Merrillville Community Planetarium Kindergarten to Fifth Grade Programs By Gregg L. Williams February 1, 1983 Revised April 10, 2014

Transcription

1 Kindergarten to Fifth Grade Programs By Gregg L. Williams February 1, 1983 Revised April 10, 2014 Listed below is the curriculum for the planetarium at each elementary grade level. The elementary program is composed of a total of 17 visits to the planetarium. Recommendations for how the visits may be scheduled are given for each grade level. Planetarium Programs for Elementary Grades Grade Kindergarten First Second Third Fourth Program Titles 0K/Introduction to the Planetarium 1a/Introduction to the Planetarium 1b/How Do We Explore Space? 2a/Earth Is a Planet 2b/The Sun and Earth 3a/The Sun s Family 3b/The Moon 3c/Star Tales 3d/Flying the Space Shuttle 4a/The Water Planet 4b/Our Star, the Sun 4c/Satellites and Space Probes Fifth 5a/Man and the Moon, part 1 5b/Man and the Moon, part 2 5c/The Inner Solar System 5d/The Outer Solar System 5e/A Night Under the Stars page 1

2 Kindergarten One program is offered for kindergarten children. Kindergarten classes from Merrillville are scheduled in April. Introduction to the Planetarium (kindergarten version) about 35 minutes total. This visit is used to make the children familiar with the planetarium. The children are introduced to the planetarium theater before entering. The seats are described and the children are told that planetarium will get dark just like a movie theater. The children are brought inside and seated. They are told that our theater has a bowl-shaped screen that is different from the screen at a movie theater. Next, they are introduced to the planetarium projector. Its name is S5-12 and it is my computer assistant. They are told that S5 projects a pretend sky not the real one. The position and movement of the sun is observed. The sun warms Earth and when the sun goes down, the sky gets dark. Stars can be seen when the sky gets dark. When the sun rises, the sky gets light again. Before the children leave, they are get to see S5-12 up close and get a star to take with them. First Grade There are two visits for each first grade class. Merrillville classes are scheduled for March. Introduction to the Planetarium (first grade version) about 40 minutes. The goal is to familiarize them with the planetarium, introduce them to the sun, planets, moon, and stars. This visit is similar to the kindergarten visit, but with the following additions: the children are asked to review what they know about the planetarium from their kindergarten visit before entering the theater. The terms sunrise and sunset are introduced. The sun, planets, moon, and stars are compared with each other. How Do We Explore Space? about 40 minutes. The methods and problems of space exploration. The purpose is to introduce some of the ways we explore space. The children are shown a telescope and we discuss what a telescope does. The spacecraft and rockets are talked about. Humans has gone into space, has walked on the moon, but never to any other planet. Many spacecraft don't carry people; we've sent unmanned spacecraft to some of the other planets. These spacecraft send pictures and information back to Earth by radio. At the end of the program, each children has the opportunity to look through a telescope at a map of the moon mounted across the room. page 2

3 Second Grade There are two second grade programs. The programs are scheduled in November about one week apart for Merrillville children. Earth Is a Planet about 40 minutes. The goal for this program is to help the children understand that Earth is the shape of a ball out in space. Earth is a planet and it has land, water, and air. Earth has one natural satellite the moon. The Sun and Earth about 40 minutes. Earth spins like a top this is why we see the sun rise, move across the sky, and set. Earth goes around the sun in a big circle an orbit. The sun warms Earth and makes life on Earth possible. The sun's gravity holds Earth and the other planets in orbit. Third Grade There are four shows for third grade. Third grade classes from Merrillville are scheduled to visit the planetarium four times in February. The four programs are scheduled over a period of about three weeks. The Sun's Family 50 minutes. The purpose of this show is show that the sun's family the solar system is made up of one star (the sun), nine planets, moons, asteroids, and comets. The sun will be identified as the largest body in the solar system and the hottest. The planets will be named and described. The Moon 50 minutes. The goal of this program is to introduce the children to the moon as a natural satellite of Earth. The moon is compared to Earth in terms of size, water content, cratering, and atmosphere. The effects of the moon on Earth (tides, eclipses) is also discussed. Star Tales 50 minutes. This program is intended to inform the children what constellations are and how they are used and to introduce some of the more familiar constellations. The north circumpolar constellation (big and little dippers) and other easily seen constellations will be shown. Flying the Space Shuttle 50 minutes. This visit is spent talking about the space shuttle and taking an imaginary trip aboard it. How the shuttle works and different jobs that it does are explained. At the end of the program, historic space shuttle flights will be discussed. page 3

4 Fourth Grade There are three fourth grade programs. Merrillville fourth grade classes are scheduled for three visits in October. The Water Planet 50 minutes. How would Earth appear to someone from outer space? This is the approach used by this program to help show that our home is not just the land we live on, but the oceans and atmosphere as well. Earth is studied just like we study the other planets in our solar system. Our Star, the Sun 50 minutes. The goal of this program is to help the children understand that our sun is a star, like the stars we can see at night, only much closer to us (and, therefore, brighter). The relative size of the sun and the distance of Earth from the sun will be discussed as well as what the sun is made of, how hot it is, etc. Satellites and Space Probes 50 minutes. This program will explain what a satellite is and what satellites do in space. Each of the various types of satellites will be discussed weather satellites, communication satellites, Earth-study satellites, and scientific satellites. The show will explain how rockets and the space shuttle are used to launch satellites. Space probes, another type of unmanned spacecraft will also be discussed. Fifth Grade There are five programs at fifth grade. Merrillville students are scheduled to see the programs in December or January. The first two programs about the moon are seen during one two hour visit. Programs three and four about the solar system are seen during another two hour visit. The fifth program on the night sky is seen during a third visit lasting about one hour. Man and the Moon, Part 1 50 minutes. The moon is the closest body in space to Earth. As a result, humans have always wondered what it was like. We have even dreamed of going there. This show discusses our interest in the moon and traces our study of it through history using the naked eye and telescope. Man and the Moon, Part 2 50 minutes. Continues the history of man's exploration through the unmanned spacecraft and Apollo moon landings and discusses what we learned as a result of going to the moon: what the moon is like, how old is it, where did it come from, etc. page 4

5 The Inner Solar System 60 minutes. The planets in the solar system can be roughly divided into two groups: the inner and outer planets. This show examines the similarities and differences of the inner planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars) as seen by the space probes that have studied them. The asteroid belt is also studied. The Outer Solar System 60 minutes. The similarities and difference among the outer planets (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto), including their rings and moons. The program also discusses comets. A Night Under the Stars 60 minutes. This show will simulate an evening of star gazing, beginning with sunset and lasting through sunrise. The prominent constellations of the current evening sky will be explored. page 5