Programs - Middle/High School
Watch for additional programs in 2003
Depending upon your curriculum needs, some middle school classes (and
we recommend all high school groups) may select either the basic program
presented at a higher level or the current public show, which usually focuses
on a single topic within astronomy or space science. Please check our public
program schedule to see what shows are running when; the show will
be available to school groups after it has opened to the public.
NOTE: As fun as it is, we can't offer Nightlights as a field trip
program. Sorry!
All programs, like the basic solar system show, are introduced
live and begin with seasonal star and constellation identification.
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COMING IN THIS COLUMN:
Ties to National Science Education Standards
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 Adventures
Along the Spectrum
A humorous look at the complex world of energy
and light - the electro-magntic spectrum - as presented by Prof. Photon.
The program covers all areas of light (from radio to gamma, including visible
light) and what our knowledge of it has allowed us to learn about our universe.
An excellent introduction to the spectrum and its importance to astronomy.
Produced by the Hansen Planetarium
in Salt Lake City, Utah. |
Recommended for:
- grades 4-7
- any level studying electromagnetic radiation
Recorded Program
Running Time: 41 min
Teacher's Guide coming soon
Hands-on activity available |
 Centuries
Help celebrate Ohio's 200th birthday with this program written for
the Bicentennial. Ohio has a unique place in the quest for space: the Wright
Brothers, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, and more astronauts than any other
state in the union. The program covers our state's geology and history
as well as astronomy topics (precession, tilt, and eccentricity as the
cause of the ice ages; Ohio's Underground Railroad routes and how the Big
Dipper was used).
A Ward Beecher Planetarium production |
Recommended for:
- advanced 4th grade
- middle school
- high school
- history and geology classes
Recorded Program with live star segment
Allow an hour
Teacher's Guide comin |
Daughter of the Stars
An anthology of Native American stories about the sky, Daughter
of the Stars recounts how the Earth, stars, sun, moon, and other celestial
objects came into being. Find out about Mother Earth and Father Sky, the
mud turtle that supports the land, how fire came into the world, and the
seven sisters that dance in the sky.
A JHE Production; features the artwork of Joe Tucciarone. |
Recommended for:
- 5th grade and older
- any class studying Native Americans, mythology, or star lore
Recorded Program
Running Time: 30 min |
 Destination:
Universe - Our Future in Space
Starting with Earth's orbit and ending far in the future, Destination
Universe is a journey of imagination to the moon, planets, other stars
and our galactic neighborhood. It covers many questions students wonder
about space and space travel: gravity in orbit, travel at the speed of
light, and the possibility of colonizing other worlds.
Produced by the Davis Planetarium at the Maryland Science
Center. |
Recommended for:
- gifted/advanced upper elementary
- middle school
Recorded Program
Running Time: 38 min
Teacher's Guide |
 The
Explorers of Manua Kea
The first explorers to the islands of Hawaii were awed by the active
volcanoes and endowed them with human spirits. Today’s scientific explorers
have made Mauna Kea, now dormant, the ideal home for the huge telescopes
that peer into the farthest reaches of the universe. The program includes
two live interactive segments. Excellent for classes studying telescopes,
current topics in astronomy, weather, and celestial coordinates.
Produced through an educational partnership between NASA
and the Bishop Museum, the official Hawaii state museum of natural and
cultural history. |
Recommended for:
- gifted/advanced middle school
- high school
Recorded Program
Running Time: approx. 45 min
(hands-on activities vary in length)
Teacher's Guide |
Follow the Drinking Gourd
For Black History Month in February, school, church, and community
groups are invited to schedule a showing of Follow the Drinking Gourd.
The program is a sky show based on the book Follow the Drinking Gourd
by Jeanette Winter. It introduces the day and night skies and discusses
the importance of the Big Dipper (which slaves called the Drinking Gourd).
Also available throughout the school year.
