DVD Learning Guide
Moby Dick
Enrich your
learning with movies and
documentaries in cunjunction with this
DVD Learning Guide! Simply rent or purchase the
media, then use this guide to teach this film’s topics!
1
RENT
2 WATCH
3
Each DVD Learning Guide Includes:
Vocabulary from the Film
Discussion Questions based on Film Content
Lesson Plans and Activities
Related Books and Online Resources
©
LEARN!
Links to Netflix
and Amazon
included!
HLNFAMILY.COM, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
DVD Learning Guide
Page 1 of 7
Moby Dick (1956)
®
A Homeschool Learning Network Learning Guide
Format:
Age Levels:
Genre:
Category:
Rating:
Length:
Producer:
Warnings:
DVD
Middle School, High School
Adventure, Classic
Literature
NR
115 minutes
MGM
This film depicts the reoccurring, violent harpooning of whales, as well as some mild
profanity.
CLICK HERE TO RENT THIS DVD FROM
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THIS DVD FROM
Summary
Based on Herman Melville's 1851 classic novel, Moby Dick is hailed as "one of the great motion pictures of
our time" (New York Times). This is an epic adventure story about an ill-fated journey that begins with one
man's quest for revenge. Gregory Peck masterfully performs as the obsessed and arrogant character of
Captain Ahab who dedicates his ship and crew to destroying Moby Dick, a gigantic, white sperm whale.
Ahab, who views the whale as the embodiment of all that is evil in the world, commits his crew and his ship
to inevitable doom as he ignores the physical dangers of his quest, the mutiny forming on his ship, and the
overall limitations of human beings. Junior harpooner, Ishmael, serving as the narrator of the story, recounts
the bone-chilling events of this memorable voyage.
Vocabulary (Grades 6-12)
Try the following activities with the vocabulary words to the right. Depending
on the age and ability of your students, they may be able to complete
assignments from multiple grade levels.
6-8:
Write a description or review about this DVD using the vocabulary
words. Above each vocabulary word, write N if it is a noun, V if it is a
verb; ADJ if it is an adjective; ADV if it is an adverb.
6-12: Copy the vocabulary words onto a sheet of paper. What do you think
each word means? Write down what you think the words mean from
your own knowledge. Now, look up each word in a dictionary, and
compare definitions. How close were you? Write each word in a
sentence, or write a paragraph or DVD summary using the words.
9-12: Write down words you hear in the video you don’t understand. Break
the words into parts and see if you can determine the meanings. Look
up the meanings.
© 2011, Homeschool Learning Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.hlnfamily.com
|
Vocabulary
Quest
Doom
Mast
Obsession
Epic
Aft
Adventure
Soul
Voyage
Vengeance
Revenge
Mutinous
http://www.hlnfamily-estore.com
DVD Learning Guide
Page 2 of 7
Discussion Questions
Ask students to read through their questions carefully before watching the film, and take notes
during the film. After watching it, ask students to write their answers to the following questions on
a separate piece of paper.
Intermediate
1. What is the setting at the beginning of the movie (describe the location and year)?
2. What type of vessel is the Pequod? What are some of the memorable, physical features of the
ship?
3. What is the direction and path that the Pequod sails? Where is the whaling ship when the crew
finally spots Moby Dick?
4. Who is Ishmael and what is his role in the movie? What is Ishmael's fate?
5. Why does Captain Ahab hunt Moby Dick? What did Moby Dick do to Captain Ahab?
Advanced
1. What role does money and the promise of riches play in the movie? Specifically, what is the
significance of the doubloon that Captain Ahab nails to the mast?
2. What is the significance of Captain Ahab's encounter with the Rachel?
3. At the beginning of the movie, second-mate Stubb says to Ishmael, "If God ever wanted to be
a fish, he'd be a whale." Why does he say this and what significance does this statement have
in the outcome of the movie?
4. What contrasting visual images, or motifs, can you recognize in the movie?
5. Visual elements of foreshadowing in Moby Dick are extensive and inescapable. Beginning at
the start of the movie, there is the violent storm and the dire depictions of whales on the tavern
walls. What are some of the subsequent images that stand out as omens of the eventual
catastrophic encounter with Moby Dick?
6. There are strong philosophical and religious tones in the movie. What other tones exist in this
film?
7. When Herman Melville wrote the book, Moby Dick, in 1851, he focused on the exploitative
nature of whaling as a minor theme. In what ways does this 1956 movie depict this theme? If
Moby Dick were to be retold as a modern-day story, how might the whaling elements in the
story have to be different?
© 2011, Homeschool Learning Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.hlnfamily.com
|
http://www.hlnfamily-estore.com
DVD Learning Guide
Page 3 of 7
Lessons & Activities
Curate a Whaling Museum Exhibit
Subjects:
Grades:
Style:
History, Arts, Science
6-12
Visual/Experiential/Kinesthetic
Concepts:
Students will learn about the history, science and art associated with whaling, while they research
and collect artifacts for a whaling exhibit.
