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Documentary Films Synopses and Standards
School Programs—Alignment to Next Generation Science Standards
Each film may be used to supplement lesson plans that work towards meeting the California Science Content Standards listed after each title.
A Beautiful Planet
Made in cooperation with NASA, A Beautiful Planet features stunning footage of our blue planet—and the effects humanity has had on it over time—captured by astronauts aboard the International Space Station. From space, Earth blazes at night with the electric intensity of human expansion. But it is within our power to protect the planet. As we continue to explore and gain knowledge of our galaxy, we also develop a deeper connection to the place we all call home. Narrated by Jennifer Lawrence and directed by Toni Myers, director of Hubble.
Available in Spanish.
Grade 3: Earth Science: 4d
Grade 5: Earth Science: 3d
Grade 6: Earth Science: 6b
Antarctica
It is a land of mystery, yet what happens here affects everyone. With never-before-seen footage, Antarctica brings us to the farthest reaches of this wild and majestic continent. It is the coldest, driest, and windiest place on Earth, with the roughest oceans, and yet, wonderful creatures thrive here in astounding abundance. Dive beneath sea ice, more than six feet thick, to experience the alien world of its seafloor—thousands of purple starfish scuttling to escape being entrapped by growing ice and elaborate jellyfish dancing a deadly dance. Swim alongside playful seals, soar above mountain peaks and vast penguin colonies, and witness the largest congregation of fin and humpback whales ever filmed.
Blue Angels
Soar with the Blue Angels in a documentary featuring never-before-seen footage that chronicles a year with the Navy’s elite Flight Demonstration Squadron—from selection through the challenging training and demanding show season—showcasing the extraordinary teamwork, passion, and pride that fuels America’s best, the Blue Angels.
Blue Whales
Blue Whales: Return of the Giants takes you on a journey of a lifetime to explore the world of the magnificent blue whale, a species rebounding from the brink of extinction. Blue whales are the largest animals ever to have lived—bigger than any dinosaur—yet we know surprisingly little about them. The film follows two scientific expeditions: one, a high-risk mission to find a missing population of blue whales not seen in 50 years; and the other, to join Diane Gendron, the “Blue Whale Whisperer,” in Mexico’s Gulf of California, where she and her team explore the important role these remarkable animals play in the health of our oceans.
Deep Sky
As the Fleet's longest-running documentary, Deep Sky brings the awe-inspiring images captured by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JSWT) to IMAX®—a journey to the beginning of time and space, to never-before-seen cosmic landscapes, and recently discovered exoplanets and their distant stars. Follow the global mission to build and launch JWST into orbit to answer questions that have haunted us since the beginning of time: Where did we come from? How did the universe begin? Are we alone?
Dream Big
From the Great Wall of China and the world’s tallest buildings to underwater robots and solar cars, Dream Big: Engineering Our World celebrates the human ingenuity behind engineering marvels big and small, and shows how engineers push the limits of innovation in unexpected and amazing ways. Narrated by Jeff Bridges, Dream Big will transform how you think about engineering.
Available in Spanish.
Grade 3: Earth Science: 4d
Grade 5: Earth Science: 3d
Grade 6: Earth Science: 6b
Flight of the Butterflies
The iconic monarch butterfly is a marvel of nature. It weighs less than a penny, yet it makes one of the longest migrations on Earth across a continent, with pinpoint navigational accuracy, to a secluded place it has never been. In Flight of the Butterflies, you’ll join the monarchs' perilous and extraordinary journey while following an intrepid scientist’s 40-year search to find the monarchs’ secret hideaway. Join Dr. Fred Urquhart and his family on a decades-long quest to unravel a scientific mystery.
Kindergarten: Life Science: 2a, 2b, 2c; Investigation and Experimentation 4a
Grade 1: Life Science: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e
Grade 2: Life Science: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 2f
Grade 3: Life Science: 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d, 3e
Grade 4: Life Science: 2a, 2b, 2c, 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d
Grade 5: Life Science: 2a, 2f, 2g
Grade 6: Life Science: 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e
Grade 7: Life Science: Life Science: 1a, 1d, 1f, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 2e, 3a, 3e
Grades 9-12: Life Science: 6a, 6b, 6c, 6f, 6g
Great Bear Rainforest
Journey to a land of grizzlies, coastal wolves, sea otters and the all-white spirit bear—the rarest bear on earth. On Canada’s remote Pacific coast, the Great Bear Rainforest is the last intact temperate rainforest in the world—a place protected by the region’s indigenous people for millennia. Indigenous youth are coming together and taking responsibility for this place they call home. Narrated by Ryan Reynolds.
