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
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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:
Engage
Explore
Explain
Elaborate
Evaluate
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:
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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
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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
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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)
Small List
 Deep Impact (1998), 89 minutes: Discussion of an asteroid hitting the
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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 groundpenetrating 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
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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)
References
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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.