Lesson:
1. Visit Some Whaling Museums
From the following links, read about each museum, paying special attention to the exhibit
descriptions:
New Bedford Whaling Museum
http://www.whalingmuseum.org/
Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum
http://www.cshwhalingmuseum.org/
Nantucket Whaling Museum
Sag Harbor Whaling Museum
http://web.archive.org/web/20040204230652/www.nha.org/newsiteshome.htm
http://www.sagharborwhalingmuseum.org/
2. Select Whaling Art and Artifacts
As the curator for a new whaling museum exhibit, your job is to borrow art and artifacts from
other museums and shops that will comprise the exhibit. From the links listed below, "borrow"
at least 2 pieces from each of the following categories:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Scrimshaw
Harpoons and other whaling weapons or tools
Whaling vessels or tall sailing ships
Art about, or inspired by, Moby Dick
At the end of this quest, you will have at minimum 8 selections that will comprise your new
exhibit. Print out the computer images and paste them each to a separate piece of paper. On
each page, write a brief description of the item and its relationship or significance to the
historical whaling industry.
Whale Craft Net
http://www.whalecraft.net
History Art USA: Scrimshaw
http://web.archive.org/web/20020604190521
/http://historyartusa.com/products.html
Genuine Scrimshaw
http://www.boonetrading.com/Scrim.html
Featured Artist Michael Kahn
http://www.arnoldart.com/MichaelKahn.html
Prints Old & Rare
http://www.printsoldandrare.com/whaling/
© 2011, Homeschool Learning Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.hlnfamily.com
|
http://www.hlnfamily-estore.com
DVD Learning Guide
Page 4 of 7
Sag Harbor Whaling Museum
http://web.archive.org/web/20040401181832/h
ttp://www.sagharborwhalingmuseum.org/shop.
htm
Royal BC Museum
http://web.archive.org/web/20040225094357/h
ttp://rbcm1.rbcm.gov.bc.ca/mh_papers/artofwh
aling.html
US Artists
http://www.usartists.org/gallery.php?gallery=p
ortn
Herman Melville
http://web.archive.org/web/20040102110552/h
ttp://facweb.stvincent.edu/academics/english/e
l240/Images/mlville.htm
Art inspired by Moby Dick
http://www.umich.edu/~newsinfo/MT/95/Dec95
/mta18d95.html
3. Create an Exhibit Brochure
Select one favorite piece of art or artifact from each of the four whaling categories. On each of
these sheets, add information as to why you chose this specific item to feature in the brochure.
Bind the pages together, using one of the printouts as the cover. Based on what you've
collected or what you've chosen to feature in the brochure, give the exhibit a unique name and
indicate the exhibit name on the cover.
4. Discussion Questions
1. What led you to select the four favorite pieces for the exhibit?
2. Aside from the relationship to whaling, is there a specific design, pattern or underlying
theme associated with the 4 favorite art or artifacts that you borrowed?
3. How similar are the harpoons in Moby Dick to the ones featured on the whaling websites?
Learn More! Books and Online Resources
BOOKS
Moby Dick
Melville, Herman. Bantam Classics, ISBN: 0553213113
New Essays on Moby-Dick
Brodhead, Richard H. Cambridge University Press, ISBN: 0521317886
Cliffsnotes Melville's Moby Dick
Melville, Herman and Baldwin, Stanley P. John Wiley & Sons; ISBN: 0764586645
Unpainted to the Last: Moby-Dick and Twentieth-Century American Art
Schultz, Elizabeth A. University Press of Kansas; ISBN: 0700607412
Call Me Ishmael
Olson, Charles and Sealts, Merton M. Johns Hopkins University Press, ISBN: 0801857317
© 2011, Homeschool Learning Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.hlnfamily.com
|
http://www.hlnfamily-estore.com
DVD Learning Guide
Page 5 of 7
ONLINE RESOURCES
DVD Savant Review: Moby Dick
http://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s267moby.html
This review details many of the highlights and developments associated with the making of the
1956 retelling of Moby Dick. This document gives interesting look-behind-the-scenes information.
Moby Dick
http://www.melville.org/hmmoby.htm
This page from the Melville.org includes excerpts and contemporary criticism and reviews.
Discovery.com: Moby Dick Lesson Plan
http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/greatbooks-mobydick/
Learn more about Melville and the 19th century whaling industry in New England with this lesson
plan. Video clips and teaching tools are included.
Teach with Movies: Moby Dick
http://www.teachwithmovies.org/guides/moby-dick.html
This site is an inclusive movie guide to the 1956 rendition of Moby Dick. The Using the Movie
section of this Web page is especially useful.
Cable in the Classroom: Moby Dick Lesson Plan
http://web.archive.org/web/20040214015008/http://www.usanetwork.com/cableinclassroom/plans/
moby.html
Those who have watched the film or have read the classic story of Moby Dick will find the lessons
on this page educational and interesting. This page is formatted for printing.
Vocabulary from Moby Dick
http://www.vocabulary.com/VUctmobyD.html
This page is comprised of 150 vocabulary words from Moby Dick. The words were extracted from
the classic text as an opportunity for students to study for the vocabulary portion of the SAT exam.
Overview of American Whaling
http://web.archive.org/web/20010202201200/http://whalingmuseum.org/whaling.htm
Provided by the hefty New Bedford Whaling Museum site, this is a lengthy and detailed article
about the history of American Whaling.
