Primary & Intermediate Experience

Space Room: Using props, the Space Room time will be spent exploring either orbits, day and night, phases of the Moon, how we get the different seasons in the year or Matariki and the Maori New Year. Questions are encouraged during this interactive learning time.

Pipehenge: Upon request, before entering Stardome, your session can begin outside at the Pipehenge. Often mistaken for a jungle gym, this is a fantastic tool to visualise the movement of the Sun and stars throughout the seasons.

Space Gallery & Exhibits: In teams, students will complete a fun fact-finding quiz by exploring the Space Gallery.

Planetarium: In the immersive, 360-degree planetarium, students will watch a planetarium show followed by a live tour of the celestial sights above Auckland, reinforcing the key learnings from the Space Room session. Choose from Tilt (Y3-7), The Accidental Astronauts (Y1-4),  Tycho to the Moon (Y0-3) or Stories in the Sky (Y3-9). Visit the education show library for a full list of our planetarium shows.

Take it home! Each child will receive a pass to visit Stardome again.

Learning outcomes: Students will understand scientific thought processes by using their own reasoning and observations and will understand the fundamentals of astronomical systems. 

Curriculum links: Levels 1 and 2 

Resources: You might find these teacher resources useful Hello Earth and Daytime Moon. You can download all the resources here.

Space Room: Take a seat in the Space Room and learn more about the sparkling dots in the sky. Topics include star size, distance, formation, nebulae and Matariki.

Space Gallery & Exhibits: In teams, students will complete a fun fact-finding quiz by exploring the Space Gallery.

Planetarium: In the immersive, 360-degree planetarium, students will watch a planetarium show followed by a live tour of the celestial sights above Auckland, reinforcing the key learnings from the Space Room session. Choose from Magic Sky (Y0-1) (also available in Te Reo), The Little Star that Could (Y1-3), Matariki Dawn (Y3+), Matariki Night Sky (Y0-2), Stories in the Sky (Y3-9) or We are Stars (Y4-10). Visit the education show library for a full list of our planetarium shows.

Take it home! Each child will receive a pass to visit Stardome again.

Learning outcomes: Students will discover a why the Sun is classified as a star when it looks different to other stars in the sky. 

Curriculum links: Levels 1 and 2 

Resources: You might find these teacher resources useful Stars (Part 1) and The Pleiades. You can download all the resources here.

Space Room: Take a closer look at the other planets and objects in the Solar System in this classroom session. Topics include the Sun, planets, comets, asteroids, as well as concepts of size, distance, time and how the Solar System was created.

Space Gallery & Exhibits: In teams, students will complete a fun fact-finding quiz by exploring the Space Gallery.

Planetarium: In the immersive, 360-degree planetarium, students will watch a planetarium show followed by a live tour of the celestial sights above Auckland, reinforcing the key learnings from the Space Room session.  Choose from Family of the Sun (Y0-1), The Little Star that Could (Y1-3), The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket (Y2-6), Stories in the Sky (Y3-9) or Perfect Little Planet (Y3-6). Visit the education show library for a full list of our planetarium shows.

Take it home! Each child will receive a pass to visit Stardome again.

Learning outcomes: Students will learn about the complexities of the solar system by developing their understanding of astronomical classifications.

Curriculum links: Levels 1 and 2 

Resources: You might find these teacher resources useful Scale of the Solar System and Why Planets are Different. You can download all the resources here.

Space Room: Step away from Earth and embark on a tour of our neighbourhood of stars and beyond. Highlights include nebulae, Matariki, and strange planets.

Space Gallery & Exhibits: In teams, students will complete a fun fact-finding quiz by exploring the Space Gallery.

Planetarium: In the immersive, 360-degree planetarium, students will watch a planetarium show followed by a live tour of the celestial sights above Auckland, reinforcing the key learnings from the Space Room session. Choose from The Little Star that Could (Y1-3), Matariki Dawn (Y3+), Matariki Night Sky (Y0-2), Stories in the Sky (Y3-9) or We are Aliens (Y4-10). Visit the education show library for a full list of planetarium shows.

Take it home! Each child will receive a pass to visit Stardome again.

Learning outcomes: Students will better understand the natural world by discovering that the solar system is one of many star systems. By learning about distant planets and stars, we can learn more about our own.

Curriculum links: Levels 1 and 2 

Resources: You might find these teacher resources useful Comet and Ancient Asteroids. You can download all the resources here.

Space Room: Launch your students into space. Topics include exploring planets and moons and the technology used to see or travel to these far away locations. Who knows, the first Kiwi astronaut could be in your class!

Space Gallery & Exhibits: In teams, students will complete a fun fact-finding quiz by exploring the Space Gallery.

Planetarium: In the immersive, 360-degree planetarium, students will watch a planetarium show followed by a live tour of the celestial sights above Auckland, reinforcing the key learnings from the Space Room session. Choose from The Secret of the Cardboard Rocket (Y2-6), Perfect Little Planet (Y3-6) or Solar System Odyssey (Y3-6). Visit the education show library for a full list of planetarium shows.

Take it home! Each child will receive a pass to visit Stardome again.

Learning outcomes: Space science is a field where every new answer leads to more questions and challenges. Students will appreciate the positive outcomes of having a curious mind and asking big questions.

Curriculum links: Levels 1 and 2 

Resources: You might find these teacher resources useful Pluto Rediscovered and Exoplanets. You can download all the resources here.

