Secondary School Visits

Stardome is here to help give your students an out-of-this-world learning experience!

Each high school visit includes a Feature Show and Night Sky presentation in our 360 degree planetarium plus a classroom session and time exploring the foyer displays.

Planetarium Feature Shows

	The Birth of the Solar System: [Year 6-9] Take a tour outside of the familiarity of our planetary neighbours and amongst the millions of stars in our Milky Way. Beyond the Solar System is a live guided journey to nearby clusters and nebula, exoplanets and mysterious objects using the capabilities of the Stardome’s live database of stellar objects.
	Chronicle of a Journey to Earth: [Year 7-10] Travel to Earth from the depths of interstellar space and see our neighborhood from a new perspective.
	Wonders of the Universe: [Year 5-13] Takes you on a journey from the far reaches of the cosmos encountering galaxies, stars, nebulae, clouds of gas and dust, and finally meeting each of the planets in the Solar System.
	Astronaut: [Year 6-13] Takes you on a roller-coaster ride into space, and a virtual tour of a space station. With some help from a test dummy named ‘Chad’, we are introduced to the dangers astronauts face in space, the effects that space has on the human body, and the training needed to become an astronaut.
	Heart of the Sun: [Year 6-13] Shows how important the Sun is to different cultures, and vividly demonstrates how our star is a dynamic and exciting object on which we depend for our existence.
	Two Small Pieces of Glass: [Year 7-13] Celebrates the 400 years since Galileo first turned his telescope towards the night sky. With the help of a teacher and her students, we learn about telescopes and many of the discoveries they made possible, the nature of light, and how Galileo’s discoveries changed the world.
	We Are Astronomers: [Year 8-13] Reveals the global collaboration, technology and dedication required to answer the unresolved questions of the Universe. See how technologies such as the Large Hadron Collider, the observatories of Chile and the Hubble Space Telescope work and how they are used by teams around the world.
	Black Holes - The Other Side of Infinity: [Year 9-13] Shows striking, immersive animations of the formation of the early universe, star birth and death, the collision of giant galaxies, and a simulated flight to a supermassive black hole lurking at the centre of our own Milky Way Galaxy.

The feature show is accompanied by a brief Night Sky presentation. Total time in the planetarium is approximately 45 minutes.

Education Sessions

	Matariki Night Sky We want students to understand that: Matariki is a group of stars that help signal the time of the Maori New Year The Maori year is based on a lunar calendar Matariki can be seen in the night sky during most of the year, rising and setting at different times Advanced understanding: Discuss why Matariki cannot be seen in the sky during the month of May Discuss why the northern and southern hemispheres of the Earth see different constellations Discuss the significance of New Year occurring at the winter solstice Discuss why we see different constellations in the night sky on a yearly cycle.
	Solar System (Year 3-13) We want students to understand that: The Sun brings heat and light to the rest of the Solar System There are major differences between the various planets in our Solar System Earth has the right conditions needed for life to exist. There are major attributes that help determine what kind of conditions are on a planet (ie. distance from Sun, type of atmosphere, type of planet, etc) Advanced understanding: Describe the interiors of the gas giants (increasing density, pressure, and temperature with depth), and how Neptune and Uranus differ from Jupiter and Saturn Describe how the atmosphere can change the conditions on the surface of a rocky planet (ie. the thick, mostly CO2 atmosphere of Venus creates a runaway greenhouse effect, while Mercury has no atmosphere and therefore no weather patterns to even out the temperatures of the planet). Describe how the rotation and tilt of a planet can change the conditions on a planet (ie. Earth is slightly tilted and therefore has seasons, Jupiter’s fast rotation helps propel the clouds into bands and vortexes).
	Human Space Exploration (Year 4-13) We want students to understand that: It is important for humans to learn to adapt to different places (ie. Moon, Mars, etc) Comparing our planet to other environments helps us learn more about the conditions needed for life The different features that we find (craters, rocks, etc) can tell us a lot about the history of a place Advanced understanding: Discuss different ways to adapt to conditions on the Moon and/or Mars Discuss what types on environments on the Moon and/or Mars are best suited for us to live in.
	Unmanned Space Exploration (Year 4-13) We want students to understand that: Machines are able to explore space more easily than humans. Each machine is designed to learn certain information about the object it is studying. The information the machines send backis very important for our understanding of the Solar System and our own planet. Advanced understanding: Describe the decisions behind why certain instruments were chosen for various space probes Describe the difference between fly-bys, landers, and orbiters
	Night Sky Watching (Year 4-13) We want students to understand that: When we look at our sky, we are seeing objects in our atmosphere as well as objects out in space. We use constellations to help us find our way around the night sky. The objects in the sky appear to rise and set (or circle around) due to the spinning of the Earth. Advanced understanding: Discuss why we see different constellations at different times of year. Discuss why the planets, Sun, and Moon appear to follow a line (the ecliptic) in our sky.
	Smaller Solar System Objects (Year 7-13) We want students to understand that: There are many other smaller objects in the Solar System, including moons, asteroids, comets, and meteorites. Many moons in the Solar System are quite different from each other. Many of the asteroids and other small objects are left over from the early formation of our Solar System. Many of these smaller objects are grouped together in certain areas of the Solar System Advanced understanding: Describe the differences between an asteroid and comet Describe the difference between a meteoroid, meteor, and meteorite
	Deep Space (Year 7-13) We want students to understand that: Our Solar System is just a small area in the huge expanse of space There is a relationship between nebulae, the lives of stars, and our Solar System Our galaxy is one of many galaxies, which all contain many stars, and many of those stars have planets orbiting them. Advanced understanding: Discuss what types of objects can be found beyond our Solar System Discuss how nebulae form various types of stars and solar systems Discuss the cyclical nature of nebulaàstaràdeath of staràback to nebula
	Extrasolar Planets, Aliens and UFOs (Year 7-13) We want students to understand that: Our mind and eyes can be fooled into believing something without knowing the full story behind a picture. It is extremely difficult to travel between different stars and solar systems due to the vast distances in space. Only certain planets will have the requirements needed for life. Advanced understanding: Discuss what kinds of planets are suitable for life Discuss what kinds of stars are suitable for planets with life Discuss methods used to search for extraterrestrial life
	Stellar Lifcycles (Year 10-13) We want students to understand that: Stars are formed from primordial gas and dust The size and temperature of a star is determined by its mass and the forces of gravity and radiation, and its evolution depends on its initial mass Large stars 'burn' hot and have short lives; small stars 'burn' cooler and have long lives Supernova explosions signal the 'death' of massive stars Neutron stars, Black Holes, White Dwarfs and Red Dwarfs are the end-results of stars of different masses Advanced understanding: Discuss the energy deriving from nuclear fusion that makes stars shine Discuss how large stars fuse heavier elements in shells from the surface down to iron in their cores Discuss the Herzsprung-Russell diagram, showing the relation between stellar luminosity and stellar mass Discuss the main sequence on the Herzsprung-Russell diagram, and the course of different mass stars
	History of Astronomy (Year 7-13) We want students to understand that: Astronomy, like so many other sciences, is a process that builds upon the ideas of those that came before us. There are several pivotal discoveries and theories that have helped us understand our universe as it is today Advanced understanding: Discuss why some previous theories may have come to the wrong conclusion.