International Whaling Commission
http://www.iwcoffice.org/
This is the homepage to the intergovernmental body responsible for the conservation of whales
and the management of whaling.
© 2011, Homeschool Learning Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.hlnfamily.com
|
http://www.hlnfamily-estore.com
DVD Learning Guide
Page 6 of 7
© 2011, Homeschool Learning Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.hlnfamily.com
|
http://www.hlnfamily-estore.com
DVD Learning Guide
Page 7 of 7
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS ANSWER KEY:
Intermediate
1. The movie begins in New Bedford (Massachusetts) in 1841.
2. The Pequod is a three-mast whaling vessel. Answers will vary and might include: Some of the more memorable
features on the ship are the whale tooth rigs, the canvas sails and masts, and the ornamentation at the front of the
ship.
3. The Pequod sets sail in the Atlantic Ocean and sails East through the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. Moby
Dick is spotted in the Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
4. Ishmael is a junior member of the Pequod crew and he servers as narrator of the story in the movie. He becomes
the only survivor of the Pequod.
5. Captain Ahab hunts Moby Dick for revenge. Captain Ahab sees Moby Dick as evil and Ahab wants to revenge the
whale for maiming his body and his soul.
Advanced
1. In order to prevent a possible mutiny on the Pequod, Captain Ahab bribes his crew with the promise of lots of
money if they find and kill Moby Dick. Ahab announces that the doubloon will go to the first crewmember that spots
Moby Dick. At first, the doubloon serves as an incentive for the harpooners. Later, it becomes an omen for the illfated hunt.
2. Ignoring the warnings from the Rachel and the physical dangers that his quest entails, Captain Ahab verbally
commits his crew and ship to their disastrous fate.
3. Stubb explains to Ishmael that whales are the largest and most powerful creatures in the ocean. This statement
serves as a foreshadowing element in the movie, since the whale, like God's will, proves to be the most powerful
and deciding force in the end.
4. Answers will vary and might include: The contrast of light and dark (the white Moby Dick and the dark ocean,
stormy conditions and the calm sky), the violent sea and then a calm sea, and the size of Moby Dick compared to
that of the harpooners and the Pequod.
5. Answers will vary and might include: The flock of birds, the violent storms, Queequeg's bones and the making of
his coffin, the eclipse of the new moon with the sun, the doubloon, the captain with the missing arm, the epitaphs
in the church, the solemn family members and townsfolk, and the debilitated Rachel vessel.
6. There are strong philosophical and religious tones in the movie. What other tones exist in this film? Answers will
vary and might include: celebratory, dramatic, and ironic tones.
7. The crew on the whaling vessel is obsessed by killing as many whales as possible and complains when Captain
Ahab pulls them away from the large pod of whales that they encounter. Since commercial whaling is now illegal or
no longer practiced in most places in the world, and since there is more sensitivity to animal cruelty today, the
story may have to be reformatted to include these changes.
DISCLAIMER: Homeschool Learning Network, Inc. has provided this Learning Guide to enhance your learning experience. Reviews, questions and
resources within this Learning Guide are not endorsed by DVD producers. Links to outside Web pages do not constitute an endorsement of the sites
by Homeschool Learning Network, nor does Homeschool Learning Network maintain the sites. Links are included at the discretion of the editors and
are intended as a service to readers. We urge you to exercise care and parental guidance when visiting Web sites.
© 2011, Homeschool Learning Network, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.hlnfamily.com
|
http://www.hlnfamily-estore.com
More CLASSICS DVD Learning Guides available at www.hlnfamily‐estore.com : 





























A Bug's Life Dumbo Ice Age James and the Giant Peach A Little Princess A Man for All Seasons A Walk to Remember Animal Farm Annie Get Your Gun Ben‐Hur Chariots of Fire Citizen Kane Clash of the Titans Dr. Strangelove, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb Driving Miss Daisy Emma Fiddler on the Roof Fly Away Home Guilty By Suspicion Lawrence of Arabia Mr. Smith Goes to Washington My Fair Lady Never Cry Wolf Old Yeller One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Perfect Storm Pride and Prejudice ‐ Disc 1 & 2 Pygmalion Return to Oz Stand and Deliver 



























Swiss Family Robinson The Black Stallion The Black Stallion Returns The Parent Trap The Railway Children The Rookie The Sound of Music Walt Disney Treasures: Davy Crockett 1&2 12 Angry Men Anne Frank Bronte Country Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre David Copperfield Don Quixote Great Expectations King Lear Little House on the Prairie, Premiere Movie Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring Moby Dick National Geographic Beyond the Movie: Lord of the Ring: Fellowship of Ring Nicholas Nickleby ‐ Disc 1 ‐ 4 Shakespeare Tragedies: Origins & Style Shakespeare Tragedies: Othello, Macbeth, King Lear Shakespeare Tragedies: Titus Andronicus, Romeo & Juliet, and Hamlet The Chronicles of Narnia ‐ Disc 1 ‐ 3 The Great Gatsby William Shakespeare: Romeo & Juliet To Kill a Mockingbird