Watching IMAX® films at our local Science Center was a great way for us to beat the heat recently. We weren’t sure what the kids would think of their first IMAX® giant screen viewing experience. Would they love it or freak out? We had been looking forward to seeing Dream Big: Engineering Our World as a way to talk to the kids about the many ways engineering impacts our lives and help ignite their interest in science and technology. Produced for all ages, Dream Big showcases engineering’s impressive impact on our world and our lives. The film features amazing engineering projects, along with forward-thinking and compassionate engineers. The huge scale of the IMAX® format made these engineering marvels even more impressive – the soaring expanses of bridges and skyscrapers were pretty incredible and the kids were spellbound.
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| Jeff Bridges narrates this engaging film about the wonders brought to life through engineering. |
Now this amazing educational and fascinating film is available in a 2-DVD education-focused set from Shout! Factory. It makes the transition to the small screen really well (admittedly without some of the stomach-flipping impact of the aerial visual effects through IMAX®), and Shout! Factory takes it even further by including a 150-page educator’s guide, with detailed lesson plans, PLUS additional education short clips and featurettes. As a former educator, I was impressed with the quality lesson plans that were targeted to each grade level from Kindergarten through High School, as well as special activities and event planning guides. Even though much of the educator content is available at discovere.org, having all these materials easily at hand without searching and downloading will be a great resource for educators who want to offer enrichment opportunities aligned with the film. (Even if you purchase the 2-DVD set, visit discovere.org for even more extension activities and information)
Here are some example lesson summaries from the educator guide:
1st Grade
Daylight in a Bottle
Harness solar energy to light a room.
Topics: Electromagnetic radiation, refraction, use of recycled materials
7th Grade
Building the Pyramids
Determine how Egyptians moved giant stones.
Topics: Teamwork, forces and motion, ancient cultures and mythologies
High School Chemistry
Making an Impact on Habitat
Create a safe way to neutralize the byproduct of a factory.
Topics: Engineering in the real world, runoff from pollution, impact of human civilization
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| Bridge engineers in Haiti: Engineers work on the final pieces for the deck of the Chameau footbridge in Haiti, as seen in the film Dream Big. The Chameau Bridge will provide welcomed access to schools and medical care for isolated, rural families. |
The Shout! Factory 2-DVD set is a perfect back-to-school resource for the STEM-focused educator, but its content is also great for community groups like Scouting troops or industry groups focused on engineering (I liked the event planning guide for ‘Girls Night Out’ focused on using the film and inspiring engineering heroes to help encourage development of STEM careers).
I loved these five messages for conversations about engineering (from discovere.org) that are reinforced through the educator materials:
Curiosity—Engineers ask lots of questions that start with: Why? How? What if?
Creativity—Engineering is a great outlet for the imagination—the perfect field for independent thinkers.
Teamwork—Engineering takes teamwork, and engineers work with all kinds of people inside and outside the field. Whether they’re designers or architects, doctors or entrepreneurs, engineers are surrounded by smart, inspiring people.
Opportunities—An engineering degree offers lots of freedom in finding a person’s dream job. It can be a launching pad for jobs in business, design, medicine, law, and government. To employers or graduate schools, an engineering degree reflects a well-educated individual who has been taught ways of analyzing and solving problems that can lead to success in all kinds of fields.
Helping Others—Imagine what life would be like without pollution controls to preserve the environment, life-saving medical equipment, or low-cost building materials for fighting global poverty. All this takes engineering. In very real and concrete ways, engineers save lives, prevent disease, reduce poverty, and protect our planet.
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| Dream Big delves into the inspirational story of Civil Engineer Menzer Pehlivan, who as a young girl experienced a devastating earthquake in Turkey. Here, Menzer uses everyday items to demonstrate to children how engineers design and build earthquakeproof structures. |
Shout! Factory has generously offered a free copy of the 2-DVD Dream Big: Engineering Our World Set, including the educator resource materials, to TWO MommyKatie readers! Enter below!
Product received, thank you to Shout! Factory for supplying us with a product for this review, all opinions are our own.
