Movie Day in school is a rare, but special occurrence for students. This day is typically around a holiday, or a reward day after state testing or big event.
But what looks so simple to outsiders (I mean, it’s showing a movie… how difficult can it really be to plan, right?!), is actually one of the hardest lesson plans to write.
What many non-teachers don’t know is that we have to ask for approval to watch a movie with our students. And it can’t be just ANY movie. Oh, no… it has to be rated G (which I can totally get down on #iaintmad) and it has to be linked to a bigger lesson.
#saywhat
Yes, for real. There has to be an underlying lesson and reasoning as to why you have chosen the movie you’d like to watch. And you have to prove it to administration by writing a lesson plan for it, submitting it 10 days in advance, and crossing your fingers you get the okay.
Sure, you can totally watch the same exact movie year-after-year and use the same lesson plan for that movie too.
But that isn’t me. I can only watch Frozen so many times before Elsa’s heart needs to freeze (or is it Anna’s heart?!). And don’t get me started on how many times I’ve seen Shrek.
I love Rated G (cough *Disney* cough) movies just as much as the next person, but I like a little variety in my life too. And if I’m bored, chances are my students are bored too.
This curated list of 25 Rated G movies contains – spoiler alert – G rated movies that you can watch in your classroom, as well as lesson extensions and ideas that you can use to help you plan for Movie Day.
{ Download the Lesson Extension Guide Here. }
1. Monster’s Inc and Monster’s University
2. Homeward Bound
3. Cars / Cars 2 / Cars 3
4. The Polar Express
5. The Land Before Time
6. The Lion King
7. Wall-E
8. Babe
9. Ratatouille
10. All Dogs Go to Heaven
11. Snow White
12. Bambi
13. Dumbo
14. Finding Nemo / Finding Dory
15. Balto
16. Toy Story / Toy Story 2 / Toy Story 3
17. Tangled
18. The Hunchback of Notre Dam
19. The Secret Garden
20. The Sound of Music
21. The Princess and the Frog
22. Meet the Robinsons
23. Lady and the Tramp
24. The Little Mermaid
25. Black Beauty
{ Download the Lesson Extension Guide Here. }
What Rated G Movies would you add to this list and why?
Chitty, Chitty Bang, Bang
Mary Poppins
A Bug’s life – Has to be a science lesson in there somewhere.
I always linked bug’s life to the Aesop’s fable the ant and the grasshopper! Not the same, but you can compare/contrast them.
Fern Gully – all about the rain forest & what’s happening to them.
My kids favorite!
This list is so helpful! Thanks for sharing this post.
Charlotte’s Web-reinforces/teaches life cycle. Best when you read the book first:)
The Emperor’s New Groove – funny and a good lesson in kindness/caring about more than just yourself
Technically, Tangled and Finding Dory are PG.
Finding Dory isn’t G, it’s PG.
Finding Nemo can it be watched… it’s PG.
If you have News2You, keep the new movie release stories and when they come out on DVD or Netflix, revisit the lesson.
Fox and the Hound: loyalty, responsibility, friendship, forgiveness
Hercules! Great connects when teaching Greek/Rome
Mulan – china’s Dynasty’s and invasions
Robin Hood, sword and the stone, middles ages!
Pocahontas! I know a teacher who shows the movie for kids to find the inaccuracies!
I teach 6th grade so my kids are a little older!
These are great movies! But unless you have a Disney license to show these movies to an audience other than family (ie classroom full of students), you can’t use these in most classrooms. I would love to see more non-Disney “G” rated options!
The Bee Movie
Finding Dory is PG.
The Buttercream Gang, The Rogue Stallion, The Pistol (Pete Maravich), Booket, Lost in the Barrens,…
A Tale of Despereaux