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Five Billion Years

1981 7 min
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This superbly animated science film traces the evolution of North America from the Earth's geophysical beginnings, through the genesis of the first living organisms, right up to the arrival of humans. Radiant colors and smooth-flowing animation evoke sizzling lava rivers, oceans bursting with life, and freezing ice ages. The film provides an excellent view of the time frame within which these remarkable events took place and highlights the fact that, relatively speaking, we are newcomers to Planet Earth.

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Five Billion Years

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This superbly animated science film traces the evolution of North America from the Earth's geophysical beginnings, through the genesis of the first living organisms, right up to the arrival of humans. Radiant colors and smooth-flowing animation evoke sizzling lava rivers, oceans bursting with life, and freezing ice ages. The film provides an excellent view of the time frame within which these remarkable events took place and highlights the fact that, relatively speaking, we are newcomers to Planet Earth.

  • director
    Joyce Borenstein
  • animation
    Joyce Borenstein
  • producer
    David Verrall
  • editing
    David Verrall
  • executive producer
    Derek Lamb
  • script
    William Kuhns
  • sound
    Louis Hone
  • re-recording
    Adrian Croll
  • narrator
    Kathleen Fee
  • music
    Normand Roger

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Education

Ages 13 to 17
School subjects
This short film can be used as a starting point for a lesson. Students can play a quiz game made up of questions on the timeline of the appearance of different life forms on Earth. You can also help them discover how old our planet is now, and when the first humans came to North America.
Five Billion Years
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