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的极地科学家和更多的STEM（科学、技术、工程、数学）素养的公民。该项目以一部巨型电影为中心，将通过吸引人的、娱乐的媒体体验和非正式的学习节目，向美国数百万影院观众传达极地科学知识。利用目前在南极洲进行的研究范围，这个项目将把新的视角融入到一个以恐龙为特色的故事中，并在骨骼之外的旅程中揭示一个更细致入微的、多学科的古生物学解释，以及南极大陆所经历的深刻变化。该项目的目标是鼓励年轻人了解南极洲及其与全球其他地区的联系；挑战参与科学的刻板印象；培养对STEM的兴趣；并增强STEM的身份。该计划主要针对中学年龄的青少年（11-14岁），将开发2D和3D格式的巨幅电影；3集电视连续剧；非正式使用的灵活的多媒体资源和经验的“教育工具包”；中学生（包括女生和少数民族）南极科学干预“实地考察营”；作者G. Neri为有色人种年轻人（包括通常无法接触科学和自然的非读者和有风险的年轻人）制作的关于南极科学的虚构内容和演讲；以及电影中科学家的演讲。这部电影将作为同义的南极恐龙博物馆展览的伙伴体验而制作（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）。项目合作伙伴富兰克林研究所将进行一项知识建设研究，以检查在有或没有南极恐龙展览和电影相关教育推广提供的额外经验的情况下，观看电影所产生的学习成果。本研究将评估从业人员所采用的策略，将电影与其他展览、项目和资源联系起来，以提高对电影内容在科学中心生态系统框架内补充和激发学习的方式的理解。该项目的总结性评估将涉及合作过程以及电影和外展的学习影响，并为内容生产者和STEM教育者提供最佳实践和新模式。项目合作伙伴包括电影制片人巨人银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）；Discovery Place（北卡罗来纳州夏洛特）；富兰克林研究所；菲尔德博物馆；犹他自然历史博物馆（犹他大学）；作者G. Neri；还有一组科学家和多元化顾问。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，扩大STEM学习经验的获取和参与，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度学习的理解。该项目得到了极地项目办公室南极分部的共同资助。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，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.