Title: Jurassic Park

The Jurassic Park Interdisciplinary Activities Page

The following list of activities is meant to bring together subject areas after the viewing of Steven Spielberg's film "Jurassic Park" (PG-13 Rating). Any school or class is invited to adapt these activities to the curriculum at hand, and we encourage collaboration and discussion between schools, classes, and differing subject areas. We hope you and your classes will send us e-mail, poetry, essays, and artwork that we can post to this website. Hopefully, other visito rs who inspect this site will be led to submit ideas and objects that will help us understand the world's past present and future.

Activities

English
  • Develop a plot line of the story. Outline events that can be placed in the rising action, climax, and falling action. 
  • Identify and give a presentation on the career of futurist. Give examples of famous futurists in literature and history. 
  • Debate the idea of building a real Jurassic Park if it were possible. Teams submit arguments in favor and against. 
  • Research and write on the theory of chaos. Show how it is present or not present in the story found in the movie.
    • Writing prompt: Demonstrate how writers of fiction have been influenced by scientific theories and technology.


      •  An excellent student-written sequel to the story of Jurassic Park can be found here with "Return To Jurassic Park" (written by one of our 9th grade teams)
Biology
  1. Discuss the meaning and importance of genetics and the scientific evidence for the modern theory of evolution. 
  2. Research and presentation: Identify and discuss a specific genetic disorder. outline treatment and the social impact off such a disorder. 
  3. Lab: "Building a Reebop" (or any artificial lifeform of your own design). 
  4. DNA Fingerprinting: the mechanics and implications. Show CNN footage of the O.J. Simpson Trial. 
  5. Nova: (PBS TV Show): "The Real Jurassic Park." Show and discuss. 
  6. Values Clarification (where permitted:) Genetic disease and transplants: Do we have a choice? 
  • Writing Prompt: Compare the DNA technology of Jurassic Park (The Movie) with what scientists are able to do today in the lab. 
Math
  1. Time Line: create a visual aide of the fossil record through time. 
  2. Rate of Increase/decrease: compare populations of dinosaur species through the geologic periods. Discuss reasons for increase or decrease. 
  3. Species differentiation: identify numbers of chromosomes for each species (teacher's choice?). 
  • Writing prompt: Describe the implications of the theory of chaos as seen in Jurassic Park. Identify mathematical relationships between changes in the environment and species growth or extinction. 
Government
  1. Trace the development of a factory, resort, or other major environmental project by way of federal, state or local regulations, legislation, or environmental imapct statements. List species effected by development of economic resources. 
  2. Develop a fictitious law that outlines regulations for DNA regeneration of species. list species that would be outlawed for regeneration and reasons for the ban. Debate and vote on the bill as it moves through the legislative process. 
  3. Role play/Simulation: Develop an environmental impact statement for the park as seen in the movie. Have pro- and anti-park forces "testify" at a "hearing" giving evidence for or against why such a park should or cannot be built in your region.
  • Writing prompt: Show how each level or branch of government would have a say in the development of a "Jurassic Park" in the United States. Choose either levels or branches and discuss the importance of each. 
An Interdisciplinary Approach To Jurassic Park
Links Related To Jurassic ParkHere is a list of just a few of the sites on the Net related to Jurassic park the movie and the book.
 
  Questions or comments about this unit? Send your ideas, thoughts, queries, and raves to georgecassutto@hotmail.com. Some form of sentient homo sapient life will respond to you in a prompt and coherent fashion. We look forward to inter acting with you on this topic!

Thanks to Eric Seiler for Jurassic Park-like graphics! 'Preciate the help!
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