Movie Clip Lesson Plan
Sandra Rutherford
Geography and Geology Department
Eastern Michigan University
Hollywood Films
Nature of Science
The NSTA/NCATE standards: Nature of Science (2), Issues (4), and Science in the Community (7) want teachers to engage students effectively in studies of the history, philosophy, and practice of
science by enabling students to distinguish science from nonscience
critically analyzing assertions made in the name of science
being prepared to make decisions and take action on contemporary issues of interest to the general society by being informed citizens
being prepared to relate science to locally important issues
BSCS 5E Instructional Model
The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) nonprofit corporation has developed a Learning Cycle Model that allows students to:
EngageExploreExplainElaborateEvaluate
Engage
The engage part of the BSCS instructional model is key to hooking the students into the unit they are studying
There is no longer time in the curriculum to show an entire 90 minute Hollywood film
However, Hollywood films offer a perfect opportunity to actively engage students to think about the science behind a film
Why use Hollywood Films?
The science is often incorrectly depicted for purposes of plot advancement – even bad science can be used to teach critical thought!!
It is a waste of time to show the whole film but a 10 minute clip can serve as a springboard to a serious discussion of science
Live-action shots are much more memorable than notes on a chalkboard (Lighthart, 2000) – high student interest!
Appeals to not only the auditory learner but the visual learner as well (Royce, 2002)
What to Look for in Potential Movies
Dennis (2002) suggests: Scenes in which the director trusts Mother
Nature Scenes with on-screen measurements Good science episodes in all types of films Avoid “oldies but goodies” Viewing time: 10 minutes or less
Mother Nature
Avoid slow motion scenes, it is better to work with action that is continuous or in “real time”
Big climactic action scenes should be avoided because usually the director wants to “take your breath away” so often time slows down, camera angles are changed, gravity drops to one-third its normal value
On-Screen Measurements
Perhaps the director wants to create suspense so they will show you a digital readout of time or actors are calling out the reading for some important parameter
Using the numbers given and knowledge from the classroom, calculations can be made
Students are very curious as to how the “stuff” they learn in science is related to the “real stuff” in a movie
Good Science in all Types of Films
Broaden the video horizons: science can be found in very unexpected places For example the last scene in Ice Age has the
iceberg floating above the water not 2/3 below it.
“Oldies but Goodies”
Stick to movies that are no more than 15 years old
Teens are turned off by stars they don’t know, by old-time fashions or machines, and by black-and-white pictures
Students will relate to and focus on films of recent vintage
Recent films are “certified cool”
10 minutes or less
Class time is too precious to give away to a 90 minute Hollywood production that you probably need parental permission for
But a well-chosen slice of a movie which complements an activity, discussion, or calculation adds punch to the science concept being addressed
However, include the lead-up action to the science “punch line”, they will see the science better when it occurs
How can Movie Clips be used in the Classroom? The Class Opener – questions on the
overhead for after the movie clip The Group Estimation Problem – calculate
something Practice/Reinforcement Activities – the clip
can be a “visual word problem’ to create a review of the science
“Makin It Reel” Activities – use the clip to handle bad science – ask a question or do an activity
Help with “Bad Science”
Go to www.nitpickers.com Stick with PG-13 films as often as you can
Preservice Teacher’s Assignment
In my Earth Science Teaching Methods class at EMU the assignment was to write a lesson plan that uses a Hollywood movie clip
An activity to supplement the conceptual question the movie presented was also required
Example: Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc
The students then calculate the mass of the golden idol by measuring the volume of the idol and knowing that the density of gold is 19.2 g/cm3
Example: Waterworld
The future, the polar ice caps have melted covering the Earth with water. Those who survive have adapted to a new world.
Students could then have an assignment handed out where they actually calculate how high the oceans would rise.
Example: Triple X
Class Discussion: Can a snow boarder go faster than an avalanche? Can a skier? What is your hypothesis? Do some research?
This could relate to other types of mass wasting and their formation
Creativity
The preservice teachers in my class often have difficulty creatively choosing a movie clip, then finding a demo or activity to accompany it
However, it is worth the effort, the excitement that students display is huge!
And your administrator will love your creativity!
