WHAT WOULD

INDIANA JONES DO?

CHANNEL YOUR INNER ARCHEOLOGIST
TO INFLUENCE YOUNG EXPLORERS

Teaching science is all about exploration, problem-solving,

and adventure: qualities we associate with Indiana Jones!
To this day, Indiana continues to be one of the best-loved
characters in movie history, and it’s partly because he made
the work of science look like so much fun.

Indy (as his friends called him) loved searching for

answers – and he didn’t give up until he’d found them.
Channel Indy’s determination! Spark excitement about
STEM and ignite a curiosity about science in your own
classroom with a little help from Learning A-Z and
Indiana Jones.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Produced by George Lucas and directed by
Steven Spielberg, this action-packed 1981 film
(followed by three more) featured Harrison
Ford as the beloved Indiana Jones.
Fun Fact: To recognize him for his
influential portrayal of this adventurous
archaeologist, the Archaeological
Institute of America elected Harrison Ford
to their Board of Directors in 2008.
FIGHT PAST YOUR FEARS

Many teachers have fears about their ability to teach science

or to get their students interested. Sometimes it feels like
the secret to teaching science is as elusive as a glittering
long-lost treasure.

Why not take a few pointers from Indiana Jones?

The adventurous archaeologist was able to successfully find
those mysterious lost antiquities time after time. And he did
Teaching science means
it all while avoiding deadly traps, escaping ambush attacks, helping students:
and constantly overcoming his greatest fear: snakes. • Ask questions
Indy didn’t let his fear prevent him from getting the job done. • Pursue answers
He admits he’s afraid – and keeps going! • Construct explanations

It’s only human and only natural to feel fear. Whatever your
fears, it’s helpful to recognize them as normal and keep
moving forward.
 6 TIPS FOR OVERCOMING YOUR FEARS
1. CURIOSITY!
One of the best ways to fight past fear is to get curious. Plus, kids
are naturally curious, so they’ll love your curiosity as the teacher.
Anytime you find yourself blocked, ask yourself how you can be
curious instead.
2. TALK THE TALK
Familiarize yourself in advance with science vocabulary, so you
can confidently talk about science with your students. Create lists
of vocabulary words you’ll want your students to know. The focus
on learning word meanings builds a sense of accomplishment
and comprehension for both you and your students, which leads to
confidence.
3. GET SUPPORT
Find out about any resources, curriculum, and support offered to
you by your school. If possible, get a full picture of your in-school
support system before you even start planning.
Talk to your fellow teachers about what has worked for them!
Get tips on strategies, labs, lessons, kits, or just wisdom gained
from experience.
4. GET ANSWERS
Be a scientist yourself! Do research on the subjects you’re concerned
about, and study up on how other teachers have overcome their own
fears about teaching science.
5. PLAN HARD
Make your plans especially detailed for the first week or two: these
early classes support your upcoming lessons, while giving you time
to ease into the science classes themselves. Start by getting to know
your students (#6), then teach safety lessons and lab rules.
6. TAKE STOCK
Get to know your students’ science interests, abilities, and existing
knowledge. The more you know, the better, because then you can
tailor your lessons to what you know they want and need to learn,
and you’ll feel more confident as a result.
Storylines help you get started!
The only way to accomplish seemingly large tasks is one step
at a time. Science A-Z Storylines provide a comprehensive
sequence of lessons, each targeting a bundle of NGSS
Performance Expectations and engaging students in science
and engineering practices.
• Supporting resources require reading, writing,
collaboration, and investigation.
• Storyline Assessments allow teachers to easily gauge
student mastery of core concepts and targeted practices.
 COMMUNICATE CLEARLY

In the movies, we often get to listen to Indy explain (to the

movie characters and to us in the audience) some complex
historical issue.

