A Modern Approach to Old Cell Discoveries

At first glance, I was a little surprised by the title of the article because it isn't often that we hear about using outdated resources in the science classroom. However, digging deeper int... See More

At first glance, I was a little surprised by the title of the article because it isn't often that we hear about using outdated resources in the science classroom. However, digging deeper into the article reveals that utilizing old science films can provide a new learning dimension for high school students. The article describes the benefits of using the 1929 film "The Living Cell: A Silent Teaching Film" to teach students about cell biology. I appreciate that this article promotes the increased use of video and multimedia to replace the average, run-of-the-mill textbook. I also like that the article invites teachers to play the short film and then allow students to discuss the topics as a class (cell parts and functions, cell division, etc). However, I believe the article should have put more of an emphasis on the idea that the students need to critique/evaluate the video as well. It is very important for students watching outdated science films to evaluate how accurate the information is, and to also decide what new knowledge the scientific community has developed since the time period of the film. This type of in-depth analysis can add a new dimension to learning, allowing students to elaborate on what they already know. Elaboration is an essential step in the 5E-Learning cycle, and this would be a great activity to work into a high school biology lesson. In addition, there are many other films out there that can be used for each different subject in high school science. Overall, I think this article has a great message and promotes an innovative idea for science lessons at the high school level.