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Denver Public Schools
Steele Planetarium
2005-2006 Program
Offerings
Ralph Sodano
Steele Planetarium
Steele Elementary
320 South Marion St.
Denver, CO 80209
303.744.1717
Greetings!
Listed below are the program offerings for the Steele Planetarium
for the 2005- 2006 school year. To save resources (and our limited
budget) we are e-mailing our program this year. As always, if there is
a topic you wish to cover and you do not specifically see it listed here,
please give us a call. With enough lead time we can often customize
a program or put something together to meet your special needs. The
planet programs listed below can also be presented to focus on just
the inner or outer planets which has been a common request over the
years. Please consider us a resource for questions pertaining to
science or science lessons. If we can’t answer your questions, we
can usually point you in the right direction to find someone who will.
PRISM KITS & The Exploratorium Room
We are also a resource center for the PRISM Science and Math
Kits. To order a kit for use with your class or to find out more about
them please call me at Steele School.
The Hands on Science Room also known as the Exploratorium,
will again be available for student investigation while classes are
waiting their turn to attend their scheduled planetarium program. We
are constantly adding to the kinds and numbers of self directed
stations and activities there.
During your time in our hands on Science Room you might also
consider using one of the 30 hands on PRISM Science or Math Kits
we have available. If you are not familiar with these kits I can send
you a copy of the titles upon request. I’m willing to work with you
ahead of time to familiarize you with a PRISM kit’s lessons and
activities. Additionally, there are science videos you may choose to
view while in the science room and you are always welcome to bring
your own lessons, videos or reading material while your class is
waiting for its program time.
If you have any questions or wish to schedule a planetarium
program for your class, please contact me at Steele School,
303 - 744 - 1717.
Sincerely,
Ralph Sodano
KIDDY COSMOS, A PRESCHOOLER'S LOOK AT THE SKY
(ECE, Kindergarten)
The moon, constellations, and the importance of our sun is the main
focus of this program designed for children ages four and five.
Children get to use their colors and animal sounds as they tour the
heavens.
STARS, SUN, EARTH AND MOON, A FIRST GRADE PRIMER
(GRADES 1 & 2)
This program is recommended as a first trip to the planetarium for
first
graders or for second graders needing to build basic concepts about
space. The program shows the importance of light energy from the
Sun to support life on Earth and demonstrates the motions of our
home planet that account for night, day, the seasons and the length
of an Earth year. Students will also join an Apollo Mission to the
moon and learn the reasons for the moon's phases.
THE SOLAR SYSTEM: A FIRST TRIP (Grades 1 & 2 )
A trip through our solar system begins with a look at Earth and the
unique features which allows it to be a habitat for humankind. As the
journey continues, the children will be fascinated with the other
planets and moons of our solar system, but soon discover that there's
truly no place like home. The Earth's rotation and revolution are
discussed along with the nature of our own back yard star, the Sun.
Please have students a week or two into their solar system unit
before attending this program.
THE SOLAR SYSTEM (Grades 3-6)
An imaginary trip through our solar system lets the students see the
importance of the Sun in terms of light, atmosphere, temperature,
water, surface features and other conditions relative to human
exploration and habitation. The basic motions of the Earth and other
planets are discussed. Please have students at least a week or two
into their solar system unit before attending this program.
REASONS FOR THE SEASONS (Grades 4, 5 & 6)
The use of models and the projection of the seasonal transit of the
Sun across the planetarium's domed sky helps to illustrate why the
Earth gets differing amounts of energy throughout the year,
accounting for our seasonal changes in weather.
CONSTELLATIONS AND MYTHOLOGY (GRADES 1-6)
Students learn the mythology behind the different constellations as
seen projected on the planetarium dome. As stars and
constellations change position in the sky from month to month, so do
the stories of this particular
program. Students get to participate in some of the story telling by
projecting constellation images with hand held mini-projectors.
THE SUN (Grades 3-6)
The Sun's structure, composition and its electromagnetic emissions
are all covered in this program. The importance our own “back yard”
star has for life on Earth is also discussed. Follow up activities can
include looking for sunspots, (weather permitting) through one of the
planetarium's telescopes or new Solar Observatory.
SCIENCE AND SKY LORE OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN
(Grades 1-6)
This program views the sky by way of stories and traditions of
different North American Indian Tribes. But students will also find
that the American Indian was an astute observer of the sky and had
many ingenious methods of plotting celestial objects to plan their
activities and calendar year.
DINOSAURS AND THE COSMIC CONNECTION (Grades 1-6)
Dinosaurs are a favorite of most children. But what were they really
like, and how can we be so sure our ideas are accurate? The
planetarium's dinosaur program tries to illuminate some of the
detective techniques paleontologists use to answer these questions.
The program also tries to
show how different kinds of dinosaurs were adapted to fill the very
same
niches in nature that modern animals occupy today. How did it all
come to an end for these magnificent creatures? Several theories
including some that point to a cosmic culprit are presented.
BALARAT NIGHT WALK PREPARATION (Grade 5)
Prepares students to recognize and have understandings about some
of the celestial objects that they will see in the night sky at Balarat
during their
evening walk. Planets, star types, constellations, moons, galaxies or
any other significant night sky object currently in the sky will be
discussed along with an ecological view of our planet's air and water
resources. Many of the night sky objects presented during the
program can be seen from the students' yards which helps make the
information useful even if the skies are overcast at Balarat.
THE BACKYARD ASTRONOMER (Grades 1-6)
Similar to the Balarat Night Walk Preparation Program, but scope and
information is adapted to grade level and is geared more to urban
back yard observing.
MOONLIGHT AND LUNAR MADNESS (Grades 3-6)
Where in the galaxy did our moon come from? Will the moon always
be there? Does light from the full moon cause madness? What does
the future hold for human exploration and settlement of our moon?
The answers to these and many more questions are covered in this
program on our closest neighbor in space.
THE SECRET LIFE OF STARS (Grade 5 & 6)
How are stars born? What are they made of? How do they die? Will
our own star, the Sun last forever? Are we all truly made from star
dust? What is meant by a star's "magnitude"? The Secret Life of
Stars was designed to help fifth grade teachers cover the life cycle of
stars and the concept of stellar fusion.
MARS BECKONS Grades (3 - 6)
Students get a look at how mankind has perceived Mars down
through the ages and what modern space exploration has revealed
about the Red Planet. The latest information from the Mars’ rovers
and other recent missions will be included. Students will find that with
every new bit of information we learn about Mars, new and even
more intriguing questions arise.