Grade 4: Earth Science: 5a, 5b, 5c
Grade 5: Earth Science: 3a, 3b, 3d
Grade 6: Earth Science: 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d, 6b
Grade 7: Earth Science: 4a, 4c, 4d, 4e
Grades 9-12: Life Science: 6a, 6b; Earth Science: 6a, 6b
National Parks Adventure
National Parks Adventure takes you on the ultimate off-trail adventure into awe-inspiring great outdoors and untamed wilderness. Soar over red rock canyons, hurtle down steep mountain peaks, and explore otherworldly realms found within America’s most legendary outdoor places. Follow world-class mountaineer Conrad Anker, adventure photographer Max Lowe and artist Rachel Pohl as they hike, climb and explore their way across America’s spectacularly wild and beautiful places—including Yellowstone, Glacier National Park, Yosemite and Arches. Narrated by Robert Redford.
Grade K: Earth Science: 3a, 3b, 3c; Life Science: 2a
Grade 1: Earth Science: 3b; Life Science: 2a, 2b, 2c
Grade 2: Earth Science: 3a, 3e
Grade 3: Life Science: 3b
Grade 4: Earth Science: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 5c; Life Science: 2b, 3a, 3b
Grade 5: Earth Science: 3b
Pandas
Narrated by Kristen Bell, Pandas follows a curious cub named Qian Qian (pronounced ”Chen Chen”) and a team of scientists in a cross-cultural collaboration to release captive-born pandas to their natural, wild habitat. After years of success breeding captive pandas, scientists at Chengdu Panda Base in China are taking their efforts to the next stage and preparing captive-born cubs for release in the wild. This model is based on the efforts of Dr. Ben Kilham, who, for 20 years, has been raising orphaned black bear cubs in New Hampshire and later releasing them into the wild. Dr. Hou Rong, Director of Research at Chengdu Panda Base, uses Dr. Kilham‘s method to reintroduce captive-born cubs to their natural habitat in an effort to combat a shrinking wild panda population. Leading the charge at the Chengdu Panda Base in this endeavor is Dr. Jake Owens and research assistant Bi Wen Lei.
Sea Otters
Embark on an unforgettable journey with Sea Otters: A Wild Family Adventure, a new IMAX® film at the Fleet Science Center. Discover the wild beauty of Vancouver Island’s rugged coast and follow Finn, an irresistible otter pup, as he explores life in the sea. Shown on San Diego’s only IMAX® Giant Dome Theater, this documentary brings you closer than ever to the ocean’s most playful and endearing creatures.
Serengeti
Nestled in northern Tanzania and expanding into the southern edge of Kenya, the vast plains of the Serengeti host one of the largest migrations of mammals on the planet. More than one million wildebeests traverse this ecosystem yearly, encountering lions, zebras, cheetahs, elephants, crocodiles, and many other remarkable animals. Nature has orchestrated a perfect symphony in which every species has a distinct role in a larger story—the balance of an entire ecosystem. In this film for all ages, you will follow the newest members of the animal cast as they imitate their parents and embark on their life’s journeys. Prepare to be awed by this immersive giant-screen film about how nature works in one of the world’s greatest ecosystems.
Superpower Dogs
Join an immersive IMAX adventure to experience the life-saving superpowers and extraordinary bravery of some of the world's most amazing dogs. No stranger to superheroes himself, Chris Evans narrates this inspiring true story about remarkable (or is that "reBARKable?") dogs who save lives. HALO—An adorable rookie training to join one of the most elite disaster response teams in America. HENRY—An avalanche rescue expert in the Canadian Rockies. REEF—A Newfoundland lifeguard with the Italian coast guard. San Diego's own RICOCHET—A California surf legend helping people with special needs. Bloodhound brothers TIPPER & TONY—Leading the fight to save endangered species in Africa.
Volcanoes
Volcanoes have helped create our world. The continents, the air we breathe, and even life itself have their origins in fire. These processes have created extraordinary ecosystems and wildlife habitats. The story of volcanoes is the story of the planet’s creation and the story of us. Volcanoes: The Fires of Creation lets you witness the 2018 Kilauea eruption in Hawaii; see the archaeological remains of Pompeii, devastated almost 2,000 years ago by Mount Vesuvius; visit Mount Fuji in Japan, made up of three volcanoes—Fuji on top and two others hidden beneath; and marvel at the black molten lava of Ol Doinyo Lengai in Tanzania.
Grade 2: Physical Science: 1a, 1b; Life Science: 2b, 2c, 2d
Grade 3: Physical Science: 1d; Life Science: 3a, 3b, 3c, 3d
Grade 4: Life Science: 2a, 2b, 3b
Grade 5: Life Science: 2a, 2c; Earth Science: 3a, 3d
Grade 6: Life Science: 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, 5e
Grade 7: Life Science: 3a, 3d, 5a, 5b, 5c
Grades 9-12: Physical Science: 4a Life Science: 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6f
