Antarctic Dinosaurs: A Giant Screen Film and Educational Outreach

南极恐龙项目旨在利用恐龙的受欢迎程度和魅力来激励新一代极地科学家和更多的STEM（科学，技术，工程，数学）知识公民。 该项目以一部巨大的银幕电影为中心，将吸引全美数百万剧院观众，将通过吸引人的、娱乐性的媒体体验和非正式的学习项目来传达极地科学知识。 利用目前在南极洲进行的研究范围，该项目将把新的视角融入一个以恐龙为特色的故事和超越骨骼的旅程，以揭示对古生物学和南极大陆所经历的深刻变化的更细致入微的多学科解释。 该项目的目标是鼓励年轻人了解南极洲及其与地球仪其他地区的联系;挑战参与科学意味着什么的陈规定型观念;培养对STEM追求的兴趣;并增强STEM身份。这一举措特别针对中学生（11-14岁），将制作一部2D和3D格式的大屏幕电影;一部三集电视连续剧;一个供非正式使用的灵活的多媒体资源和经验的“教育工具包”;一个面向中学生（包括女孩和少数民族）的南极科学干预“实地营”;作家G. Neri为有色人种的年轻人（包括不读书的人和通常无法接触科学和自然的高危青年）制作了南极科学;电影中有科学家的演讲。 这部电影将作为同义词南极恐龙博物馆展览的配套体验制作（由芝加哥菲尔德博物馆与洛杉矶县自然历史博物馆、北卡罗来纳州夏洛特探索广场和犹他州自然历史博物馆合作开发）。 项目伙伴富兰克林研究所将进行一项知识建设研究，以审查在有或没有南极恐龙展览和与电影有关的教育宣传提供的额外经验的情况下，观看电影所产生的学习成果。 该研究将评估从业者所采用的策略，使电影和其他展览，节目和资源之间的联系，以提高对电影内容的方式的理解，可以补充和激发科学中心生态系统框架内的学习。 该项目的总结性评价将涉及合作过程以及电影和宣传的学习影响，并为内容制作者和STEM教育工作者提供最佳做法和新模式。 项目合作伙伴包括电影制片人巨幕电影公司和戴夫克拉克公司;电视制片人新西兰自然历史（NHNZ）;发现广场（夏洛特，NC）;富兰克林研究所;菲尔德博物馆;犹他州自然历史博物馆（犹他州大学）;作者G.以及一个由科学家和多样性顾问组成的团队。该项目由推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划资助，该计划旨在推进非正式环境中STEM学习的设计和开发的新方法和基于证据的理解。这包括提供多种途径，以扩大获得和参与STEM学习经验，推进非正式环境中STEM学习的创新研究和评估，以及发展参与者对深入学习的理解。该项目得到了极地项目办公室南极部的共同资助。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The Antarctic Dinosaurs project aims to leverage the popularity and charisma of dinosaurs to inspire a new generation of polar scientists and a more STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)-literate citizenry. The project, centered on a giant screen film that will reach millions of theatrical viewers across the U.S., will convey polar science knowledge through appealing, entertaining media experiences and informal learning programs. Taking advantage of the scope of research currently taking place in Antarctica, this project will incorporate new perspectives into a story featuring dinosaurs and journey beyond the bones to reveal a more nuanced, multi-disciplinary interpretation of paleontology and the profound changes the Antarctic continent has endured. The goals of the project are to encourage young people to learn about Antarctica and its connection to the rest of the globe; to challenge stereotypes of what it means to participate in science; to build interest in STEM pursuits; and to enhance STEM identity. This initiative, aimed particularly at middle school age youth (ages 11-14), will develop a giant screen film in 2D and 3D formats; a 3-episode television series; an "educational toolkit" of flexible, multi-media resources and experiences for informal use; a "Field Camp" Antarctic science intervention for middle school students (including girls and minorities); fictional content and presentations by author G. Neri dealing with Antarctic science produced for young people of color (including non-readers and at-risk youth who typically lack access to science and nature); and presentations by scientists featured in the film. The film will be produced as a companion experience for the synonymous Antarctic Dinosaurs museum exhibition (developed by the Field Museum, Chicago, in partnership with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Discovery Place, Charlotte, NC, and the Natural History Museum of Utah). Project partner The Franklin Institute will undertake a knowledge-building study to examine the learning outcomes resulting from exposure to the film with and without additional experiences provided by the Antarctic Dinosaurs exhibition and film-related educational outreach. The study will assess the strategies employed by practitioners to make connections between film and other exhibits, programs, and resources to improve understanding of the ways film content may complement and inspire learning within the framework of the science center ecosystem. The project's summative evaluation will address the process of collaboration and the learning impacts of the film and outreach, and provide best practices and new models for content producers and STEM educators. Project partners include film producers Giant Screen Films and Dave Clark Inc.; television producer Natural History New Zealand (NHNZ); Discovery Place (Charlotte, NC); The Franklin Institute; The Field Museum; The Natural History Museum of Utah (The University of Utah); author G. Neri; and a team of scientists and diversity advisers. This project is funded by the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program, which seeks to advance new approaches to, and evidence-based understanding of, the design and development of STEM learning in informal environments. This includes providing multiple pathways for broadening access to and engagement in STEM learning experiences, advancing innovative research on and assessment of STEM learning in informal environments, and developing understandings of deeper learning by participants. The project has co-funding support from the Antarctic section of the Office of Polar Programs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.