# Educational films from elementary school **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 25, 2018, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710 "2018-06-25T15:25:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/21 "2018-06-25T20:28:50Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Remember the “Dr. Research” films? “[Hemo the Magnificent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemo_the_Magnificent),” and, “Our Mr. Sun,” were two of them. Eddie “Green Acres” Albert was his assistant in one of them. And his flaming red hair :eek:. I remember being delighted when “Hemo the Magnificent” showed up during a scene in “Gremlins” > [@Max\_Torque](#): > > The one scene from such a film that I remember most vividly was about a nuclear reaction: the guy demonstrated using a setup of ping-pong balls and mousetraps. Basically, there was a room full of set mousetraps, all with two ping-pong balls on the “snap” part. He tossed one ping-pong ball into the room, and it almost immediately came alive, with traps going off, tossing balls into the air, setting off more traps, etc. Kinda neat looking. I remember this one vividly. Here’s the clip [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESpRFkXon7g](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESpRFkXon7g) (go to about 5:41). ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/22 "2018-06-25T20:33:02Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Let me add [Why Man Creates](https://youtu.be/ONVZ8AH4yKc). Our graphic designer and I showed that at a staff meeting one day because some of the youngsters in our office had never heard of it. Mmmmph! The film I remember best was [Phoebe](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0223924/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_2), from high school. You have to love the National Film Board of Canada. ---
**Author:** ![Dendarii\_Dame](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bbce88/32.png) [@Dendarii\_Dame](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dendarii_Dame)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/23 "2018-06-25T20:33:43Z")
We saw a lot of filmstrips in music class, mostly about composers. There was one about percussion and how it may have originated. (It may have been called “Bangalore”. The protagonist was a little boy named Bangalore.) Decades later, I remember part of the narration: His mother he called Oona. His father he called Poona. Oona Poona! Poona Oona! Bangalore! ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/24 "2018-06-25T21:15:59Z")
oh I was in grade/middle school when the golden age for these was almost over … I remember film strips …. ours was a mini model hooked to a record player you sat there with ear phones and peered at the 2 stamp sized screen so the story of how danny who started on pills from the rents in the 6th grade tried every drug he could get his hands on until he od’s at 22 and shows the exact drugs and what they do dragnet style could be told There was one about school bus safety where 50 kids were breaking every school bus rule known to man …But what killed them all was one of the kids mice for a project got out and the designated smart ass put it in the bus drivers face and she flipped out and ran off the side of the road…It was 45 minutes of “how did this happen” as it reviewed every rule infraction …… Red light green light which was about stranger danger in which you learned you shouldn’t talk to anyone but mom and dad for the rest of your life another one was the us government and showed kids/teens on how most commercials aimed at them were faked so they could stop wasting their parents money (did any one over 5 or 6 ever believe the commercials where the hot wheels sounded and drove like nascar and flew for miles when ya launched them on the track? ) oh and the afterschool special where the 8 year old gets a baby sister and explains how 9 months of pregnancy happens and works but it does get bonus points for the realistic birthing sequence (the baby looked like a newborn tiny and messy when it came out our teacher thought they’d filmed a live birth ) And of course our sex ed class wasn’t about sex it was a co-ed thing sponsored by the maker of always hygiene products but it explained puberty from both sides and made some of the boys realize why some of our female classmates were grouchy and upset and confusing all of a sudden Oh my favorite was the one that the school and social services almost got sued over by grandparents in Indiana it was one about inappropriate touching by friends and relatives it was benign but they didn’t get permission and there was a student that had been violently molested for years and his grandparents had to take custody of him and it didn’t help the therapy he was receiving over it …. So they apologized and you had to get a permission slip after that (the principal’s statement was "he didn’t believe that happened to boys too ") ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/25 "2018-06-25T21:51:20Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > For Driver’s Ed, nothing beats _ **Prom Night** _, which unfolds exactly as you would expect. > > _ **POW,** _ right through the windshield! :eek: Piker! Our Driver’s Ed film was, “Mechanized Death;” real footage of real accidents/victims. Think, “Faces of Death.” “I’m no fool. No, siree! I’m gonna live to be a hundred-and-three! I play it safe for you and me because I’m no fool!” I remember a Walt Disney “true life” nature film with lemmings jumping off a cliff. Everyone laughed because it was so cute watching the furries go for a swim. Then they told us what was really going on and the mood changed rapidly. Years later, I learned the whole sequence was staged, with guys throwing the beasties off a “cliff” and then cleverly edited. ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/26 "2018-06-25T21:53:15Z")
> [@Max\_Torque](#): > > The one scene from such a film that I remember most vividly was about a nuclear reaction: the guy demonstrated using a setup of ping-pong balls and mousetraps. Basically, there was a room full of set mousetraps, all with two ping-pong balls on the “snap” part. He tossed one ping-pong ball into the room, and it almost immediately came alive, with traps going off, tossing balls into the air, setting off more traps, etc. Kinda neat looking. I remember that one! No idea what the title was, but it would be fun to watch again. That mousetrap scene was great. I also recall one about kids and safety hosted by Jiminy Cricket. It may have been called “I’m No Fool,” based on the song he sings in it: I’m no fool, nosiree, I’m gonna live to be a hundred-and-three, I’ll play safe for you and me, 'Cause I’m no fool. I have no idea why or how I remember that. ETA: **Burpo** , great minds are indeed thinking alike! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/27 "2018-06-25T21:59:12Z")
^ That’s just scary! ---
**Author:** ![DrForrester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8edcca/32.png) [@DrForrester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrForrester)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/28 "2018-06-25T23:01:50Z")
If you enjoy the educational films of the 1970s, you’ll love [Look Around You](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Look_Around_You). Here is the episode on the subject of [Water](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaI6kBVyu00). It’s absolutely brilliant. Birds. What are they?!? Mafipulate the nitrogen into the water for about 5 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/29 "2018-06-25T23:50:44Z")
