All teachers know that sometimes you just have to show a movie. Maybe it is before a long vacation when the students are just to excited and unsettled to begin a new unit.

Or maybe you just want to enrich their curriculum with a visual component that will further enhance their learning experience and understanding of the content.

Students are fascinated by volcanoes! Aren't we all?

Then why not make a movie a learning experience?

As part of your Igneous Rocks and Volcanoes Unit, show the students: Dante's Peak.

In my opinion it was one of the best movies I have seen about volcanoes because it represented fairly accurately a typical eruption of a Cascade Range volcano like Mt St. Helens. Of course, there was some departure from the facts in order to create drama and excitement, but there was also much Geology to be learned from the movie.

Print out the Fact Sheet: Dante's Peak - Fact and Fiction

Print out the accompanying Worksheet: Dante's Peak - Fact and Fiction Worksheet

Provide the handouts to the students in advance of watching the movie to allow them enough time to read the directions, read all the facts, and to ask questions.

Go over the facts with the students. Make sure they know what they are being asked to provide on the worksheet. Tell them how the assignment will count with respect to their grade.

Personally, I prefer not to show a movie to students without requiring something in return to demonstrate they got something educational out of it.
Also, when students know they will be responsible for submitting a paper that will be graded, they will be more likely to pay attention and learn rather than fool around and cause any problems.

Allow your students to enjoy the movie all the while knowing that they will be observing and critiquing it for any departures from geological truth.

Enjoy using these handouts!
If you have time, please let me know if your students enjoyed them and if you found them helpful.