He explains the issue and its concepts in a meaningful way

that anyone can understand. He also helps everyone grasp
the importance of what’s going on, which allows them to 1)
learn better and faster, and 2) feel better about following
his lead.
When you’re talking about science, communicating
clearly will always help your students feel more confident,
comfortable, and informed.
Make sure your students truly understand what
you’ve communicated to them. Encourage students to
demonstrate their conceptual understanding and
practical skill in science and engineering, not just to
recall names or facts.
Great STEM teachers:
• Differentiate instruction to meet each learner’s needs
• Help students see the value, meaning, and relevance
in what they’re learning
• Connect science to culture, community, and
contemporary life
Science A-Z FOCUS Books can help by:
• Ensuring your students are learning at the
appropriate level
• Digging deep into high-interest science topics
• Addressing language arts and science standards
while supporting science and literacy skills
 BE WILLING TO IMPROVISE

Strong science teachers support

habits like:
Planning is essential to your work and crucial to your success, but • Critical thinking
even the most comprehensive plans can’t predict every situation.
• Perseverance
No matter how hard you work on your plan, things can and will go
wrong sometimes. • Teamwork
• Curiosity
That’s why you must trust yourself. Believe in your own abilities,
listen to your own instincts, and improvise. Just do your best, Science A-Z Videos
using the resources you have.
Science Videos model real science in action
When the Nazis steal the Ark in Raiders and drive away with it and serve as virtual field trips, helping
in a truck, Indy tells his friend Sallah: “I’m going after that truck.” students visualize ideas from Science A-Z
Sallah asks: “How?” and Indy says: “I don’t know, I’m making this instructional resources. Videos can be a
up as I go!” helpful supplement when lessons don’t go
according to plan or when you need a few
Like Indiana, you’ve been well trained and you have solid minutes to regroup.
experience. And like Indiana, you can choose to keep your
eyes on the prize and improvise.

Note: While Indy is chasing the truck, he’s no superhero – he

makes plenty of mistakes and risks his life before succeeding.
He’s a hero, but still a human. You’re human too! You’re allowed
to mess up sometimes. Indy had an Ark to catch; what’s your
goal? An enjoyable science class where everyone walks away
having learned something? Don’t expect perfection, just go for it.
The results can be exhilarating.
 CURIOSITY IS FOR EVERYBODY

EXPLORE TOGETHER WITH SCIENCE A-Z:

• Students go on independent adventures with Interactive
T HINGS ABOUT THE
LEARNING NEW
Science Lessons, advancing at their own pace through
EA T W AY TO EXPLORE.
virtual models, animations, simulations, and quizzes while WORLD IS A GR
they explore scientific concepts and learn how to think
and act like scientists.
• When possible in a virtual learning environment, students
can work together in teams to complete projects with
Project-Based Learning (PBL) Packs, applying scientific
and engineering practices like obtaining, recording, and
communicating information, creating and using models,
and designing their own solutions to problems.
• When possible in a virtual learning environment, During science time:
Process Activities encourage students to apply concepts
• Motivate, engage, and encourage participation
and develop scientific practices through hands-on science
activities and fun experiments. Kids learn to read, think, • Model asking questions and making discoveries
write, speak, and behave like real scientists in a • Make cross-curricular connections
structured format. • Monitor, address student misconceptions, and
reteach, turning struggles into growth
• Share an enthusiastic love of science
 IMAGINE THE NEW SCIENTISTS YOU CAN INSPIRE

YOU COULD CHANGE SOMEONE’S LIFE.

Thousands of people have come forward to say they were
inspired to become archeologists by Indiana Jones. Some of
the best archeologists in the world today credit Indy with
sparking their interest in the field!
What great future scientists could be starting their careers in
your very classroom? Let Science A-Z help make it easy and
fun to inspire your students.
Fun Fact:
Part of the basis for the character of Indiana
Jones came from real-life treasure-finding
archeologists like Sir Leonard Woolley, Roy
Chapman Andrews, and the recipient of
National Geographic’s first archaeological
grant, Hiram Bingham.