There are some things that can only be properly conveyed to students through the delivery of the one and only — Netflix. Much to our dismay (or maybe not), nothing excites students more than when we turn on the smartboard and pull up Netflix. But… what if we could choose Educational Netflix Shows for them to watch!!!
It’s like the world has stopped spinning and all the stars have aligned because it’s MOVIE DAY and they are STOKED!
Thankfully, we don’t have to let our students rot in front of a screen to make their days shiny and bright.
There are tons of different educational and inspirational shows, movies, and documentaries on Netflix (and other streaming sites) that are perfect to show in the classroom.
Classic Educational Netflix Shows –
The Magic School Bus: Make science fun with the one who knows it best, Ms. Frizzle.
The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Ms. Frizzle comes back in this reboot of the original Magic School Bus series.
Bill Nye: Science Guy: Bill Nye teaches us about the climate and how science can take an important role in our world.
The Twilight Zone: Throwing it back to 1963 with Rod Serling challenging the line between the natural and supernatural.
The Land Before Time: Littlefoot and his friends have to find their families after a big earthquake separated them.
The Little Rascals: These mischievous kids get themselves in and out of trouble.
Documentaries –
If I were an Animal: Two kids talk about different animals and how they relate to them.
Our Planet: Similar to the BBC’s ‘The Planet Earth’ and narrated by David Attenborough this series takes us through Earth’s different ecosystems and how they are changing.
Life In Color: Stimulate the senses and learn how animals use color in the wild.
100 Humans: A social experiment about simply being a human.
Tiny Creatures: Even tiny creatures can accomplish big things.
Penguin Town: Even endangered species of penguin-like city life. This educational Netflix show is about penguins that migrate to a South African town. It tells the story of their relationship with locals and how they are working to keep the species alive.
72 cutest animals / 72 most dangerous animals: These are just two parts in a compilation of series with a similar premise.
New Educational Netflix Shows –
Pick of the Litter: Consider yourself warned, this will catch you in the feels. This is a heartwarming story about how people and animals can work together to live a full life. It also a show that kids can always be a part of that.
Brainchild: This educational Netflix show explains things like germs, emotions, and social media in a way that kids understand and even might relate to.
Avatar: The Last Airbender: Elemental magic may seem a little out there but it’s a great way to teach students about the planet and how each element is important.
Ask the Storybots: Using music and stimulation to teach students about some of the more basic (but complicated) parts of life.
Emily’s Wonder Lab: Think Bill Nye the Science Guy with a modern twist.
Headspace: Guide to Meditation: Like the headspace app this series goes through different types of guided meditations.
** Remember to check which guide you are presenting your class because not all of them are applicable to students.**
Movies –
Hachi: Another warning about heartfelt dog stuff, because this one will definitely catch us in our feels. However, the story of love, loyalty, and perseverance is beautiful and definitely worth watching.
The Lorax: A classic story brought to life.
Over the Moon: A story about dealing with loss but also about how if you set your mind to something you can achieve it.
The BFG: An inspirational story about friendship and loyalty.
One of a Kind Interactives –
You vs. Wild: Man vs. Wild host now puts his fate in your hands in this interactive series allowing viewers to make ‘real time’ decisions.
Headspace: Unwind Your Mind: A guided meditation that lets the viewers decide what they want to work on.
Non-Netflix Channels –
We understand that Netflix may not be the streaming site of choice for everyone but never fear, Education to the Core is here, and we know all the best places with the best streaming material.
Here a short list of educational shows on other platforms:
Disney+ –
Weird but True: A mix of science, arts and crafts, and series of facts. Two fun and compelling hosts teach viewers about things like rocks, sharks, and bugs.
Own the Room: Five Students from different parts of the world present their entrepreneurial ideas at one of the most prestigious entrepreneur competitions in the world.
Brain Games: Games and experiments designed to help you better understand how your brain works.
Hulu –
Night at the Museum: A movie about getting stuck in one of the most well-known museums in the world, the Smithsonian.
Adoption Day: A series about the day animals get adopted to their forever homes from shelters. It’s cute and inspirational.
Amazon Prime –
Child Genius: It’s a docuseries, but has more of a show vibe than a documentary.
Dogs with Jobs: a docuseries about dogs that spend their lives protecting their humans.
Remember, some places like schools and office buildings block sites like Netflix, Disney+, and Hulu, and some areas don’t have a strong enough wifi signal or bandwidth speed to stream files as large as shows, movies, and documentaries. To solve this problem you can download your pick onto your device and play it back later from any device your account is logged into.
Bonus Tip: When you are done watching whatever you downloaded (show, movie, or documentary), delete it from your downloads. Depending on which level of account you have, most streaming sites limit the number of items you can have downloaded.
So, Enjoy the movie day… Allow your students to bask in the light of the smartboard while you bask in the silence of the classroom. And please share your Educational Netflix Shows so we can grow this list to 50!!!
Written by: Korryna Sanchez
At Education to the Core, we exist to help our teachers build a stronger classroom as they connect with our community to find trusted, state-of-the-art resources designed by teachers for teachers. We aspire to be the world’s leading & most trusted community for educational resources for teachers. As a result, we improve the lives of every teacher and learner with the most comprehensive, reliable, and inclusive educational resources.
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