The History Behind the Movie: The Boys in the Boat
21:18
Grades: 9 - 12

Video Description: Author Daniel James Brown gives us the back-story of his compelling New York Times’ Best Seller “The Boys in the Boat” – a tale of the countless challenges facing the U.S. eight-oar rowing team during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Throughout this story, Brown drops what he calls informational “treasures” that transport the reader to Depression-era USA and Nazi Germany. Join us as he describes the six-year journey he took to find all those “treasures” and write the story that reveals the heart and dedication of not just the nine boys in the boat, but the people of that entire generation.

Type of Video: Interview*
Unique Video ID: US History-59**

Quick Ideas for Using the Video:

  • After viewing this video, students can research the era of WWII and document some of the obstacles this sports team faced on their path to the Olympics.
  • Students can explore the history and significance of rowing.

 

*Interviews feature extended conversation exploring fascinating topics with fascinating people in the area of study.

**The unique Video ID can be used to quickly locate a single video in the ET collection. This search function is designed to let teachers assign students to watch a specific video and have only that video appear as a search result. Just click on Search and choose “By Video ID.” Then type in the Video ID as it appears above. Be sure to include the dash.

Loading