These activities are chosen and designed to provide the participants with background information for planetarium operation and for pre and post planetarium activities.

A. Learning the night sky
1.What's in the sky
2.Create-a-constellation
3. Star stories
4. Do-it-yourself star finder
5. Circumpolar constellations
6. Circumpolar vs. seasonal constellations
7. Spitz star finder

8. Constellation viewers
a. long tube constellation viewer
b. construction paper constellations
c. Universe in the classroom

9. Fins and mini planetariums
10. Astrology activity
11. Zodiac Constellations

B. Earth Motions - Why we see what we do in the sky

1. Shadow Stick
2. Shadows
3. Where's the Sun
4. Sun Tracker
5. Shadow Person
6. Quadrant - sun measurement
7. Parallax

C. Solar System

1. Your Solar System
2. Solar System Size
3. Planet Order Acronyms
4. Cosmic Invitation
5. Planetary Puzzle Search
6. How Big Is It?
7. Weight and Age on Other Planets
8. Wormbat
9. Planet Folf

D. Our Moon
1. Lunar Cutouts
2. The Changing Moon
3. Does the Moon Rotate?
4. Comparative Size and Distance of Earth-Moon System
5. Down on the Moon
6. Full Moons
7. Moon Figures
8. Moon Journal

E. Space Exploration

1. Model Rockets

2. Current and recent exploration activity
a. Mars - Spirit and Opportunity
b. Saturn---Cassini and Huygens
c. Comets---Stardust

Planetarium Operation
1. Set-up and Take-down
a. Selecting location-where to set up
b. Set-up
c. Setting date, time and latitude
d. Take down and put away

2. Maintenance
a. Changing light bulbs
b. Repairing light leaks
c. Keeping the planetarium clean to extend it's lifetime

3. Cylinders and Programs
a. Introductory programs
b. Programs for various grade levels
c. Review of available cylinders

4. Program development
a. Each participant will develop one or more programs

5. Program preparation and presentation.
a. Each participant will prepare and present one or more programs

Grant writing - Preparing participants to write a grant to obtain a Starlab Planetarium for their Classroom.
1. How to write a successful grant
a. Components of a grant
b. Review of successful grants
c. Selecting a source or sources for grant funding

2. Each participant will identify a potential source for grant funding and begin a grant proposal.

 

 

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