Invasion of the
Body
Snatchers
(1958, 1978) *
Logan’s Run
(1976) * Close
Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) *
Transformers (1986, 2007) * Serenity
(2005) * The Matrix (1999) * Core (2003)
* Cocoon (1985) * Planet of the Apes
(1968) * ET (1982) * The Abyss (1989)
Teaching
Science
with
Science
Fiction
Why Use Science Fiction
to Teach Science?
Allows students to experience
advanced and abstract science topics
such as mutations, radiation, ethics,
and rocket science.
Lab Activity: Examine
carnivorous plants –
Venus Fly Trap, Pitcher
Plan, Sundew, Waterwheel
Plant, Bladderwort,
Butterwort.
Good Science: Plants have limited motion and
some are carnivorous.
Bad Science: A meteor shower doesn’t trigger
harmful radiation; the shower would not be
visible worldwide at the same time; the
mutation would not affect all people/plants
identically; seawater would not dissolve life
forms that have saline fluids inside.
Day of the Triffids (1981)
Meteor shower mutates plant
species, causing plants to move
and become predacious.
War of the Worlds (2005)
Story of an
invasion of
the world by
tripod
fighting
machines,
equipped
with
advanced
weaponry.
Why Use Science Fiction
to Teach Science?
Provides a new avenue for learning
and helps reverse negative attitudes
toward science.
Andromeda Strain (1971)
Good Science: Scientific procedures used to
isolate the disease, methods of determining
size and vector (method of transfer) are
accurate, biosafety procedures, human
physiology, and portrayal of epileptic seizures.
Bad Science: Birds in town should be dead like
everything else, decontamination procedure
wouldn’t have worked on Andromeda because
radiation makes it grow.
Satellite crashes in town and
most residents die; crystal life
form, Andromeda, is responsible.
Slither (2006)
A tycoon is infected by a malevolent extraterrestrial creature that threatens to destroy the
human race. Soon, unusual things begin to happen within the normally peaceful town. Pets go
missing, followed by livestock, and finally people, with all of it leading back to Grant.
An alien lifeform, much like a fungus or spore, clings to the space shuttle Patriot as it crashes
back to Earth, spreading tainted debris from Texas to Washington, D.C. Curious onlookers steal,
Thewith
Invasion
(2007) disaster.
touch and even sell the parts on eBay, much like what happened
the Columbia
Good Science: Some caves are
indeed formed by volcanoes;
luminescent algae;
underground mushrooms;
increase in temperature as you
go underground.
Bad Science: Caves shown in
move are solution caves, not
volcanic cave formations;
magnets do not attract goal;
really bad dinosaur depiction;
amount of light present;
underground ocean; depth of
caves; center of Earth.
Research suggests that
interest in science
fiction may be an
important factor in
leading men and
women to become
interested in science
as a career.
Journey to the Center of the
Earth (1959)
Group of explorers enters a volcano to
follow the path of a previous explorer
to the center of the Earth.
Science fiction improves learning science by
helping to develop student understanding of
science processes and interconnectedness of
science disciplines. Lorenzo’s Oil (1992)
A boy develops
•
•
Application of the scientific
method and developing
hypotheses in an interesting
real world situation.
Great introduction to
chemistry and physiology
principals
Mechanism of Action
of Lorenzo's Oil
www.myelin.org/attachm
ents/contentmanagers/11
/scishow.swf
a disease so
rare that
nobody is
working on a
cure, so his
father decides
to learn all
about it and
tackle the
problem
himself.
Handout:
Lesson Plan for
Lorenzo’s Oil
WALL-E (2007).
It follows the story of a
robot named WALL-E
who is designed to clean
up a waste-covered
Earth far in the future.
Meet Dave (2008)
Aliens come to earth in
a search to save their
planet.
Moon (2009)
Solitary lunar employee experiences a personal crisis
as the end of his three-year stint nears.
Good Science: Accurate description of
blood vessels, heart, lungs, and ear;
factual description of body functions.
Bad Science: Impossibility of shrinking
(breaks law of conservation of
mass/energy); brain shown to be largely
empty; antibodies shown acting too
quickly and with specific target.
Preview and be
prepared to address
possible
misconceptions and
incorrect information.
Scientist dying of blood clot holds secret
to miniaturization, so a crew is
miniaturized to destroy the clot. They
travel through several body systems.
Possible use as introduction to
nanotechnology.
Fantastic Voyage (1966)
Science fiction improves science learning by
making it easier to learn related content.
