Stories from History.
Lessons for Today.

Free classroom-ready videos and lessons that spark engagement and bring history to life.

Start exploring Join free
Brande Johnson, Social Studies and Economics Teacher

“I don’t ever have to worry about any kind of bias. They produce excellent documentaries that give the facts, and it allows my students to form their own opinions.”

Brande Johnson, Social Studies and Economics Teacher

Hundreds of short docs produced by award-winning journalists.

See all videos

Our short documentaries help students connect past and present. They’re perfect for sparking discussion, building media literacy skills, and making history accessible.

Conspiracy Theories and Fake News from JFK to Pizzagate
Has Lesson Plan

Conspiracy Theories and Fake News from JFK to Pizzagate

12 min.
1 class material
Retro Report explores decades of conspiracy theories – from the John F. Kennedy assassination to Pizzagate – and what they can tell us about how we view the world today.
How a 1968 Student Protest Fueled a Chicano Rights Movement
Has Lesson Plan

How a 1968 Student Protest Fueled a Chicano Rights Movement

11 min.
3 class materials
This Emmy-nominated video explores a massive protest by Mexican American high school students that became a milestone in a movement for Chicano rights.
The Cold War on TV: Joseph McCarthy vs. Edward R. Murrow
Has Lesson Plan

The Cold War on TV: Joseph McCarthy vs. Edward R. Murrow

8 min.
3 class materials
In the heat of the Cold War, Joe McCarthy’s anti-communist crusade became a media sensation.
Beyond the Battlefield: Double V and Black Americans’ Fight for Equality
Has Lesson Plan

Beyond the Battlefield: Double V and Black Americans’ Fight for Equality

12 min.
1 class material
With the Double V campaign, Black Americans demanded fair treatment, both during and after World War II.
How Tinker v. Des Moines Established Students’ Free Speech Rights
Has Lesson Plan

How Tinker v. Des Moines Established Students’ Free Speech Rights

7 min.
2 class materials
A silent protest led to a landmark Supreme Court ruling that defined students’ free speech rights.
Daisy: Political Ads That Shaped the Battle for the White House
Has Lesson Plan

Daisy: Political Ads That Shaped the Battle for the White House

4 min.
1 class material
Perhaps the most famous political ad of all time, this early television spot ran on air just once, but generated enough media coverage to become a real factor in the 1964 presidential election.
How a 1944 Supreme Court Ruling on Internment Camps Led to a Reckoning
Has Lesson Plan

How a 1944 Supreme Court Ruling on Internment Camps Led to a Reckoning

10 min.
3 class materials
The U.S. government ordered 120,000 people of Japanese descent, most American citizens, imprisoned during World War II. An admission of wrongdoing and reparations payments came decades later, but a Supreme Court ruling had lasting impact.
Why Supreme Court Confirmations Have Become So Bitter
Has Lesson Plan

Why Supreme Court Confirmations Have Become So Bitter

10 min.
1 class material
The defeat of Robert Bork’s nomination to the Supreme Court in 1987 changed the way justices are confirmed today.
Dictators and Civil Wars: The Cold War in Latin America
Has Lesson Plan

Dictators and Civil Wars: The Cold War in Latin America

6 min.
2 class materials
Driven by fears of the rise of communism, the United States adopted a policy of containment, intervening in the politics of countries across the globe. In Latin America, the consequences of those efforts are still unfolding.
What Japan’s Atom Bomb Survivors Have Taught Us About the Dangers of Nuclear War
Has Lesson Plan

What Japan’s Atom Bomb Survivors Have Taught Us About the Dangers of Nuclear War

10 min.
2 class materials
Japanese survivors recall the day the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, and warn of future risks.
How a Cold War Airlift Saved Berlin With Food, Medicine and Chocolate
Has Lesson Plan

How a Cold War Airlift Saved Berlin With Food, Medicine and Chocolate

8 min.
3 class materials
A Soviet blockade around Berlin cut the divided city off from the West. But in 1948 U.S. and British pilots began to fly food, fuel and medicine to the Allied sectors.
The Secret C.I.A. Operation That Haunts U.S.-Iran Relations
Has Lesson Plan

The Secret C.I.A. Operation That Haunts U.S.-Iran Relations

14 min.
2 class materials
A 1953 C.I.A.-backed coup that ousted Iran’s Cold War leader has colored U.S.-Iran relations for decades.
All Subjects
See all videos

Resources that deepen understanding across subjects.

Mix and match to fit your classroom. Our lessons, student activities and interactive tools, designed by teachers, work together or stand alone.

Get free access
Lesson plans Lesson plans
Student activities Student activities
Interactive timelines and maps Interactive timelines and maps
Professional development Professional development
Get free access

Teacher trust, demonstrated.

Teachers use Retro Report because our materials are carefully reported, present multiple perspectives and engage students in critical thinking.

See how Retro Report 
supports students and teachers

Our partners

Retro Report also reaches the public through a wide range of partnerships with organizations that, like us, are committed to helping audiences understand issues of national importance through credible, well-reported storytelling.

See our partners
See our partners

Retro Report is an independent, nonprofit news organization.

Our work brings a greater understanding of current events through the lens of history, fights misinformation and encourages inquiry. We create short documentaries and work with educators to construct classroom resources that help students connect the past with the present. Our materials are developed using primary sources and a rigorous fact-checking process so teachers can evaluate and use them with confidence.

Every video and lesson is designed to support classroom instruction, giving students the tools to examine evidence and form their own conclusions.

Support our mission

Gift this article