Produced by the New Jersey State Museum Planetarium and
the Raritan Valley Community College Planetarium |
Recommended for:
- ages 7 and older
- any class studying the Underground Railroad
Recorded Program
Running Time:
approx. 45 min
We suggest that children be prepared for the program by discussing
slavery.
Educator's guide and classroom materials for plotting the position of
the sun and determining latitude by using the North Star |
Journey Into The Living Cell
From outer space to inner space: the Planetarium takes a trip inside
the human body. Journey Into The Living Cell melds the technology
of the planetarium to the exciting study of the cell. We start the program
with the film Powers of Ten to illustrate the difficulty humans
have in comprehending large distances in space and the tiny distances between
the cells.
Produced by the Buhl Planetarium at the Carnegie Science
Center in cooperation with the Carnegie Mellon University's Center for
Light Microscope Imaging and Biotechnology and STUDIO for Creative Inquiry.
Supported in part by the National Science Foundation. |
Recommended for:
- gifted/advanced upper elementary
- middle school
- high school
- any class studying the basic cell
Recorded Program
Running Time: 28 min
|
Millennium Mysteries
Ancient peoples came to know the regular movements of the sun, stars,
and moon and designed our first calendars on their cycles. But a calendar
of 29.5 days based on the moon doesn't work well with one of 365 days based
on the sun, and then we have an extra quarter of a day to deal with. Calendar
systems from around the world and across the ages are explored and explained.
Includes history, cycles of the moon. A bit dated now (the program was
produced for the millennium), but still contains useful information.
Produced by the Adler Planetarium in Chicago |
Recommended for:
- 6th grade and up
Recorded Program
Running Time: 31 min |
Of Stars and Dinosaurs
What really killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, ending a reign
by creatures so superbly adapted to life on Earth that they had nearly
stopped evolving? Of Stars and Dinosaurs looks at dinosaurs and
the monster rock from space that ended their rule. A good look at the formation
of the solar system, how planets form, the geologic process that reshapes
our planet, and the threat from impacts from outer space.
A Ward Beecher production |
Recommended for:
- 7th/8th grade and up
Recorded Program
Running Time: |
 Partner*Ship*Earth:
is an excellent program for classes who would like more of a focus on Earth
and Earth Science. The program covers what makes Earth a special place,
including the water cycle, its geological forces, the interior of our planet,
and the importance of recycling and conservation.
Produced by the Davis Planetarium at the Maryland Science
Center. |
Recommended for:
- upper elementary
- middle school
- any class studying geology, Earth Science, biosystems, etc. (A visit
to the Smith Mineral Museum
would work nicely in conjunction with this show.)
Recorded Program
Running Time: 25 min
Teacher's Guide coming |
Serpents of the Sun
This program focuses on the astronomy and culture of the mound-building
Indians of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys. The program also highlights
Ohio history.
An in-house production; distributed statewide by a grant
from the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation |
Recommended for:
- middle school and older
- any class studying Ohio history
Recorded Program
Running Time: |
 Star
Date: Ancient Horizons: For any classes studying mythology
or ancient Egypt; focuses on the cycle of life, death, and rebirth as reflected
in Egyptian sky lore and how they came to understand the movements of the
sun, moon, and stars. Live discussion includes the origin of the zodiacal
constellations and the ecliptic.
Produced by the University of Texas at Austin and the
Science Museum of Virginia |
Recommended for:
- upper elementary
- middle school
- any class studying ancient Egypt
Recorded Program
Running Time: 20 min
Teacher's Guide
Also available in Spanish |
Strange New Worlds
Technology has finally allowed us to detect planets around other stars.
So far we have been able to find only the large and unusual planets, but
the search of extrasolar worlds is sure to be at the forefront of astronomy
research for years to come. Covers history of planetary study, planet formation,
doppler shift, electromagnetic spectrum, spectroscopy, and current extra-solar
planet study.
An in-house production |
Recommended for
- high school
Recorded Program
Running Time: |
