Netflix Releases Free Documentaries, Edu-Series on Youtube for Students & Teachers

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It is a trying time for children and teens right now. The novelty of staying at home all the time should be wearing thin on young nerves, with social distancing forcing them to stay indoors. This generation of school-going children and teens are the first to experience the concept of long-distance learning. These are trying times for parents too. A lot of parents are scrambling to understand and employ various digital tools of education to substitute classroom lectures. 

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So with an aim to help educators, parents and students, Netflix has released ten educational documentaries and series that one can avail on YouTube for free. 

The documentaries and series are available with subtitles in English and other languages. The channel has also provided ratings for each documentary to help teachers and parents make an informed choice. 

Have a look:

1) Our Planet

The eight-episode series narrated by David Attenborough and produced by the creators of Planet Earth, examines the degradation of our environment, the role of humans in it and its consequences.

From the remote Arctic wilderness to the African landscapes, South America jungles to Madagascan Savannah, the series explores various habitats around the world. 

“The message is clear. It’s bad. It’s urgent. It’s our fault. We can still fix it. Our Planet is a eulogy, a confession, a slap on the wrist, a call to arms,” says The Atlantic in its review of the series.

With its hard-hitting facts and breathtaking cinematography, the series gives a larger-than-life experience of witnessing the many mechanisms of the planet. This series can be a great way to raise awareness about climate change among children.

Get free educational resources here.

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2) Knock Down the House 

This political drama follows the lives of four women who go through struggles and power games before entering the 2018 race for US Congress. 

From a nurse of colour in Missouri who wants inclusion in the society, a grieving mother in Nevada who loses her daughter, a leftist young bartender in New York to a coal miner’s daughter in West Virginia who wants to eliminate pollution, the documentary is a powerful commentary on America’s politics. 

For more information on free educational resources click here. 

3) Chasing Coral 

The documentary follows a group of divers on their quest to document the disappearing coral reefs around the world. Using time-lapse photography, top-notch marine biologists, divers, and photographers record visual proof of unparalleled coral bleaching.

“Imagine witnessing the untimely death of a vibrant, otherworldly being. As it succumbs to an invisible menace, this entity’s colours (brilliant shades of amber, magenta, chartreuse) turn fluorescent blue and purple and green before fading to bright white. As it decays, wisps of sludge drip from the skeletal remains,’ reads The New York Times review. 

4) Period. End of the Sentence 

This Oscar-winning short film produced by Indian filmmaker Guneet Monga and Iran’s Rayka Zehtabchi attempts to break the taboo of menstruation. It is set in India’s Hapur district where there is a deep-rooted stigma associated with menstruation. 

It follows the lives of rural women who decide to fight the taboo. Along with that, they also work to gain financial independence by making low-cost sanitary pads. This film also features real-life Padman Arunachalam Muruganantham, who invented the low-cost sanitary machine to make pads in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu 

Learn more here.

5) The White Helmets 

Filmed in Syria and Turkey in early 2016, this Oscar-winning British short documentary follows the lives of three rescue workers who put their lives at risk to save civilians from the airstrikes. 

Director Orlando von Einsiedel uses a point-of-view camera technique to capture snapshots of the devastating war zone where children, women and men scramble to save their lives.  

6) Zion

The Emmy award-winning short film directed by Flyod Russ chronicles the life of high school wrestler Zion Clark. Born without legs, Zion grows up in a foster home and joins a wrestling team and wrestles against his able-bodied peers.

Zion’s unshakable faith and unrelenting will to succeed make for an inspiring documentary. 

7) Explained 

The seven-part informative series explores an array of socially relevant topics, questions, and ideas. 

Every episode has its own trivia, facts, events and trends in fields of science, history, pop culture, politics and so on. The content is further backed by interviews of experts from their relevant fields. 

This amazing series will answer many questions like  – When does sound become music? How do we price our most valuable resource? Why are women paid less? Does the stock market accurately reflect the status of the economy? How did cricket evolve? What is the racial wealth gap?

8) Abstract 

Dive into the minds of celebrated artists and computer designers and see how they establish a link between their artwork and philosophies and the rules of life. 

The eight-part series has dedicated one episode to leading designers: Bjarke Ingels (architect ), Es Devlin (stage designer ), Paula Scher (graphic designer), Ralph Gilles (automobile designer), Tinker Hatfield (Nike shoe designer), Christoph Niemann (illustrator) and Platon (photographer).

9) Babies 

Ever wondered how you first started talking? Your first steps? If you ever wanted to know how and what a newborn discovers till they turn one, this landmark series is for you. The series features 15 families around the world and a set of eminent scientists who give an insight into the infant mind. 

Netflix has released five episodes that explore social interaction, physical changes in the baby, crawling, rhythm and flow of language, sleeping cycles, skeletal development and much more. 

10) 13th 

The title of the documentary refers to the Thirteenth Amendment (which addresses slavery) of the United State’s Constitution. The movie begins with an excerpt from the amendment, “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States.” 

Winner at the Emmy the BAFTAs and the NAACP Image Awards, this Oscar-nominated documentary decodes America’s history of racial inequality with a special focus on its modern-day prison labour system.

Please Note: As per US Rating it may not be suitable for ages 17 and under. 

All images are taken from: Netflix

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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