EDUCATION: PRIMARY AND INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE

WELCOME TO STARDOME

The first person to set foot on Mars could be alive today. That person could be sitting in your classroom! A school trip to Stardome encourages curious minds and inspires exploration.

Our education crew have created session modules based on subject matter. However, sessions are customisable to your learning objectives so don’t hesitate to ask if you want something different.

Stardome is proud to be a recognised LEOTC provider delivering education experiences that link to the New Zealand Curriculum.

YOUR VISIT

Part 1
20 minutes in the Space room – an educator-led curriculum-based session focusing on your chosen topic.

Part 2
15 minutes of play based learning in the Space Gallery & Exhibits using a tablet loaded with a fun, fact-finding quiz.

Part 3
40 minutes in the planetarium. Your group will see a 360-degree feature show of your choice and if time permits, a live tour of the celestial sights above Auckland. 


PRIMARY & INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL MODULES - Choose your topic 

  • Earth & Sky*
  • Studying the Stars*
  • Our Solar System
  • A Guide to the Universe*
  • Space Exploration and Technology
  • Matariki

*can include Matariki
Want something different? Enquire now at education@stardome.org.nz


PRIMARY & INTERMEDIATE SHOW LIBRARY (YEARS 1-8) - Choose your show


Matariki Night Sky

A fun tour of the night sky looking at some of the stars and constellations you can currently see and some of the stories that connect them together. Featuring additional short immersive animated clips from Matariki Dawn (The Great Waka story) and the Stories in the Sky series (The Legend of Matariki story). Suits Year 0-2


The Accidental Astronauts

Follow the adventures of Cy and Annie and their dog Armstrong as they embark on an unexpected journey into space! Explore the Earth, Sun and Moon system with a wise-cracking starship computer.

Suits Year 1-4 


Secret of the Cardboard Rocket

Secret of the Cardboard Rocket is a fun story following two children who build a cardboard rocket that takes them on an informative tour of the Solar System accompanied by a very helpful astronomy book. Suits Year 2-6 


Matariki Dawn

Learn more about the cultural and astronomical aspects of this group of spectacular stars. Show includes Māori myths and stories about the formation of the Earth, the Moon and Māori New Year. Suits Year 3+


Perfect Little Planet

Come along for the ride with a family of aliens searching for the ideal holiday destination and learn about the best and worst places in our solar system.

Suits Year 3-6 


Solar System Odyssey

Our story takes place far in the future with an Earth on the verge of environmental collapse. Billionaire Warren Trout thinks he can make a fortune colonising the rest of the solar system and sends space pilot Jack Larson to find out where. Suits Year 3-6


Tilt

With surprising help from her younger brother and his amazing toy robot, a young girl learns why we have seasons on Earth. From the makers of ‘Tycho to the Moon’, this feature show explains our weather cycles as we experience them ‘down under’. Produced by Melbourne Planetarium. Suits Year 3-7 


The Navigators

Ngā Tohunga Whakatere - The Navigators is a family-friendly animated show that tells the story of Māori, Pasifika and later, European navigation towards Aotearoa through the eyes of a young girl, Moko. Journey with Moko as she gains knowledge and understanding of Māori, Pasifika and European voyaging traditions and realises how skilled her tūpuna had to be to travel the largest ocean on Earth.

Suits Year 4-10


Astronaut

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 affects that space has on the human body, and the training needed to become an astronaut. Narrated by Ewan McGregor.

Suits Year 4-10 

 


We are Aliens

On a fascinating and immersive journey, the show seeks to find the evidence of alien life in our galaxy. The latest research into this fast evolving area of science is explored with input from UK scientists. Narrated by Rupert Grint. Suits Year 4-10


Stories in the Sky

Explore the night sky and learn about seasons, as told through Maori and Greek myths and legends. Learn about the ancient stories hidden among the stars, where the names of the planets come from, what a constellation is and how they are used for astronomical purposes. There are four seasonal shows in the series, and the stories and content change depending on when you visit. Suits Year 4-10 


We are Stars

What are we made of? Where did it all come from? Explore the secrets of our cosmic chemistry, and our explosive origins.

Suits Year 4-10 


Incoming!

'Incoming!' is produced by the California Academy of Sciences. Discover how asteroids and comets have collided with our planet throughout history, changing the course of life on Earth and shaping the world we know today. Narrated by George Takei.

