Who says watching movies cannot be educational? It sure can be. It’s something you might do to relax and chill a little bit while also learning something new or inspirational or related to your field of studies. Some of the shows and movies for students we’d present below are filmed to inspire, teach, and provide insight into some of the greatest successes or other important points in the history of both individuals and society.
As Joy Sexton from Teaching Ela says, ‘Movies help students learn about different ways of life, including different time periods, customs, and circumstances.’ Such can include high school movies on Netflix, teacher movies on Netflix, or movies about college students, etc. Of course, there are several other educational movies, as we’ll show above. Reviews at Entrepreneur offer valuable insights into the educational impact of these films, while researchers have conducted studies to corroborate their effectiveness in student learning.
You can use some movies and shows for students to kill two birds with one stone. First, it will provide you with a way to relax and relieve some of the tension and stress from your day-to-day tasks. Second, every movie here has something to teach you, and it will do so in an entertaining way. As a bonus, you’d enjoy great graphics and high-quality filmmaking. So, let’s get started with educational movies on Netflix.
1. Inside Bill’s Brain: Decoding Bill Gates
Inside Bill's Brain: Decoding Bill Gates - Rotten Tomatoes
One of the greatest college movies on Netflix, Inside Bill’s Brain comes to teach you how Bill Gates managed to find himself the richest person in the world. It’s a series that provides insight into Bill’s thinking, his means of operation, and his way of tackling problems, obstacles, and new challenges. It also offers a glimpse into his personal life such as the way he lives, his fears, and his goals. It’s made of episodes lasting about 50-ish minutes. A documentary surely worth watching.
2. Abstract: The Art of Design
Netflix launches new documentary series Abstract: The Art of Design with a stellar lineup (itsnicethat.com)
In this documentary series you can see the imaginative ways in which different artists see the world. You’d also learn the ways their designs can leave a long-lasting impact. The episodes provide some insight into how the artists find inspiration for some of the biggest masterpieces. During the series, you’d be able to follow along with some of the greatest artists currently operating in the field of design. Each episode lasts about 40-ish minutes.
3. Our Planet
Our Planet - Rotten Tomatoes
Among the top educational shows on Netflix, Our Planet is an amazing documentary with episodes lasting about 50-ish minutes that offers a magnificent glimpse into the life of wildlife animals. It provides you with information about their habitat and characteristics to teach you a lot about the creatures we share the planet with. Our Planet is a great series that allows you to learn a ton of information that will enrich your general knowledge and interaction with the world.
4. Babies
Netflix Explores the Mystery of Babies With New Docu-Series - E! Online (eonline.com)
Another documentary series, great for students. The episodes last about 50-ish minutes and explore the life of babies throughout their first year. It shows you why this period is crucial and how babies develop. You’d gain an understanding of their mysterious behavior - mysterious because most of us don’t really understand the way babies process and experience life during their first year. It will show you how to tell why they cry and will let you see first words, first steps, etc. A great documentary, especially considering your future as a parent.
5. Greatest Events of WWII in Color
The Greatest Events of WW II in Colour (2019 - Present)
Learn about the biggest war in the history of humanity that left so many people dead and allowed for some of the most horrible atrocities. A documentary with episodes lasting about 50 minutes that shows you some of the most important events. Some include Nazis and what were they doing in Germany and the occupied territories, Adolph Hitler and his megalomanic aspirations, the bombing of Great Britain, Pearl Harbour, and many more. So, if you are planning on using college essay services for your next WWII essay, you can certainly understand better the essay that the writer will provide for you.
6. Explained
Explained | Netflix Wiki | Fandom
Movies for high school students don’t need to stay simple and in a comedy style. They can be educational, too. So, here comes Explained. A science and nature series that has short, under-30-minutes, episodes that strive to explain how some things work. Well, it’s not about anything, though. It’s about stuff like tattoos, wage-gap between genders, cryptocurrency, the water crisis, marijuana, and many more. If you’ve always been curious about the way the world works and why some things happen the way they do, this certainly is a great series to follow.
7. The Mind, Explained
Vox’s Explained Returns to Netflix with Emma Stone-narrated Limited Series - Vox Media
Another great science and nature series. Its episodes are also under 30 minutes which makes them excellent small-sized portions of information to gather here and there and to relax from the daily stress. It’s filmed to explain to you one of the most mysterious things in our world - the human brain itself. The Mind, Explained covers topics such as anxiety, meditation, dreams, memory, and many more.
8. Coronavirus, Explained
Netflix new releases: 'Coronavirus: Explained', a COVID-19 documentary
Some more explanation continues, this time with one of the biggest and most terrifying current events - the pandemic. The series talks about the COVID-19 pandemic and explains the virus, as well as the symptoms. It also covers the ways we can fight the virus, the pandemic, and how can we keep ourselves mentally stable throughout this pandemic. A global concern that is still lingering.
9. The White Helmets
The White Helmets (film) - Wikipedia
Documentary movie with a duration of about 40 minutes that is sure to leave you speechless. It can change your entire perspective of life in under an hour. The movie covers the war in Syria and how some people risk their lives to rescue war victims. Filled with tension, horror, extreme bravery, and many breathtaking moments, it’s certainly a must-watch for every student, no matter what your area of study is.
10. The King
Netflix's The King with Timothee Chalamet Cast, Premiere Date, Trailer (townandcountrymag.com)
A Netflix movie that follows along the life of King Henry after he was enthroned after his brother died. It comes to offer you a glimpse into the deceit, wars, and other problems in England during this period. The movie teaches you about leadership and shows you important lessons that you can learn by just watching a great movie for students.
Conclusion
As you saw, you don’t need to be just bound to textbooks to learn. There are many ways in which you, as a student, can develop your knowledge and understanding both topics you’re studying and the world you’re living in. We all have something new to learn every day and watching movies for students can be a great way to achieve some interesting learning experience.
We tried to compile movies and documentaries for students that are interesting and educational. Each of them delves into a great topic that certainly needs to be covered and to be understood well by us all. So, you just saw that Netflix can be used as a tool for education, although in a different manner than the typical means of learning. After all, spicing up you’re studying with something interesting and entertaining can be a great way to keep your motivation going. So, just a few minutes here and there can make you much wiser, smarter, and more knowledgeable about a few topics. They can even change your life sometimes. Thus, don’t feel guilty to give them a try.
