Study Guides
Free study guides accompany these
Non-Theatric Sales programs. Many of the programs below, as screened on ABC
Educational Schools TV in the mid-morning timeslot, are
designed to support Australian school curricula and are
carefully styled with the appropriate young target audience
in mind.
Online notes on documentary style programs can be viewed
and printed directly form the website by clicking on the
link to view or download in Adobe
Acrobat PDF format.
Subject interests nominated for these titles are a guide
only of how the program may be utilised in the classroom,
lecture theatre, home study or staff training. Most programs
may have relevance for English Studies and Media Studies.
To find out more about the program select the title below
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Accused, The
This is an "anatomy" of a jury trial, which gives us a behind-the-scenes perspective of defence counsel and defendant, and the prosecution, in their preparations for the case.
Level: Middle - Upper Secondary
KLA: Legal Studies, English Studies, Media Studies (VCE Legal Studies)
Download (PDF 386KB)
Accused, The
This is an "anatomy" of a jury trial, which gives us a behind-the-scenes perspective of defence counsel and defendant, and the prosecution, in their preparations for the case.
Level: Middle - Upper Secondary
KLA: Legal Studies, English Studies, Media Studies (VCE Legal Studies)
Download (PDF 386KB)
All Point of the Compass
While the Vietnam War raged, senior political leader Charles Tran Van Lam recorded his family's domestic life on his Super 8 camera.
Level: Senior Secondary School
KLA: SOSE, History and English and Media.
Download (PDF 645K)
Alone Across Australia
In 2001 Jon Muir began a solo and unsupported 2,500-kilometre odyssey to cross Australia from the south to the north coast on foot.
Level: Middle, Senior Secondary, General Interest
Alone Across Australia has relevance to the NSW Education English Area of Study - Journeys.
KLA: English, Geography, Science, Social Studies, Environmental Studies, Social Studies, Religious Studies and Psychology.
Alone Across Australia
Andrew Denton's Gallipoli: Brother's in Arms
Andrew Denton travels to Gallipoli to find out why more Australians are drawn to its shores each year.(PDF 371kb)
Level: Middle upper Secondary School
KLA: SOSE, History and English and Media.
Download (PDF 188KB)
Art House
A fascinating four-part series that goes behind the closed doors of the Australian Art Auction world to meet the key players who buy and sell art in the ferociously competitive art scene.
Level: Senior Secondary, General Interest
KLA: English, Art, Economics, Australian Studies, Business.
Download (623KB)
Battle of the Brains
This four-part series tells the story of a unique group of brilliant teenage Australians, working towards competing against the best science scholars in the world at the International Science Olympiads.
Level: Secondary and Tertiary
KLA: Secondary: Science, media, studies, personal and social development and psychology
Tertiary: science education, media studies, issues of teaching gifted and talented students, adolescent development, learning differences and the psychology of learning
Download (PDF 810KB)
Behind The News Special Reports (2 volume set)
Level: Upper Primary to Middle Secondary 10-13 year olds (Years 5 to 8)
KLAs: Supports range of understandings within an Essential Learnings curriculum across Science, Design and Technology, Health and PE, Mathematics, SOSE/HSIE, and Geography,
Download (PDF 349KB)
Big Lie, The
We focus on the initial success then failure of an Australian damages case against British American Tobacco then the revelations of an insider whistleblower about the company's policies and behaviour...and more.
Levels:Upper Secondary
KLA: English: Issues / Communication. Legal Studies: Civil proceedings / Justice. Health Studies: Health / Health ethics. Civics and Citizenship: Rights and responsibilities / Being a good citizen. Media Studies: The documentary film form. Economics: Corporate rights and responsibilities
Download (464KB)
Black Soldier Blues
Told by the American and Australian veterans who were there, this is a tale of unexpected friendships and danger in a land with a government whose policy was to keep Australia “white”.
Level: General interest, Secondary and Tertiary Level
KLA: History, Race and Attitudes
Download (684KB)
Bomb Harvest
Bomb Harvest In bomb disposal you only make one mistake. We join Australian bomb disposal specialist Laith Stevens and his young trainees as they clear large live US aircraft bombs left from the Secret War in Laos.
