I remember standing in complete awe the first time I visited the Grand Canyon. I couldn't help but wonder how this breathtaking site formed. I have never agreed with standard geological interpretations involving millions of years, and I assumed it must have had something to do with the Great Flood. In Mission Imperative's new DVD, The Grand Canyon: The Puzzle on the Plateau, fresh ideas and cutting-edge material are revealed to explain what really happened.

Would you believe that the Grand Canyon was carved rapidly rather than over a long period of time? It all started with a dam breach and then a runaway cataclysm! Join host Mike Snavely, Mission Imperative's president, as he uncovers the research of Dr. Walter Brown, president of the Center of Scientific Creation, and explains the events that led to the formation of not only the Grand Canyon but other amazing geological features as well. Some of these other features include Monument Valley, the Petrified Forest, Canyonlands, and Arches.

In this 53-minute DVD, Mike Snavely will cover three main topics:

1. What is the Canyon?
2. How did it form?
3. When did it happen?

You and your family will learn about The Great Denudation, what the area may have looked like before it became known as the Grand Canyon, and the three main viewpoints of how the canyon formed--the standard geological interpretation, the popular Christian view, and finally the post-flood catastrophe explanation. Snavely discusses the problems associated with the first two views and then explains why the post-flood catastrophe is the best possible explanation for how the canyon and surrounding sites formed. Here, Snavely presents the five stages of the formation of the Grand Canyon:

1. The Great Flood
2. Mountain formation
3. Formation of plateaus
4. Growing lakes
5. Catastrophic lake breaches

Please note that this post-flood view does line up with Scripture. However, Snavely describes in great detail how the Grand Canyon may have taken several hundred years to form instead of directly resulting from receding floodwaters alone.

In conclusion, the host reviews the steps of formation and talks about creation as described in Genesis. I agree with Mike Snavely that even a cursed earth reveals spellbinding beauty and awesome splendor! Also included on this DVD are a 5-minute slideshow of the beautiful Grand Canyon and a 30-minute documentary detailing Snavely's 300-mile river rafting adventure on the Colorado River through the entire Grand Canyon.

I found this DVD to be very interesting and informative. The information, though heavy, was presented very well and in an orderly, easy-to-understand format. I think junior high students and up will benefit the most from it. My third grader was able to appreciate the spectacular views and some of the information, but most of it was a little over his head at this point.

For an introductory price of $18.00, The Grand Canyon: Puzzle on the Plateau DVD would make a great addition to your homeschool library. It would be the perfect supplement for students studying the Great Flood, geology, topography, or even geography. It would be great, too, for anyone who wants to know more about the mysteries surrounding the formation of one of the most visited sites in the world.

Product review by Brandi Tesreau, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, November 2010