DVDs for Middle and High School

The Abolitionists
Radicals. Agitators. Troublemakers. Liberators. Called many names, the abolitionists tore the nation apart in order to create a more perfect union. Men and women, black and white, Northerners and Southerners, poor and wealthy, these passionate anti-slavery activists fought body and soul in the most important civil rights crusade in American history.

Cape Spin! An American Power Struggle
Cape Spin! An American Power Struggle tells the surreal, fascinating, tragicomic story of the battle over what would be America's largest clean energy project. Cape Wind was slated to be the U.S.'s first offshore windfarm... But strange alliances formed for and against: Kennedys, Kochs, and everyday folks do battle with the developer and green groups over the future of American power. With full access to both sides, a commitment to impartial storytelling and fueled by a satiric 'revolutionary' soundtrack, Cape Spin! is "a gripping and entertaining study of eco-capitalism and grassroots democracy".

Death and the Civil War: How the Unthinkable Became Unforgettable
Based on the best-selling book by Drew Gilpin Faust, this film will explore how the American Civil War created a 'republic of suffering' and will chart the far-reaching social, political, and social changes brought about by the pervasive presence and fear of death during the Civil War.

Deadliest Volcanoes
Millions of people around the world live in the shadow of active volcanoes. From Japan's Mount Fuji to the 'Sleeping Giant' submerged beneath Naples to the Yellowstone 'Supervolcano' in the United States, Nova travels with scientists who are attempting to discover how likely these volcanoes are to erupt, when it might happen, and exactly how deadly they could prove to be.

The Devils' Arithmetic
Based on the novel by Jane Yolen. An American Jewish teenager dreams that she has been transported through time to a Nazi concentration camp located in Poland.

Gum in My Hair
Presents a look at bullying, explaining what it is and how it makes people feel, discussing the responsibility of witnesses to bullying, and offering ways to cope and tips to thwart bullies.

Mariachi High
The program documents a year in the life of Mariachi Halcon, a top-ranked competitive high school mariachi band in the rural ranching town of Zapata, Texas. Using the band and its music as a lens, this spirited documentary focuses on Mexican-American teenagers pursuing excellence and finding strength in themselves, as well as a connection to their cultural heritage.

The Musical Brain: A Journey of Discovery into the Mystery of Music
Explains how various types of music affect the brain emotionally and physically and features a discussion with Dr. Levitin on his book, "This is Your Brain on Music," which discusses how technology can be used to see the affects of music on the human brain.

Paper Clips
Students at Whitwell Middle School in rural Tennessee attempt to collect 6 million paper clips as part of a school project on the Holocaust.

Underground Railroad: The William Still Story
Tells the compelling story of William Still, one of the most unheralded individuals of the Underground Railroad, and details the accounts of black abolitionists who had everything at stake as they helped fugitives follow the North Star to Canada.