Level: Middle to Senior Secondary Studies
KLA: Media Studies, SOSE/History, International and Asian Studies
Download (639KB)
Carbon Cops
A hybrid series that blends science, the environment and observational documentary, tracking what we can all do practically about global warming. Delivers strong scientific information and practical take-home tips in six half hour episodes.
Level: Upper Primary - Secondary Students and General Interest
KLA: SOSE; Environmental Resources; Science/English; Technology Studies and Civics and Citizenship.
Download (PDF .98MB)
Case for the Coroner, A
A groundbreaking series, which takes a behind-the-scenes look at the office of the New South Wales State Coroner.
Level: Middle to Upper Secondary, Tertiary Studies.
KLA: English, SOSE/HSIE, Science, Media, Legal (Criminal justice System)
Download (PDF 470K)
Curtin
The story of John Curtin - a driven and inspirational leader - as he struggles to battle his own personal demons while serving and protecting a country at war.
Level: Year 10-12 Secondary
KLA: History – Australia at war: the home front
Politics – Political power; English - Biography
Download (3MB)
Cuttlefish: The Brainy Bunch
This global adventure brings to the surface the spectacular tactics of the cuttlefish and discover just how clever they really are. We explore the ecology, psychology and biology of cuttlefish.
Level: Middle-Senior Secondary
KLA: Biology, Psychology
Download (987KB)
Do It Yourself Law
An observational series following self-litigants through the labyrinthine judicial system.
Level: Level: Lower to Upper Secondary, Tertiary
KLA: English, Business, Citizenship and Governance, HSIE/SOSE, Law and Justice
Download (PDF 209KB)
Dolphin Mania
The story of a small coastal community in Victoria, Sorrento where a handful of boat operators compete to run wild dolphin swim tours and all compete to gain access to the animals.
Level: Lower-Upper Secondary, General Interest and Advocacy
KLA: Geography, English, Business, SOSE/HSIE (time and place), Science, Environment, Social Studies
Download (PDF 170k)
Dream and the Dreaming, The
For over thirty thousand years, the Desert People of Central Australia had walked their lands, their life governed by ancient and immutable laws laid down by the totemic ancestors and their Dreamings.
Level: Lower-Upper Secondary
KLA: Indigenous studies, SOSE/HSIE, Religion, Media
Download (PDF 209KB)
Dreamtime to Dance
Dreamtime to Dance presents a compelling portrayal of professional, personal and cultural development for a group of young Indigenous Australians in pursuit of their dreams.
Level: Primary - Secondary, General Interest
English (genres/biography), Media, Health and PD, Drama, Performing arts, Indigenous, Humanities, SOSE/HSIE (culture/identity).
Download (623KB)
Dust to Dust
It's the Australian "real life" version of Six Feet Under an unusual family with an uncommon job who deal daily with one of our last great taboos.
Level: Tertiary, Senior Secondary, General Interest
KLA: SOSE, Cultural Identity
Download (6719KB)
Eye of the Tiger
In the jungles and villages of Thailand, people with passion and commitment take on an enormous task - to locate the remaining tigers that have survived a long history of poaching.
Level: Lower-Upper Secondary, Tertiary, Advocacy
KLA: Science, Biology Studies, Natural History, SOSE/HSIE
Download (PDF 150k)
Family First: A Federal Crusade
We follow four Family First senate candidates and the party chairman in all aspects of the political process as they attempt to present an alternative to the Australian voting public.
Level: Secondary and Tertiary
KLA's: Australian History, Political Studies, English, Social Studies, Religious Studies, Media and Psychology.
Family First: A Federal Crusade
Family Footsteps
This 4 part series gives Australians the chance to step into the lives they might have had if their parents had not immigrated to Australia. We join four young Australians as they learn about the lives they may have lived if their family had remained in their country of origin.
