Originally published in TEACH Magazine, September/October 2017 Issue
It’s back-to-school again, which can be a drag for some students, so what better way to enliven the spirit than going to the movies? Give your lesson plans a boost with an educational IMAX film delivering a larger-than-life learning experience where giant screens, breathtaking visuals, and phenomenal surround sound immerse students in cinematic adventure. Here are some IMAX theatres that offer educational screenings.
IMAX des Galeries de la Capitale Theatre
Québec City, QC
This IMAX theatre in Québec City brings images to life on a screen six stories high, with a diverse collection of educational fares ranging from scientific and historical films, to the latest adaptations of on-screen novels and productions from the Stratford Festival (such as Shakespeare’s Hamlet), and other school favourites. Teacher resource guides and activity sheets are available to facilitate the learning experience. School groups can even bring their own original content (i.e. a movie created by students or a filmed school production) for a group screening. Translation headsets may also be provided.
IMAX Victoria
Victoria, BC
Nestled in the world famous Royal British Columbia Museum, this 408-seat IMAX theatre is home to the largest IMAX screen in British Columbia, soaring more than six stories high and spanning 85 feet in width. The Royal BC Museum and IMAX Victoria work in tandem to deliver an interesting lineup of educational films such as Hubble, a space voyage that sweeps viewers across the cosmos; D Day: Normandy 1944, an epic documentary about the largest allied operation of the Second World War; To the Arctic, a tale of survival in the changing Arctic; and Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk, a breathtaking expedition across the Colorado River exploring water conservation issues. Teacher resource guides are available with every group booking.
Ontario Science Centre IMAX Dome
Toronto, ON
At the Ontario Science Centre IMAX Dome, films project over a gigantic rounded ceiling 4,500 times bigger than the average television screen, delivering 13,000 watts of sound. Students may journey through the biodiverse Amazon rainforest in Amazon Adventure, experience fascinating underwater locales such as the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Triangle in Under the Sea, learn about the world’s engineering marvels in Dream Big, or uncover the history of the nation’s first transcontinental railway in Rocky Mountain Express.
TELUS World of Science Edmonton IMAX Theatre
Edmonton, AB
The TELUS World of Science Edmonton IMAX theatre features the largest screen in Alberta, measuring an impressive four stories high and six stories wide. Students may encounter some of the earth’s most iconic hunters in Incredible Predators, experience the insect kingdom from a bug’s eye view in Bugs! A Rainforest Adventure, explore the mysteries of ancient cities in Jerusalem and Mysteries of China, or learn all about the sounds of our planet in a highly interactive new program, Journey of Global Soundscapes: Mission to Record the Earth.
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