•
•
•
•
•
Fat Man & Little Boy (1989)
Dialogue includes debate concerning
the use of atomic weapons and whether the
Reenacts the
U.S. should have dropped Manhattan
atomic bombs
on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Project
Development of both the development
implosion and explosion
of first models for triggering a nuclear
chain reaction
nuclear weapons
Supplements lessons about
fission,
fusion,
supercritical
mass, chain reaction, and
during
World
War
II.
other aspects of subatomic
physics
The
film is named
History/sociology/politics after
of science
through stories about Robert Oppenheimer,
the nuclear
Enrico Fermi, Leo Szilard, and
Robertknown
Wilson by
weapons
See Teach with Movies Learning
Guide
at "Fat
the code
names
http://www.teachwithmovies.com/members/guides/fat-man-little-boy.html#benefits
Man" and "Little
(must have account, whichBoy",
is $12/year)
focusing on
Gen. Leslie R. Groves
In reference to the Trinity testand
in New
Mexico, where his Los Alamos team first tested
Robert
the bomb, Oppenheimer famously
recalled the
Bhagavad Gita "If the radiance of a
Oppenheimer,
the
thousand suns were to burst military
at once into
sky, that would be like the splendor of the
andthe
scientific
mighty one." and "Now I am heads
becomeofDeath,
the destroyer of worlds."
the project.
Science fiction improves learning science by
providing direct visualization of abstract topics.
Science
George,
Concepts
an inventor living in England at the turn
• offour
the 20th
dimensions
century,ofhas
length,
crafted
width,
a machine
depth, that
and time
• can
Newton’s
move through
notion time.
of absolute
He passes
timethrough
• World
Einstein’s
War I,theory
Worldof
War
relativity
II, a nuclear
- timeholocaust
is intertwined
and
with
thousands
space and
of inseparable;
years beyondtherefore
to find a relative
strange
future
and not
andabsolute
two new races - Eloi, a beautiful,
• indolent,
Consideration
pleasure
ofseeking
fifth dimension
race, and the
• Morlocks,
Nuclear mutated,
holocausthideous, industrious, and
savage.
The Time Machine (1960, 2002)
Science fiction film has been found to be slightly more
effective in increasing achievement test scores than
traditional educational films or documentaries.
NSSL went on tour
with Universal Studies
to promote tornado
safety while they
promoted the release
of the movie Twister.
You can see one of
their vans in the photo
below.
Math: speed calculations, comparisons of various
storms, plotting map positions of storms;
graphing tornado statistics
PE: Twister game
SS: Discuss storm damage and economic impact,
analyze benefits/risks of early warning systems
Twister (1996)
The National Severe Storms
Laboratory (NSSL)
(http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/) s
erves the nation by working to
improve the lead-time and
accuracy of severe weather
warnings and forecasts in order to
save lives and reduce property
damage. NSSL scientists are
committed to their mission to
understand the causes of severe
weather and explore new ways to
use weather information to assist
National Weather Service
forecasters and federal, university,
and private sector partners.
When used to introduce
a topic, science fiction
provides reference point
and shared experience
for the class. Destination Moon
But be careful not to
perpetuate
misconceptions! Showing
short clips is best
approach when using film
to introduce a topic.
Final credit for DESTINATION
MOON (1950) reads "This is THE
END..Of The Beginning."
(1950)
Good Science: depiction of
conditions in space and on the
moon; description of behavior of
objects in freefall orbit, process of
how nuclear rockets work,
relationship between mass and fuel
needed.
Bad Science: The moon has dust
over most of its surface, and this is
not shown in the film.
Story is about a successful first flight to the moon.
Four men in spacecraft built by a private USA
company which takes off early because a "court
order" has been issued to stop the trip .
As a concluding
activity, science
fiction can provide
points for discussion,
reinforcement of facts
learned, a context for
the subject matter,
and as areas for
further research.
Star Trek crew encounters a giant cell which
is absorbing all known forms of energy and
realize it is about to divide. The Enterprise
acts as an antibody for the galaxy and uses
antimatter to destroy the cell.
Star Trek The Immunity Syndrome (1968)
Good Science: realistic descriptions
of cell parts and processes.
Bad Science: Impossibility of single
cell reaching such huge
proportions.
Having learned cell structure,
students can recognize parts of the
giant cell; and identify cell errors.
Science fiction improves learning science by
helping students understand the complexity of
scientific research and how it is a cultural process.
Contact (1997)
Aliens SOFIA
contact(Stratospheric
Earth and send plans for a mysterious machine.
Observatory
Infrared a person through space-time,
It appears
designed for
to transport
is a NASA
but noAstronomy)
one is sure. Should
mankind build the machine or not?
partnership
with the
And if we
send someone
traveling through space on the
German
Space Agency
machine,
who should
represent our species? The film is based
to develop
a Boeing
on Carl(DLR)
Sagan's
science fiction
novel of the same name.
