Science Representation in Pop Culture
Charlene Estrada and Emily Bogusch
Introduction
You are a part of a global effort to increase access to education and empower students through “open pedagogy.” Open pedagogy is a “free access” educational practice that places you – the student – at the center of your own learning process in a more engaging, collaborative learning environment. The ultimate purpose of this effort is to achieve greater social justice in our community in which the work can be freely shared with the broader community. This is a renewable assignment that is designed to enable you to become an agent of change in your community through the framework of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For this work, you will integrate the disciplines of Geology; Physics to achieve SDG #04: Quality Education
Learning Objectives
- Compare and contrast different film representations of science and the scientific method.
- Critically analyze how science is portrayed in pop culture.
Purpose/Rationale
Introduction
Science is infused in our culture and it is integral in our everyday lives (and not just in the technology we use!). Pop culture tells us what a science is and can be through the magic of movies! In this renewable assignment, you will select any movie that prominently depicts a scientific subject related to this course and reflect on what you have seen with a recorded video reflection. You will then watch a documentary on the same scientific topic and examine the similarities and differences between the two films with a second video reflection.
Instructions
Part 1: Science in Fiction (40%)
Choose any movie that prominently features a topic in the Physical Sciences. Be sure to watch the movie after you have selected it at least once. After you have done so, please record a screencast presentation (between 3 and 6 minutes) that reflects on the following questions:
- What movie did you choose? Why did you choose this particular film? What topic does it depict?
- How are the SCIENTISTS depicted in the movie? Examples might include background, body type, gender, personality, skills, etc. How do you think this representation applies to other scientists?
- Select ONE scientific concept from your movie that you would like to know a little more about. This could be something that confused you, something that was really interesting, or something very weird! Briefly research it further on the internet. Tell us about this concept and tell us whether it was depicted correctly in the movie. Be sure to include the correct APA reference for your source at the end of your presentation!
- How was the SCIENTIFIC PROCESS carried out in the film? How did the scientists collect evidence for their ideas? Does the film distinguish a clear difference between theory and hypothesis?
Part 2: Science in Documentary Film (60%)
Choose a documentary film that is on the same scientific topic as in Part I. After watching the documentary, please record a second screencast presentation (between 3 and 6 minutes) that reflects on these questions:
- What documentary did you choose to watch? Give a BRIEF summary of the film and what you learned from it.
- Describe the SCIENTISTS featured in the documentary or the narrator presenting the data. Do they have any unique stories or backgrounds that you found unusual for someone in science? If so, describe how.
- How was the SCIENTIFIC PROCESS depicted in the documentary? How did scientists or the narrator describe how data was collected to support an idea? Does the documentary distinguish a clear difference between theory and hypothesis?
- Compare and contrast THREE differences in how the facts of your scientific subject were portrayed differently in both films.
- After watching both a movie and a documentary film on science, has your opinion on the scientific topic changed? Why or why not? Why do you think science is portrayed the way it is in the movie you saw?
Format Requirements
A rubric is provided but is not included here.
Attribution
