Science Fiction
WHAT IS SCIENCE FICTION?
Science fiction predicts change, explores consequences, and studies potential futures. It teaches adaptability and open mindedness in the face of change. It performs "imaginary experiments" to see how people react to change before the change actually happens, and provides a different perspective on our world. Science fiction writers see the future as a consequence of our present day. In this light, it is also a vehicle for social analysis and an opportunity to experiment with new concepts and their effects on humanity and the world. Science fiction presents many issues from many different points of view for us to examine.
Teaching science fiction through books, stories, movies, interactive media and art engages learners on a number of levels. Science fiction can provide a starting point for a multi-disciplinary curriculum that investigates issues, explores the natural world, and teaches critical thinking skills. Good science fiction introduces themes of personal integrity, relationships (human and alien), acceptance of other life forms and cultures, and our responsibility for technological change. It is entertaining, but it also presents ideas and alternatives.
From the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle, Washington
Science fiction can be used to teach all the social and physical sciences, math, technology, history, futurism, philosophy, sociology, ethics, ecology, reading skills, English, creative writing and more.
Frequently, yesterday's Science Fiction is today's Science Fact. Science Fiction is an excellent theme for an interdisciplinary unit, easily incorporating all the disciplines, and especially lending itself to the use of multimedia and media literacies in exciting ways! -
Disciplines that students will need in order to answer the Big Questions for this theme include: Astronomy, Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, Civics, Ecology, History, Geography, Economics, Philosophy, Sociology, all the Language Arts (research, writing, teaching, etc.), Health and PE, Social Issues, Cultures and more!
21st century skills - teaching, videography, filmmaking, web design, organizing events (Science Fiction Fair and/or Student Film Festival), television and radio production, and even a cooking show a la Alton Brown of Good Eats - sample recipes such as these items served at Quark's Restaurant in Las Vegas . . . The Wrap of Kahn, Hamborger, Tribble Tenders, . . .
Resources for War of the Worlds and The Martian Chronicles.
Disciplines that students will need in order to answer the Big Questions for this theme include: Astronomy, Biology, Botany, Chemistry, Physics, Algebra, Geometry, Calculus, Civics, Ecology, History, Geography, Economics, Philosophy, Sociology, all the Language Arts (research, writing, teaching, etc.), Health and PE, Social Issues, Cultures and more!
21st century skills - teaching, videography, filmmaking, web design, organizing events (Science Fiction Fair and/or Student Film Festival), television and radio production, and even a cooking show a la Alton Brown of Good Eats - sample recipes such as these items served at Quark's Restaurant in Las Vegas . . . The Wrap of Kahn, Hamborger, Tribble Tenders, . . .
Resources for War of the Worlds and The Martian Chronicles.
Recommended Resources
Roswell New Mexico UFO Museum
Timeline of science fiction books, short stories, films and television shows.
Recommended Reading and Viewing
10 Science Fiction Projects that are Becoming a Reality
The Day the Earth Stood Still - excellent film study curriculum guide from The Film Institute
SF Experts - Kim Stanley Robinson
SF Topics - Alternate Worlds & Realities
How America's Leading Science Fiction Authors are Shaping Your Future, article in Smithsonian Magazine, May 2014
Timeline of science fiction books, short stories, films and television shows.
Recommended Reading and Viewing
10 Science Fiction Projects that are Becoming a Reality
The Day the Earth Stood Still - excellent film study curriculum guide from The Film Institute
SF Experts - Kim Stanley Robinson
SF Topics - Alternate Worlds & Realities
How America's Leading Science Fiction Authors are Shaping Your Future, article in Smithsonian Magazine, May 2014
Planning a Science Fiction Unit
These former exhibit themes from the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame would be a good way to organize your Expert Groups. These themes are Homeworld, Fantastic Voyages, Brave New Worlds and Them!
Homeworld - where adventures to the unknown begin and end. |
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Brave New Worlds - how should we live, and what are the consequences of the choices we make?
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Aliens for Little Kids
You won't be reading War of the Worlds or The Hunger Games with small children. So what resources are there for early elementary? Lots!
Best Children's Science Fiction Books
80 Greatest Science Fiction Books for Kids
Possible activities to demonstrate and celebrate what they have learned:
Have a Monster Mash - with costumes designed by the children.
Science Fiction to Science Fact Expo - let small teams of students design and present their products at this expo - open to the community! These products could include:
Best Children's Science Fiction Books
80 Greatest Science Fiction Books for Kids
Possible activities to demonstrate and celebrate what they have learned:
Have a Monster Mash - with costumes designed by the children.
Science Fiction to Science Fact Expo - let small teams of students design and present their products at this expo - open to the community! These products could include:
- Sci fi stories written and illustrated by the students, digitally and on paper.
- Models of space station, or habitats for living on the Moon or Mars, design a space ship,
- Student produced videos or plays. These could be published online and/or presented to a live audience to the community.
- Art Show featuring students' paintings, music, animations and sculptures.
- Alien Feast or Dinner Party (or could be part of a combination dinner theatre for the community, or part of the expo mentioned above.) The students can create and prepare weird looking alien dishes, complete with nutritional information, background information on each ingredient, a recipe, photos showing how to prepare their dish, and cultural significance of the dish. See the section on Sci Fi Foods below.
- Alien Eats! - a take-off on the Alton Brown tv show, Good Eats! Have students work in small groups to create an episode of Alien Eats, then publish them online, or better yet, sell them for a fund raiser. Let students explore possibilities for donating the funds to a good cause - then it becomes Service Learning.
- Interview an Author - arrange for your class to meet and interview an author (via Skype or Google Hangout)
Sci Fi Authors
Sci Fi Foods
8 Star Trek Recipes You Can Replicate at Home
Weird Foods in Sci Fi Movies
Sci-Fi Food and Beverages (a Pinterest page)
Star Wars recipes
Jar Jar Binks Salad (pictured here) and more.
Weird Foods in Sci Fi Movies
Sci-Fi Food and Beverages (a Pinterest page)
Star Wars recipes
Jar Jar Binks Salad (pictured here) and more.
