Back to Teachers Home

Elegant Universe, The: Welcome to the 11th Dimension

Viewing Ideas  Print this Teacher's Guide (PDF, 33 pages)

Einstein's Dream Viewing Ideas
String's The Thing Viewing Ideas

Before Watching

1. Organize students into five groups. As they watch, have each group take notes on one of the following concepts: wormhole, M-theory, membranes, parallel universes, and extra dimensions.

2. Ask students to describe the dimensions they experience. Ask them to give examples of two-dimensional representations of three-dimensional objects (e.g., movies, photographs, and maps).

After Watching

1. Review with students the notes they took on their assigned topics. What did students learn about each of these concepts? What questions remain? How might they find answers to questions they still have?

2. Much of string theory may sound to students like science fiction. Ask your students to think of examples of scientific ideas from the past that seemed improbable in their day (e.g., Earth being round, the sun being at the center of the solar system, continental plate movement, landing a man on the Moon). What led people to change their thinking about these ideas? What are some current ideas in science that seem improbable?

Glossary
Having trouble keeping all these terms straight? See the Glossary for help.