the subjects and shows like this will definitely help!
You have picked really good shows for kids to watch. These would really spark their interest to learn more. I think Human Planet and Planet Earth would be awesome. Thanks for the recommendations. I will share this with friends who homeschool their kids.
This is a fantastic list! We love Magic school bus and I know a few of my homeschool friends use it for their lessons.
My kids loved watching The Magic School bus when they were little. I will have to check out these shows. I have heard great reviews for Human.
I still learn a lot from documentaries. 🙂 I think homeschooling would be awesome.
The magic school bus has always been a favorite of mine. So educational and easy for the kids to learn from!
I love the Human Planet! I’d definitely love to check out the others!
I haven’t consider home schooling but I want too. I hope I can too.
My parents used to have us watch shows similar to this for our homeschooling as well. Learned a lot!
I would watch the Human Planet with my children. It is so important for them to see how others live.
Thank you for sharing these. My boys love the Magic School Bus.
I am not homeschooling this year, my daughter has decided she NEEDS to go back to school. However i NEVER thought of adding shows to the curriculum! What a really great idea!
I want to watch these documentaries they sound really educational and I’d like to expand my knowledge. I would add “Living on One Dollar” documentary on Netflix.
Nothing wrong with TV. There is a lot to learn and experience from television.
I really loved documentaries when I was little too. Heck, I still do. It’s a really great idea to add it to the curriculum!
These are all great films to supplement a child’s education whether they are homeschooled or not! Each one can teach valuable lessons and history and help kids enrich their social, emotional and academic skills!
These sound like some really great ones to watch with the kids. I’ve watched a couple of the Planet Earth episodes!
These all sound like great shows to watch! I know that when I have kids they will be watching shows like these even if they aren’t homeschooled.
We don’t home school, but we still enjoy watching educational shows as a family. American Genius sounds especially awesome!
We have young children, but my 6 year old loves the Magic School Bus. I think it’s great when a show can be entertaining and educational!
These are all excellent shows that can really contribute to a child’s education. Watching shows like this helps keep it fun and interesting for the kiddos.