Jurassic Park (1993):The Classic Movie That Explores the Ethics of Cloning and Scientific Responsibility

Jurassic Park builds tension quickly, the dinosaurs still look convincing, and the movie keeps moving from the opening scene to the last.

The story centres on a billionaire who has used cloned dinosaur DNA to build the world's most ambitious theme park on a remote island. He invites a small group of scientists and his two grandchildren to preview the park before it opens. Then a saboteur shuts down the security systems during a storm, and the dinosaurs get out. What follows is a survival thriller that puts both children and adults in the path of creatures that have been extinct for 65 million years.

For Science teachers, the movie is a genuine hook into conversations about genetics, DNA, cloning, and the ethics of scientific ambition. The concept at the centre of the story, extracting ancient DNA to recreate extinct species, is grounded in real science even if the execution is fictional. For ELA teachers, the movie offers strong characters, a clear narrative structure, and a book adaptation with enough differences to make comparison worthwhile.

🧬 The science is the story. Jurassic Park is built on a real scientific concept: the idea of extracting DNA from prehistoric blood preserved in amber. The movie engages students in questions about genetics and cloning in a way that feels urgent rather than abstract. Dr Ian Malcolm's warnings about chaos theory and the limits of human control give the science a philosophical dimension that sticks.

🦖 The dinosaurs are still convincing. The visual effects won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects in 1994 and hold up well enough that students rarely question them. The T-Rex reveal in the rain is one of the most effective sequences in blockbuster cinema, and the velociraptor kitchen scene is genuinely tense in a way that keeps even reluctant viewers watching.

⚠️ It asks whether we should, not just whether we can. The moral question at the centre of the movie is not whether cloning dinosaurs is possible but whether it is wise. Jeff Goldblum's Ian Malcolm argues throughout that the park's creators were so focused on what they could achieve that they never stopped to consider the consequences. That tension between scientific capability and ethical responsibility is a conversation worth having in class.

👧 The children are central to the story. Lex and Tim are not background characters. They are in the middle of the danger for most of the movie, and they solve problems that adults cannot. Students respond to seeing young people portrayed as capable and brave under pressure, and it keeps them invested in the outcome.

📖 It is based on a novel worth knowing about. Michael Crichton's 1990 novel goes much deeper into the science and the ethics than the movie has time for. The adaptation makes interesting choices about what to keep and what to change, which makes it a useful comparison for older students studying how stories move between formats.

🌿 Nature wins. By the end of the movie, the park is a ruin and the scientists are lucky to be alive. The movie does not frame this as a disaster so much as an inevitable consequence of trying to control something that was never meant to be controlled. That message, that nature will find a way regardless of human plans, resonates well beyond the classroom.

⚠️ Things to be aware of:

• Violence: People and animals are hunted and eaten by dinosaurs throughout the movie. There are multiple deaths, several jump-scares, and extended chase sequences. One scene involves a severed arm. There is little blood or gore, but the threat level is high and sustained.
• Language: Infrequent swearing includes 'shit,' 'hell,' 'damn,' 'son of a bitch,' and 'goddamn.' Some mild potty humour.
• Drinking and smoking: A character smokes cigarettes in several scenes. Adults drink in a few scenes. Neither is depicted as significant.
• Sex and nudity: Women in bikinis briefly visible on a computer screen. Mild flirtation between adult characters. No sexual content.
• No drug use.

📚 English Language Arts Teachers. The guide includes two differentiated sets of comprehension questions covering the full movie, both with answer keys. Students also complete a 9-scene storyboard and then use it to write a structured synopsis, giving them practice in sequencing, identifying key events, and organising a written summary.

🗣️ ESL and ELL Teachers. The 30 multiple choice questions are well suited to ESL and ELL students, reducing the writing demand while keeping students accountable during the viewing. The storyboard activity also supports visual learners and students who find extended written responses difficult.

🔬 Science Teachers. Jurassic Park is built around real scientific concepts, including DNA extraction, genetic cloning, and species recreation, which makes it a genuine fit for Biology and Earth Sciences classes. The guide includes science-focused creative activities: students design a new dinosaur enclosure with labelled features, create a profile for a new dinosaur species by mixing DNA, and write a recount from the perspective of a park visitor. These activities extend the viewing into scientific thinking and creative application.

🎬 Substitute Teachers and Cover Lessons. The guide is self-contained and requires no subject knowledge to supervise. Students work through the activities independently during and after the viewing. The TPT listing notes it as suitable for use as a sub plan.

🏠 Homeschool Parents. The two differentiated question sets let you match the challenge level to the student. The creative science activities give the viewing a practical extension that works well at home.

🔭 STEM Teachers. DNA extraction, genetic cloning, and the ethics of de-extinction are central to the story, giving STEM classes a gripping narrative around concepts in molecular biology and biotechnology. The comprehension questions give students a structured framework for engaging with those scientific ideas.

🌟 Supporting All Learners Movie guides can be a wonderfully calm fit for students with autism, learning difficulties, and mild to severe disabilities. The structured format gives every student a clear purpose during viewing, easing uncertainty and allowing them to engage at their own pace. If you teach in a special education or learning support setting, you may find this guide a gentle and practical resource. Find out more about why movies work for diverse learners.

Part 1: Comprehension Questions
Two differentiated sets of questions covering the full movie in chronological order. The first is 30 questions requiring full sentence answers. The second is 30 multiple choice questions with three possible answers each. Answer keys are included for both sets.

Part 2: Storyboard and Synopsis
A 9-scene storyboard where students illustrate and summarise key events in order. Students then use their completed storyboard to write a structured synopsis of the movie, practising narrative organisation and written expression.

Part 3: Creative Science Activities
Three activities. First, students design a new enclosure for one of the dinosaurs and label important features with explanations. Second, students write a recount from the perspective of a lucky guest visiting the park before it reopens. Third, students create a new dinosaur species by mixing DNA and complete a profile for their creation.