Hollywood or History Podcast

๐ŸŽ™๏ธ Hollywood or History Hosted by Dr. Scott Roberts Hollywood or History is a podcast that explores the powerful intersection of film and social studies education. Hosted by educator and author Dr. Scott Roberts, each episode features interviews with contributing authors from the Hollywood or History? book seriesโ€”a collection of classroom-ready lesson plans designed to help teachers critically engage students with historically themed Hollywood films. From exploring what Hollywood gets right (and wrong) to unpacking the educational strategies behind effective film-based instruction, this series equips Kโ€“12 educators and teacher educators with tools to promote historical thinking, inquiry, and civic literacy. Whether youโ€™re a social studies teacher, curriculum designer, or history enthusiast, Hollywood or History offers practical insights and thought-provoking conversations that bring historyโ€”and filmโ€”into sharper focus. ๐ŸŽฌ Where does Hollywood end and history begin? Tune in to find out.

Episodes

Jul 29, 2026

1 hr 5 min

Dr. Tom E. Malewitz and Dr. Sarah Beach join Dr. Scott Roberts to explore how Avengers: Age of Ultron can be used to teach media literacy, technology ethics, and the real-world implications of artificial intelligence and social media. How do films like Age of Ultron reflect our relationship with technology? Is AI a hero, a villain, or something in between? In this episode, we examine how superhero narratives open the door to deeper conversations about fear, innovation, and the ways technology shapes our lives.๐Ÿ“„ Show notes: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/fdcgwix7saa58dn7/Hollywood_or_History_episode_13_DP7rt7p.pdf
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๐Ÿ“˜ Book: https://bookstore.emerald.com/an-inquiry-based-approach-for-using-comic-based-stories-to-teach-liberal-arts-and-social-sciences-hb-9781805920335.htmlSarah's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@sarahbeachliketheocean
#HollywoodOrHistory #Avengers #MediaLiteracy #AI #Education #TeachingWithFilm

Jul 29, 2026

1 hr 5 min

Jun 24, 2026

1 hr 25 min

Dr. Jessica Ferreras-Stone joins us to explore how the animated film Vivo can be used to teach Cuban history, U.S.โ€“Cuba relations, and the lived experiences of separation, migration, and cultural identity.
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๐Ÿ“„ Show notes: ttps://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/jzgsthia9xtscvja/Hollywood_or_History_episode_12_DP27jamg.pdf๐Ÿ“˜ Book: https://bookstore.emerald.com/hollywood-or-history-hb-9798887309026.html๐ŸŒ Website: https://sites.google.com/view/latinxhollywoodorhistory/home๐ŸŽง Vivo Songbook Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vivo-songbook/id1578898390
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Jun 24, 2026

1 hr 25 min

Oct 22, 2025

1 hr 33 min

Dr. Annie McMahon Whitlock, Dr. Timothy N. Constant & Kymberli Wregglesworth join Dr. Scott Roberts to explore how episodes of The Simpsons can be used to teach economics, government, and civic identity in the classroom.๐Ÿ“„ Show notes: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/7v989y7y66xiq65p/Hollywood_or_History_episode_117xnq1.pdf๐Ÿ“˜ Book: https://bookstore.emerald.com/hollywood-or-history-hb-9798887304045.html

Oct 22, 2025

1 hr 33 min

Oct 8, 2025

1 hr 19 min

Dr. Sarah Kaka & Lucas George join Dr. Scott Roberts to discuss teaching inequality through Hidden Figuresโ€”from race and gender in STEM to systemic inequities across U.S. history.๐Ÿ“„ Show notes: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/jpszf97sat3qwph6/Hollywood_or_History_episode_108pt84.pdf
๐Ÿ“˜ Book: https://bookstore.emerald.com/hollywood-or-history-hb-9781648027925.html

Oct 8, 2025

1 hr 19 min

Sep 24, 2025

1 hr 30 min

Dr. Paul Yoder & Leona Calkins join Dr. Scott Roberts to discuss teaching genocide, trauma, and resilience through the film Hotel Rwanda. This episode unpacks strategies for helping students critically engage with difficult histories.๐Ÿ“„ Show notes: [PDF link HERE]๐Ÿ“˜ Book: https://bookstore.emerald.com/hollywood-or-history-hb-9781648029363.html
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Sep 24, 2025

1 hr 30 min

Sep 10, 2025

1 hr 2 min

Dr. Timothy Monreal & Dr. Jesรบs Tirado join Dr. Scott Roberts to discuss how the film Apocalypto can be used to critically examine Mayan civilization, media bias, and world history through inquiry.๐Ÿ“„ Show notes: [PDF link]๐Ÿ“˜ Book: [Book Link]

Sep 10, 2025

1 hr 2 min

Aug 27, 2025

1 hr 12 min

Dr. Scott Roberts welcomes Kate Van Harren to explore how An American Tail can be used to teach U.S. immigration, labor history, and cultural identity in the elementary classroom.๐Ÿ“„ Show notes: [Insert PDF link]๐Ÿ“˜ Book: [Link to the Book]

Aug 27, 2025

1 hr 12 min

Aug 13, 2025

1 hr 26 min

Dr. Starlynn Nance joins Dr. Scott Roberts to explore how sitcoms like Black-ish and Derry Girls help students unpack civic identity, voting rights, and race.๐Ÿ“„ Show notes: [Link Here]ย ๐Ÿ“˜ Book: [Link to the Book]

Aug 13, 2025

1 hr 26 min

Jul 30, 2025

58 min

Dr. Scott Roberts joins Dr. Mark Pearcy to explore how films like Saving Private Ryan and Glory can help students evaluate the ethics and realities of war through the lens of Just War Theory.๐Ÿ“„ Show notes: [PDF link]๐Ÿ“˜ Book: [Book link]

Jul 30, 2025

58 min

Jul 16, 2025

59 min

Dr. Scott Roberts speaks with Drs. Pennington, Fortune, Tackett & Horst on using The One and Only Ivan to teach elementary students about empathy, activism, and civic engagement.
๐Ÿ“„ Show notes: https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/vcpviustfx6tmsg8/Hollywood_or_History_Podcast_Episode_4azm52.pdf๐Ÿ“˜ Book: https://bookstore.emerald.com/hollywood-or-history-hb-9798887307633.html

Jul 16, 2025

59 min

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