Small List Superman (1978), 117 minutes: Superman flies into the San Andreas
Fault to stop an earthquake (Lighthart, 2000) Escape from LA (1996), 2 minutes: Richter magnitude 9.6 earthquake
makes an island of Los Angeles (Lighthart, 2000) Waterworld (1997), 80 minutes: Submersible bubble pulled underwater
more than 200 meters to “dry land.” there are a lot problems with this, not the least of which is that melting all the glaciers would only raise the sea level by 100 meters. (Lighthart, 2000)
The X-Files (1998), opening scene: Primitive humans are walking across glacial terrain in northern Texas 30,000 years ago. (Lighthart, 2000)
Fantasia (1940), 38 minutes: 24 minute scene showing the formation and early history of the Earth (up to, but not including, the Cenozoic Era). There are many alternative starting points such as early volcanism (42 minutes) and Ediacaran life (land plants) (47 minutes). (Lighthart, 2000)
Volcano (1997), 4 minutes: Description of plate tectonics as floating plates, from which magma can occasionally burst forth at weak points, like Los Angeles. (Lighthart, 2000)
Deep Impact (1998), 89 minutes: Discussion of an asteroid hitting the Atlantic Ocean and creating a tsunami. Impact depicted at 103 minutes. (Lighthart, 2000)
Joe vs. The Volcano (1990), 91 minutes: Volcano erupts and sinks into the ocean. (Lighthart, 2000)
Dante’s Peak (1997): The entire movie can be assigned as an exercise in critical thought. (Lighthart, 2000)
Tremors (1990), opening scene, geologically speaking: Seismographs barely register dirt shoveled directly on top of them. (Lighthart, 2000)
Jurassic Park (1993), 5 minutes: Opening scene at the “velociraptor” (actually a much-larger Utahraptor excavation, where ground-penetrating radar is used to image a buried skeleton. (Lighthart, 2000)
Armageddon (1998): asteroid is the size of Texas but in fact largest known asteroid is just over half the size of Texas. (Royce, 2002)
Speed (1994): Bus leap (Dennis, 2002) Six Days, Seven Nights (1998), 1 hour 21 minutes: calculate the initial
velocity and maximum height attained by a cannon shell fired straight up (Dennis, 2002)
Small List
Speed 2: Cruise Control (1997), 1 hour 42 minute: determine the average force exerted by the tropical island in bringing the ocean liner to a stop (Dennis, 2002)
Toy Story (1995), 54 minute: 2 segments where Sid the bad kid uses a magnifying glass, Woody uses and misuses a curved mirror, Buzz and a thin lens have a deflating experience (Dennis, 2002)
Back to the Future (1985) 30 minutes: DeLorean sports car has a digital speedometer to calculate a simple acceleration calculation (Dennis, 2002)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937): The wicked queen tries to dislodge a boulder onto the angry dwarfs using a lever; her displacement during free fall can be calculated (Dennis, 2002)
The Fugitive (1993): After the opening train wreck, Tommy Lee Jones discusses the fleeing fugitive giving enough information to provide a great review of d-versus-t graphs (Dennis, 2002)
Matilda (1996): In the opening sequence, the negligent parents fail to secure the newborn’s car seat and Newton’s first law is clearly demonstrated (Dennis, 2002)
Men in Black (1997): Good – alien displacement in free fall can be calculated; bad – the reaction force on Will Smith when he fires the alien weapon (Dennis, 2002)
Small List
References
Daley, Ben (2004) A project-based approach: students describe the physics in movies, The Physics Teacher, v. 42, p41-44.
Dennis, Chandler, M., Jr. (2002), Start Using “Hollywood Physics” in Your Classroom!, The Physics Teacher, v. 40, no. 7, p420-424.
Dubeck, Leory W. and Tatlow, Rose (1998) Using Star Trek: The Next Generation Television Episodes to Teach Science, Journal of College Science Teaching, v.27, n.5, p319-323.
Dubeck, Leory W., Bruce, Matthew H., Schmuckler, Joseph, S., Moshier, Suzanne E., and Boss, Judith, E. (1990) Science Fiction Aids Science Teaching, The Physics Teacher, V. 28, p316-318.
Freudenrich, Craig, C. (2000), Sci-fi science, The Science Teacher, v. 67, no. 8, p42-45. Hickam, Homer H., Jr. (2000) A Reflection on Rocket Boys/October Sky in the Science
Classroom, Journal of College Science Teaching, V. 29, No. 6, p 399-400. Lighthart, Alyson (2000) Hollywood Geology, Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 48,
n.5, p.601. Massenzio, Lynn (2001) X-traordinary Science, Science Scope, v. 24 no. 4, (Jan.), p46-7 Royce, Christine Anne (2002) Lights, camera, and the action of science, Science Scope,
V. 25, no. 6, (March), p70-74.