This week I had the opportunity to attend a Pro-D session hosted by Esther Maloney from the National Film Board. My colleagues and I were introduced to the NFB website, and its education collection. Esther walked us through how to navigate the collection by filtering for subject, theme, age appropriateness, year of release, director identity, length, filming location, etc. I was blown away by the sheer quantity of educational films available for free for any subject imaginable. Some films even have supplemental lesson outlines to go along with them with additional educational resources for a teacher’s immediate use.
I’m incredibly glad that I know this resource exists now and I’ve already started browsing the collection for films to make a note of not only for future classes but also just for my own enjoyment. One that’s already stuck out to me is Borealis by Kevin McMahon. Released in 2020, it portrays the diverse relationships that exist between plants and animals in Canadian forests. As the NFB description outlines, this film is suitable for students aged 15-18 and covers topics relevant to Geography, Science, and Social Studies. There is also a mini-lesson designed to be delivered in conjunction with the film that focuses on the question: “With so many human and natural actions impacting the boreal forest, how does it continue to thrive?”
It’s hard to identify any flaws with the NFB from an educator’s perspective. One minor issue that came up during the Pro-D session was that the NFB collection is only accessible from within Canada. I know that a few of my colleagues are doing practicums abroad and therefore will not be able to access these films.