Level: Lower–Middle Secondary
KLA: English Studies, Media Studies, Geography and SOSE/HSIE
Family Footsteps synopsis and study guide
Download (1.39MB)
Fine Body of Gentlemen. A
Deals with the three year odyssey of 13 black cricketers and the white men who encouraged their skills, and their love the game of cricket.
Level: General interest, Secondary and Tertiary Level
KLA: Indigenous and Non Indigenous relationships in Colonial Australia, SOSE - Time and Continuity, History and Sport Studies.
Download (384KB)
For the Juniors Booklet
This booklet contains an extensive list of synopses for each episode of this ongoing series of programs produced for 4-8 year olds.
Level: Primary School, 6-8 year olds
KLA: All subjects
Download (1.21MB)
Girl in a Mirror
Girl in a Mirror is a beautiful constructed documentary exploration of the life and times of Australian photographer Carol Jerrems.
Level: Tertiary, Senior Secondary, General Interest
KLA: VCE SOSE, Media Studies, Art and Technical Photography, Cultural Studies Tertiary: Cultural Studies, Art and Photography.
Download (646KB)
Good, The Bad and the Ugg Boot, The
A spaghetti western following the funny, tragic and heroic efforts of a bunch of feisty small family businesses, in Australia and America, as they fight a giant US corporation over who owns the weird Aussie cultural icon - the Ugg boot.
Level:Middle to Senior Secondary
KLA: Australian Studies, Media Studies, English, Business Studies, Economics and Legal Studies
Download (384KB)
Hard Choices
We follow ordinary Australians as they deal with the agonizing everyday choices which most of us hope never to have to face.
Themes: love and marriage, cross cultural love, compassionate love, parental and religious love.
Issues: Ageing population, disabilities (discrimination, the disabled and sexuality, disability and family life; adolescent pregnancy, single parenting, asylum seekers, alcoholism)
Level: Cross Curriculum Studies at Secondary and Tertiary level
Download (PDF 965)
Hoover's Gold
A look at the future US President, a West Australian Goldfield, Italian migration and the results that mix in Australian history.
Level: General interest, Secondary and Tertiary Level
KLA: English and Media Studies
Download (1234KB)
Just a Game
In downtown Dallas Texas, 3000 “gamers” from 55 countries have come to compete, to conquer, to kill.
Level: Middle to Senior Secondary, Tertiary, General Interest
KLA: Health and Physical Education, English, Media, Psychology
Download (PDF 1.01MB)
Kimberley Cops
This observational series follows some Kimberley cops over eight months as they keep law and order.
Level: Middle to Senior Secondary, Tertiary, General Interest
KLA: SOSE/HSIE, Social Justice, Law. Careers, Health and Physical Education
Download (PDF 239KB)
Love and Money
In this four part series, couples reveal their feelings about money at emotionally critical times - moving in together, marriage and family, death, divorce and starting again with a new lover.
Level: Tertiary: Law, Justice Studies, Human Resources, Communication, Psychology, Multi-cultural education, TESOL, ELICOS programs
Upper Secondary: SOSE, English, Media Studies, Legal Studies, Economics, Business Studies
Advocacy: Marriage preparation, relationships, gay support, mediation, cross-cultural counselling
Download (PDF 690k)
Machine to Die For, A
Perpetual motion is the holy grail of science. It has sent many an obsessive and eccentric inventor to madness and suicide. A successful perpetual motion machine would alter the entire social and political balance of the world. It has been described as a "machine to kill for".
Level: Middle to Senior Secondary, General Interest
KLA: Science (Physical Sciences) History and Materials Technology
Download (PDF 476KB)
Make It Real
The poignant story of Kevin Sumbah, an AIDS orphan. He is one of more than 15 million such orphans in the world, seeking a better life.
Level: Secondary
KLA: Health, Politics, Economics, SOSE/HSIE, Media (documentaries, personal journey) and English.
Download (384KB)
Message from Moree
This is a story about a town coming back from the dead, and an unlikely partnership between a wealthy cotton farmer and a young Aboriginal educator leading a citizens’ push for great change.
