Pandemic revives drive-in movie theaters – sort of

About 300 drive-in movie theaters remain of the more than 4,000 that once dotted America. But amid a global pandemic with calls for social distancing, they're now a safer alternative to going to indoor theaters. Organizers of the postponed Tribeca Film Festival are sponsoring a month-long event with movies displayed outdoors at drive-ins as well as pop-up screens at stadiums, empty pastures, restaurants and 160 Walmart stores around the nation.

Class discussion: Have you ever gone to a drive-in movie theater? Would you like to watch a movie while sitting in a car? Why or why not? Drive-in movies were popular from the 1940s through the 1960s. Have your grandparents ever talked about going to the drive-in theaters? While drive-ins may be safer than indoor theaters right now, do you expect them to fade away again? Would you rather watch films on television or a theater of any kind?