Programs for School Groups

| OBU Planetarium Home Page: http://www.okbu.edu/academics/natsci/planet/index.htm |

Program Suggestions

• Constellations and the Night Sky
  • Planetarium shows: Cowboy Astronomer, Follow the Drinking Gourd
  • Suggested planetarium activities to accompany the show:
    • Elementary: Constellation dot to dots
    • Upper Elementary and Secondary: Big Dipper Star Clock (learn to tell time by the Big Dipper)
• Deep Sky Zoo
  • Planetarium show: More than Meets the Eye
  • Suggested planetarium activities to accompany the show:
    • Universal Address. May be done in the classroom (without slides) or in the planetarium (with slides).
    • Solar System Detectives. Students chase two thieves throughout the solar system, gathering clues to solve this "space case" by recognizing scenes near each planet the thieves pass.
• Earth, Moon, and Sun
  • Planetarium shows: Larry Cat in Space, Sandy Pepper and the Eclipse
  • Suggested planetarium activities to accompany the show:
    • Moon map
    • Pudding craters
    • Moon phases (modelling with golf ball moons)
    • Size and scale of the solar system (models)
    • Solar System Detectives. Students chase two thieves throughout the solar system, gathering clues to solve this "space case" by recognizing scenes near each planet the thieves pass.
• Solar System
  • Planetarium show: The Mars Show (not recommended for elementary grades)
  • Suggested planetarium activities to accompany the show:
    • Martian canals activity
    • Size and scale of the solar system (models)
    • Solar System Detectives. Students chase two thieves throughout the solar system, gathering clues to solve this "space case" by recognizing scenes near each planet the thieves pass.

Notes to teachers

The pages linked to above provide suggestions for planning astronomy units in your own classroom and/or in conjunction with visits to the OBU Planetarium.

Some of the materials are developmentally-appropriate for elementary grades, others have been included with the understanding that primary-school teachers will select and adapt them accordingly. Where no links are given, non-web instructional materials are available upon request from the OBU Planetarium.

Teachers may preview any planetarium show and receive complimentary tickets to Friday evening shows; contact us for information. Please let us know how we can help you further.

Bibliography

Juvenile non-fiction astronomy books are shelved under j522 and j523. Books published by Scholastic are marked [S]. These are general astronomy books; other books are suggested on each web page for the four units listed above. See Material Goodies list for other adult or teacher recommended items.

• Astronomy (DK Eyewitness Science), Kristen Lippincott
• Stargazers, Gail Gibbons [S]
• I Can Be An Astronomer, Paul P. Sipiera
• The Usborne Book of Space Facts, Struan Reid [S]
• Hyperspace! Facts and fun from all over the universe, David A. Adler
• Astronomy for Every Kid, Janice VanCleave
• Astronomy With Binoculars, James Muirden
• Astronomy With A Small Telescope, James Muirden

General helps

• Basic Celestial Phenomena website, including constellation pages
• Cosmology and Cultures website
• General show information
  • Arrange a show for your group
    • Arrive early and before the show check out the aquarium and natural history exhibits maintained by Biology Professor Dale Utt. (Classes are in session during daytime hours, so try to keep quiet in the hallways.)
    • Geology and chemistry exhibits are displayed on the second floor.
    • Click for an explanation of the Foucault Pendulum.
• Astronomy education web links
  • This website has won an award as an astronomy education website with many lesson plans for elementary grades: http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/
• Astronomy magazines
• Questions? Email the Director of the OBU Planetarium: Kerry Magruder

Return to... | Top of this page | OBU Planetarium home page |

Welcome to the OBU Planetarium website. These pages have been written by the Planetarium Director, Kerry Magruder, and the students who work in the planetarium.

Our Planetarium logo is not derived from a medieval woodcut.

These web pages may be printed, copied, and distributed for educational use by any non-profit educational group so long as they are not edited or altered in any way, nor distributed for profit, nor repackaged or incorporated into any other medium or product, and so long as full credit is given to the OBU Planetarium.

This page and many others from the same website may be accessed from the OBU Planetarium Home Page: http://www.okbu.edu/academics/natsci/planet/index.htm