Level: Junior to Upper Secondary
KLA: Indigenous Studies, Australian History, SOSE, Religion, Cultural Studies, Careers
Download (PDF 852KB)
Musical Renegades
Explores the life and music of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, widely regarded as one of the world's best small orchestras as they go on tour.
Level: Year 10-12
KLA: Music, English Media, Work Education, Civics and Citizenship
Download (PDF 855k)
Opal Fever
Highlights that mining a natural resource is not just a job but a lifestyle choice that for many can border an obsession. The series also provides the opportunity to discuss life in a remote community that is based around one industry.
Level: Secondary and general interest
KLA: SOSE, English, ESL and TESOL classes
Download (PDF 828KB)
Our Boys
Welcome to Canterbury Boys High, Prime Minister John Howard's old school and the setting for this compelling series.
Level: Upper Primary - Secondary
KLA: English, Media, Cultural studies, Careers, SOSE/HSIE, Psychology
Download (PDF 755k)
Political Football
Political Football follows the story of six Rugby Union footballlers who represented Australia in the 1969 Wallaby tour of South Africa.
Level: Senior Secondary, General Interest
KLA: SOSE/HSIE, Australian History and Society, Cultural Studies, Politcal Studies, Media, English
Download (305KB)
Real Life Water Rats
Real Life Water Rats is a documentary series that looks at the work of Tasmania's elite Marine Police Unit set against the unique backdrop of some of the world's wildest and most treacherous oceans, rivers and lakes.
Level: Senior Secondary, General Interest
KLA: Geography, Social and Cultural Studies, Studies of Society and Environment, Health and Human Development, Media Studies
Download (1774KB)
Revealing Gallipoli
Five broadcasters from across the globe united to tell the tragic story of Gallipoli - from all sides
Level: Middle to Senior Secondary, Tertiary, General Interest
KLA: History, Society and Environment, Time Change and Continuity, English, Media Studies, Values Education
Download (PDF 509KB)
Shearers, The
The Shearers is a lively and intimate observational documentary series about a group of young men and women trying to break into one of the toughest physical jobs in the world.
Level: Middle to Senior Secondary.
KLAs: Agriculture/Agricultural Technology, Community and Family Studies, English, Geography, History, Social and Cultural Studies, Studies of Society and Environment, Health and Human Development, Media Studies and Textiles Technology.
Shearers, The
Singer: A Dangerous Mind
To say Dr. Peter Singer polarises opinion is an understatement.
Level: Secondary, Tertiary, General Interest
KLA: English, Scienc,e Philosophy, Psychology, Legal , Religious Studies
Download (PDF 586K)
Sounds of Aus
The cultural DNA in this country is in the sound of the way Australians speak. But why do we speak the way we do? And what exactly is the Australian accent? These and other issues are explored with the assistance of Narrator, John Clarke in this informative and entertaining documentary.
Level: Upper Primary and Junior Secondary, General Interest
KLAs: English, Australian History, Studies of Society and Environment (Human Society in Environment) and Cultural Studies.
Download (652KB)
Stories From the Stone Age
An exploration of the revolutionary period of prehistory that began when humans abandoned the nomadic hunting and gathering existence they had known for millennia to take up a completely new way of life.
Level: All ages
KLA: SOSE, History, Essential Learnings
Note: See page 2 of Study notes for a KLA chart relevant for Australian States and Territories related Curriculum Area
Download (PDF 2.73MB)
Sudden Death
The mystery of a deadly inheritance that strikes at random and is lethal within minutes.
Level: Upper Secondary, Tertiary, General Interest
KLA: Science and English
Download (PDF 581K)
Unfit to Command
In January 1964 the flagship of the RAN, the aircraft carrier Melbourne, collided with the destroyer Voyager off Jervis Bay in NSW.
Level: Upper secondary. Tertiary, General interest
KLA: English, Media, SOSE/HSIE, History, Politics
Download (PDF 738k)
Weeping Women
The controversial phenomena of weeping statues and the people who turn to them in search of hope- or amusement.
Level: Secondary and Tertiary level
KLA: English and Religious Studies
Download (518KB)