I remember Unchained Goddess, with two scientists talking to a goddess of weather. She was animated. The film was from 1958, and they even discussed warnings about climate change. That and Hemo the Magnificent were my favorites. In Hemo we even saw a real, beating heart. Oogy but interesting. [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0157135/](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0157135/) ---
**Author:** ![drad\_dog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@drad\_dog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drad_dog)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/30 "2018-06-25T23:56:09Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/lhhPfZv56Xo/hqdefault.jpg "The Last Prom") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhhPfZv56Xo) We were shown The Last Prom in 7th grade. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2018, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/31 "2018-06-25T23:58:03Z")
My favorite was always [Donald in Mathmagic Land.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052751/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/32 "2018-06-26T00:09:59Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Remember the “Dr. Research” films? “[Hemo the Magnificent](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemo_the_Magnificent),” and, “Our Mr. Sun,” were two of them. Eddie “Green Acres” Albert was his assistant in one of them. And his flaming red hair :eek:. I guess I’m not alone in thinking this was so terrific. I loved any of the films from this series. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/33 "2018-06-26T00:15:09Z")
Not being American and only having learned about the style of American educational films by watching it parodied on the Simpsons, I heartily enjoy this thread. Here are the respective examples: > [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > The only sex ed one I remember is the one about VD ("you have WHAT!!?) [Sex Ed.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1ZpTyuaFW4) > [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > Piker! Our Driver’s Ed film was, “Mechanized Death;” real footage of real accidents/victims. Think, “Faces of Death.” [Driver’s Ed.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGceHaq1wgM) Others: [“The Moon Of Earth”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wPH4MEK4tk) And for a seventies’ twist: [An Amendment To Be](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSANTRnEBgg) There’s even more. The Simpsons made an art form out of parodying educational films. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/34 "2018-06-26T00:18:10Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > My favorite was always [Donald in Mathmagic Land.](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0052751/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1) I have an original production cel from that film, framed and hanging on my wall. Good stuff… ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/35 "2018-06-26T00:35:58Z")
I remember watching\*\* this one \*\*in sixth grade. Why the hell didn’t we build shit like this back in the '50s? We had the technology! ☹ [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXIDFx74aSY) ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/36 "2018-06-26T00:42:49Z")
[quote=“terentii, post:35, topic:816710”] I remember watching\*\* this one \*\*in sixth grade. Why the hell didn’t we build shit like this back in the '50s? We had the technology! ☹ [/QUOTE] [Tom Lehrer](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TjDEsGZLbio) ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/37 "2018-06-26T00:47:39Z")
From 7th grade through high school, I was a member of the projector club, and 16mm films were the primary educational hi-tech tools for teachers. My school had a rule that teachers were not allowed to touch the projection equipment, which was left to the (much more competent) students from the projector club, which seemed to suit all parties. We even had licenses, and had to pass a test by an upperclassman on how to set up and run the Bell & Howell projectors. When it was our turn to administer the test, we flipped every switch, reversed every plug and put everything together backwards and upside down before giving the test to the noobies. They _earned_ their license, yessir! Licensed projector club members were assigned to a classroom during their study hall period, so we gathered in projector room 6S before school to get the assignments. Typically, we took a cart with a projector, speaker, and screen to the classroom before 1st period, then each student operator was assigned one hour with the same projector and film. The last period operator brought the equipment back. There were so many films shown that I never went to study hall and the study hall monitors just assumed that I wouldn’t be showing up, having a perpetually excused absence. The films were delivered in metal cans to our school every Tuesday, and the projector club set up two or three projection stations in the 6S room, where we would preview the latest films after hours. Favorites were the Bell Telephone series, and there was one animation about a fire-breathing dragon and one about Pompeii (color!) that I remember. Most were not in color, and even then, some (i.e., teenage dating advice) seemed incredibly dated and laughable. One subject that NEVER came up was sex ed. AFAIK, our school system never taught this (I certainly never had that class). It was merely a non-subject. ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/38 "2018-06-26T00:50:10Z")
one cheese fest I cant remember the name of that we were shown in high school health class was this : There was a whole bunch (about 10-15) of freshmen who were in a yearbook picture at the beginning of hs and every time something would happen in a little vignette theyed disappear from the yearbook Two died from a drunk driving accident one died from an illegal abortion …one from aids one became a drug addict one committed suicide ect one with aids until there were 4 or nominations for sainthood left for the senior pic ………… ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/39 "2018-06-26T02:20:56Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > \ There’s even more. The Simpsons made an art form out of parodying educational films. “Come back, zinc! Come back!” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2018, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710/40 "2018-06-26T03:18:21Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > The film I remember best was [Phoebe](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0223924/?ref_=fn_tt_tt_2), from high school. You have to love the National Film Board of Canada. I remember that! It was also a book, although IDK which came first. We saw it in sex education, probably 9th grade. There was a film we saw in grade school, 4th grade or thereabouts, and again in junior high, about “child molestation”. It was probably made in the late 1960s, and the parts I remember are a man running after two little girls in a wooded area, and in the last “re-enacted” scene, one of them is trying to hide from him behind a drainage pipe. The next scene features (allegedly) police photos of the actual girls the story was based on, after their bodies were found. Does anyone else remember this, and what it was called? It was VERY graphic, and AFAIR not sexual on any level. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/educational-films-from-elementary-school/816710.md?page=3)