 Have you no sense of decency, sir, at long last? Film clips of historic events, people, and lifestyles can liven up almost any classroom lesson. But too often, students judge a video clip as an unimpeachable source, one that gives an unquestionably true and even complete picture of the past. So what kinds of lessons help students understand that historic footage needs to be analyzed, that it needs to be questioned, just like other historical accounts? In this guide, we identify five core components to planning effective lessons that incorporate historic footage. Three examples, one each for the elementary, middle, and high school classrooms, show how these core components work together to provide a strong foundation for a classroom lesson. Elementary students consider the difference between history and fiction through the remarkable story of Venture Smith, an African boy sold into slavery who eventually bought his freedom. High school students analyze a 1942 government propaganda film explaining Japanese internment. And high school students consider the historical significance and context of lawyer Joseph Welch, dressing down Senator Joe McCarthy on national television in 1954. Each of these examples revolves around a short non-fiction film clip and four other core components, a teacher's background essay, additional historical sources, core questions, and a historical thinking focus. So how can you use this? After checking out this overview material, explore the example for your grade level to see how the components fit together and get ideas for your classroom. Then review the implementation video. Finally, use what we've done here to inspire and guide you in creating your own lessons. Lessons that use non-fiction film clips to not only engage and illustrate but to deepen your students' historical understanding and sharpen their thinking.