slash and burn

Blue Planet (1990) is an ecological documentary filmed originally in IMAX. It was filmed using footage from the space shuttle flights, which lends to an inclusive view of humanity’s impact on the planet. It is interesting how we view the planet a single unified organism when our perspective changes to that from space. The documentary does not get very technical as to the scientific explanations for human induced climate change, but it does present the concepts in an easy to understand manner. This would be a good documentary to show from grades 6 through 9. Higher order thinking questions dominate the guide, but there are some basic fact questions scattered in as well. The best use for this film would be as an introductory explanation to climate change, geography, and how the two relate to the evolution of life on Earth. It also shows the fragility of life and what makes it so special to our planet in the cosmos.