Suits Year 5+


Two Small Pieces of Glass

Revealing the power of the telescope, this film explores the Galilean Moons, Saturn’s rings, the spiral structure of galaxies and the discoveries of Galileo, Huygens, Newton and Hubble.

Suits Year 5-8 


Wildest Weather in the Solar System

Join National Geographic on a spectacular journey to witness the most beautiful, powerful, and mysterious weather in the Solar System, including tornadoes on Mars, lightning on Jupiter, and the solar wind on Mercury.

Suits Year 6+ 


Back to the Moon for Good

Narrated by Tim Allen, Back To The Moon For Good immerses us in the Google Lunar XPRIZE race to the Moon and the human stories of both the competition and the collaboration it inspires. Suits Year 7+ 


Beyond the Solar System - live show

A presenter-led, engaging show taking students on a journey away from the familiarity of Earth and the other planets of our Solar System. Learn more about seeing deep space in many forms – not only in the visible light spectrum but far infra-red and gamma-ray spectrums too. This is a live show, guided by a Stardome educator.

Suits Year 7+


Big

One of the most-asked questions about the universe is, “How big is it?” It’s also one of the hardest questions to answer!

Suits Year 7+ 


Black Holes

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 super-massive black hole lurking at the centre of our own Milky Way Galaxy.

Suits Year 7+ 


Capturing the Cosmos

Imagine being able to see more than astronomers have ever been able to see before. What would it be like to look back in cosmic time, into the vast blackness of space and witness how the universe has evolved into what we see around us today? Suits Year 7+ 

Celestial Navigation - live show

Astro-navigation, or celestial navigation, is still used today in space exploration, such as when the Mars missions  were guided through the solar system. It uses the same principles as those used by sailors for hundreds of years. Go on a guided tour of the night sky and learn important directional stars and constellations as seen from Aotearoa New Zealand and other parts of the world. This is a live show, guided by a Stardome educator. Suits Year 7+


From Earth to the Universe

The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people.

Suits Year 7+ 

Grand Tour of the Solar System - live show

Take a trip through our solar system in this presenter-led show, stopping off to explore the atmosphere of different planets – from the poisonous gases and unbearable 900˚F heat of Venus to the dark, distant cool of Pluto, which has since lost its planet status. This is a live show, guided by a Stardome educator. Suits Year 7+

Mars 1001

An immersive fictional story following an international crew of astronauts who are about to embark on the first interplanetary journey in history; the first manned mission to the surface of Mars. A great option for classes learning about space exploration, habitability and the future of space travel.

Suits Year 7+


Our Night Sky - live show

Learn about the celestial sights (planets, stars and constellations) visible above Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland on the month of your visit in this live, 360-degree tour. This is a live show, guided by a Stardome educator.

Suits Year 7+


Passport to the Universe

Take a look at our cosmic neighbourhood. This show reveals the wonders of our universe with realistic close-up views of star fields and planets.

Suits Year 7+ 


Seven Wonders

Let us take you on a journey to the seven wonders of the ancient world and the marvels of the universe revealed by modern astronomy.

Suits Year 7+ 


Supervolcanoes

Supervolcanoes is an immersive planetarium show that looks back at rare classes of eruptions that have marshaled the energy that lurks beneath the surface of planet Earth. The programme moves beyond Earth to explore the impact of giant volcanic eruptions around our solar system. Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch.

Suits Year 7+ 


To Space and Back

Space exploration, our greatest adventure, is having a big impact on our lives. It is helping us to discover a universe of unimaginable scale and beauty, and it is reaching down into our world and influencing the way in which we live. Suits Year 7+ 


We are Astronomers

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.

Suits Year 7+ 


Wonders of the Universe

This show 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.

Suits Year 7+ 

DETAILS

The duration of your trip will be 90 minutes. Choose from 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm or 2pm time slots.

School trips total price – Child/adult/teacher $5 each. One adult free for every eight students. Minimum charge $175 applies to groups of 35 or fewer.

If you are a low decile school please ask about our reduced price visit of $2 per child/adult/teacher. Please note this is only available for a minimum booking of 60 students per session. 

You will find health & safety information, and group guidelines and FAQs here.

BOOK NOW

EMAIL education@stardome.org.nz