"Life" in Movies: Using students' interest in popular cinema to promote science learning

Abstract

Effective biology teachers are always looking for new and innovative ways to generate student interest in the subject and help students recognize biology in their everyday lives. Most students enjoy watching movies in class or otherwise, particularly those from popular media. For this reason, popular movies with biology themes can be a valuable tool for science teachers at all levels, and there is a growing number of such films available. The depiction of biological concepts in movies can range from surprisingly accurate to highly misleading. While occasionally students may raise questions or seek clarification about some of these topics, more often students assume that the subtle nuances or scientific information presented in these films is correct. In other cases, students may not give much thought to the information in question, but the movie's influence may present itself later in misconceptions of a topic.