Our classroom sessions are led by a Stardome educator, Topics are tailored for individual classes, and customised topics can be provided with prior arrangement with our educators. Duration of the classroom session is approximately 25 minutes (following time in the planetarium and foyer).

Extra Education Sessions

Rocket Launch

Join us in the courtyard as we find out just how high bottle rockets can go! Note: this activity is subject to favourable weather conditions.

To Make a Booking

Step 1:   Contact our Education Manager Beth van der Loeff ph (09) 624 1246 ext 207,
                     bethl@stardome.org.nz to arrange a session date and time.

Step 2:    Fill out the booking forms we send you, and return them to us.

Step 3: Close to the time of your visit, your presenter will be in touch to confirm your
session content.

Session Times

Days: Monday to Friday--90-minute sessions
Daytime Times: 10.00 am 11.00 pm 12.00pm 1.00 pm 2.00 pm
Evening Times: Sessions available on request (subject to availability)

Session Prices

LEOTC Schools and Providers: $5 per student (one adult will be admitted free of charge per 8 students)

A minimum charge of $175 applies to groups of 35 students or less.

Please call to discuss rates. For further enquiries please contact Stardome on: (09) 624 1246

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What do the programmes cover?

Stardome's core curriculum area is astronomy, which is part of Planet Earth and Beyond in the NZ Science curriculum, and often includes concepts from the other sciences, such as geology, physics, biology and chemistry. Astronomy also integrates well with other learning areas including maths, technology, and social sciences.

If you have a request for a program that uses astronomy as a context for other learning areas, please contact us so that we can liase with you. With some negotiation, it may be possible to put something together for you. In the past, as an example, we have devised a program about Ancient Egyptian astronomy to complement a social sciences course, and an activity introducing orbital mechanics for an extension physics group.

Stardome's Health and Safety Manual.
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Secondary School Visits

Planetarium Feature Shows

The Birth of the Solar System: [Year 6-9]

Chronicle of a Journey to Earth: [Year 7-10]

Wonders of the Universe: [Year 5-13]

Astronaut: [Year 6-13]

Heart of the Sun: [Year 6-13]

Two Small Pieces of Glass: [Year 7-13]

We Are Astronomers: [Year 8-13]

Black Holes - The Other Side of Infinity: [Year 9-13]

The feature show is accompanied by a brief Night Sky presentation. Total time in the planetarium is approximately 45 minutes.

Education Sessions

Matariki Night Sky

Solar System (Year 3-13)

Human Space Exploration (Year 4-13)

Unmanned Space Exploration (Year 4-13)

Night Sky Watching (Year 4-13)

Smaller Solar System Objects (Year 7-13)

Deep Space (Year 7-13)

Extrasolar Planets, Aliens and UFOs (Year 7-13)

Stellar Lifcycles (Year 10-13)

History of Astronomy (Year 7-13)