747SP airliner fitted with a
2.5-meter reflecting
Film references SETI (Search
telescope. SOFIA will be for Extra-Terrestrial
the largest airborne
Intelligence) Institute
observatory in the world, (www.seti.org)
and will begin flight
testing in the second half
of 2009. It is housed in at
the Dryden Air Operations
Facility in Palmdale, CA.
Learn more at the SETI or
NASA Websites.
Science Fiction Lesson Ideas
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Have a set of questions student can answer while watching the film.
– Helps students engage in the film, follow the story, recognize facts, develop listening
skills.
Provide a list of scientific vocabulary.
– Have students write sentences with terms before they view the film, and then after
within the context of the film.
Follow the film with discussion questions or laboratory activity.
Use multiple science fiction films in the same theme and have students compare and
contract science information.
Consider showing only a few clips from the movie, then providing extra credit for a film or
book report.
Use the film to address the question: How does science impact my personal life and society?
ALWAYS ADDRESS INCORRECT INFORMATION AND STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS!
Finding Nemo (2003)
Jaws (1975)
It Came from Beneath the Sea (1995)
Suggestions for Use of Science Fiction Films
• To gain attention
• To stimulate recall of prerequisite
learning
• To present stimulus material
• To provide learning guidance
• To elicit performance
• To enhance retention and transfer
Dante’s Peak (1997)
Good Science: Visual
representation of volcano;
discussion of pre-eruption
effects; depiction of an
explosive eruption.
Bad Science: Truck driving
through lava; classic range
volcanoes do not typically
erupt with basaltic free flowing
lava, people could not outrun
the flow
Scientist’s warning of volcano
eruption goes unheeded.
Remember that the film is only one
part of the presentation!
What I Know
•
•
What I Wonder
Individually and
without assistance,
draw and label an
image of an ant on a 3
x 5 card.
•
How do ants live
together?
•
How big can an ant
get?
With a partner, define
these terms: to the
best of your ability:
Acid
Antenna
Atomic bomb
Density
Entomologist
Mutate
Queen
Radioactivity
•
What could make an
ant grow giant-size?
•
What is radioactivity?
What I Learned
Answer these Questions:
1. In what state does the movie begin?
2. How does the little girl act?
3. How do you know that an ordinary
robbery has not happened at the
trailer?
4. What do the police find on the ground
outside the trailer?
5. What makes the little girl react?
6. When and where did the first atomic
bomb explode?
7. What does the little girl say?
8. What kind of doctor is Dr. Medford?
9. What makes the whistling sound and
prints?
10. The ant is helpless without what part?
11. What two chemicals are used to trap
and kill the ants?
12. What distinguishing feature do queen
ants have?
13. Where do the Los Angeles ants live?
Them (1954)
Handout:
Them! Questions
Good Science: Factual discussion of
structure and processes of ants and ant
nests; anatomy of ants and uses of
formic acid; ant’s organized fighting
behavior.
Bad Science: insect exoskeleton would
not support its weight if it were 30 feet
long; its respiratory system could not
supply enough oxygen; ants are not
incapacitated by loss of antennae.
Some ants are resistant to cyanide.
Radioactivity does not cause gigantism.
Topics for Study: insects, physiology,
exoskeletons, gigantism, genetics,
mutation, insect culture, radioactivity,
lead, hydrogen cyanide, atomic bomb,
history of science, U.S. history, atomic
age, nuclear chemistry, women in
science
Student
Activity:
Create a KWL
Chart on one
of these
topics.
• Wikipedia Science Fiction Films by Decade
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_science_
fiction_films
• Cavanaugh and Cavanaugh (2004). Teach
Science with Science Fiction Films: A Guide
for Teachers and Library Media Specialists.
Worthington, OH: Linworth.
http://drscavanaugh.org/sci/scifi/index.htm
• Teach with Movies
www.teachwithmovies.com
October Sky (1999)
Handout:
List of
Science
Fiction Films
“I have several movies that I show throughout the year. The first one is called “October Sky.” I
show this when we study Newton’s Laws. The movie is about a group of students living in a coal
mining town in West Virginia. They decide to build a rocket in response to the launch of Sputnik.
The students go through quite a lot to launch their rockets and they go on to win the national
science fair. This is a true story; the author, Homer Hickam, went on to work for NASA. It’s a very
inspiring story, and it leads into our building and launching of model rockets. If you don’t own
this movie and you teach physics, get on eBay right this second.” (Blog: Physics Movies I Like to
Show http://teachingphysics.wordpress.com/2008/06/06/movies-i-like-to-show/ )