The Stardome education experience can be customised to suit your learning unit to help your students reach their learning potential. Select the topic of study that matches your unit and any of our education planetarium shows and create your Stardome experience. Check out the education show library and visit the other year level pages and then fill in the enquiry form below.

Space Room: We leave no stone unturned in this classroom session where we discover how the forces of nature have shaped our home planet and the celestial bodies around us. Topics can include moon phases, eclipses, seasons, tides, Matariki and the changing view of the night sky.

Pipehenge: Upon request, before entering Stardome, your session can begin outside at the Pipehenge. Often mistaken for a jungle gym, this is a fantastic tool to visualise the movement of the Sun and stars throughout the seasons.

Space Gallery & Exhibits: In teams, students will complete a fun fact-finding quiz by exploring the Space Gallery.

Planetarium: In the immersive, 360-degree planetarium, students will watch a planetarium show followed by a live tour of the celestial sights above Auckland, reinforcing the key learnings from the Space Room session. Choose from Tilt ( Y3-7); We are Stars (Y4-10); Wildest Weather in the Solar System (Y6+); From Earth to the Universe (Y7+); Capturing the Cosmos (Y7+), We are Astronomers (Y7+), Supervolcanoes (Y7+), Stories in the Sky (Y3-9) or Incoming!. Visit the education show library for the full list of our planetarium shows.

Take it home! Each child will receive a pass to visit Stardome again.

Learning outcomes: Students will understand scientific thought processes by using their own reasoning and observations. They will also leave with a better understanding of the fundamentals of astronomical systems. 

Curriculum links: Level 3 and 4

Resources: You might find these teacher resources useful Up vs Down and Lunar Eclipse. You can download all the resources here.

Space Room: Learn more about the sparkly dots in the sky and find out how a star is born in this classroom session! Subjects can also include the size and distance of stars, the Matariki cluster, supernovas, pulsars and galaxies.

Space Gallery & Exhibits: In teams, students will complete a fun fact-finding quiz by exploring the Space Gallery

Planetarium: In the immersive, 360-degree planetarium, students will watch a planetarium show followed by a live tour of the celestial sights above Auckland, reinforcing the key learnings from the Space Room session. Choose from an extended Our Night Sky (Y7+); We are Stars (Y4-10); Matariki Dawn (Y3+); or Wonders of the Universe (Y7+), Stories in the Sky (Y3-9), Beyond the Solar System (Y7+) or Big (Y7+). Visit the education show library for the full list of our planetarium shows.

Take it home! Each child will receive a pass to visit Stardome again.

Learning outcomes: Students will learn that the Sun is a dwarf star that came from a nebula and will investigate the fate of the Sun by studying the other stars outside of our Solar System. 

Curriculum links: Level 3 and 4

Resources: You might find these teacher resources useful Stars (part 1) and (part 2). You can download all the resources here.

Space Room: Take a closer look at the other planets and objects in the Solar System in this classroom session. Topics of focus can include the Sun, planets, comets, asteroids, and dwarf planets.

Space Gallery & Exhibits: In teams, students will complete a fun fact-finding quiz by exploring the Space Gallery.

Planetarium: In the immersive, 360-degree planetarium, students will watch a planetarium show followed by a live tour of the celestial sights above Auckland, reinforcing the key learnings from the Space Room session. Choose from Perfect Little Planet (Y3-6); Solar System Odyssey (Y3-6); an extended Our Night Sky (Y7+); Grand Tour of the Solar System (Y7+); Wildest Weather in the Solar System (Y6+); We are Aliens (Y4-10); We are Astronomers (Y7+); Wonders of the Universe (Y7+), Big (Y7+), Supervolcanoes (Y7+), Stories in the Sky (Y3-9) or Incoming! (Y5+) Visit the education show library for the full list of our planetarium shows.

Take it home! Each child will receive a pass to visit Stardome again.

Learning outcomes: Students will discover the complexities of the solar system and develop their understanding of  what makes each object in our solar system unique as well as the conditions required for life to exist.

Curriculum links: Level 3 and 4

Resources: You might find these teacher resources useful Astronomical Orbits and Scale of the Solar System. You can download all the resources here.

Space Room: This module takes on the universe with a guide to galaxies, star clusters (like Matariki), the Big Bang theory, and the hunt for new worlds.

Space Gallery & Exhibits: In teams, students will complete a fun fact-finding quiz by exploring the Space Gallery.

Planetarium: In the immersive, 360-degree planetarium, students will watch a planetarium show followed by a live tour of the celestial sights above Auckland, reinforcing the key learnings from the Space Room session. Choose from an extended Our Night Sky (Y7+); We are Aliens (Y4-10); We are Astronomers (Y7+); Matariki Dawn (Y3+), Big (Y7+), Wonders of the Universe (Y7+), Stories in the Sky (Y3-9); Capturing the Cosmos (Y7+); From Earth to the Universe (Y7+); Two Small Pieces of Glass (Y5-8) or Beyond the Solar System (Y7+). Visit the education show library for the full list of our planetarium shows.

Take it home! Each child will receive a pass to visit Stardome again.

Learning outcomes: Students will understand that our solar system is one of many star systems, and by learning about distant planets and stars we can learn more about our own natural world. 

Curriculum links: Level 3 and 4

Resources: You might find these teacher resources useful Stars (part 1) and (part 2). You can download all the resources here.

Space Room: Launch your class into Space and take a look at the technology, spacecraft, rockets, probes, planets, and satellites that venture into the unknown. Find out how astronomers discover our universe from here on Earth or what we learn from travelling in to space. 

Space Gallery & Exhibits: In teams, students will complete a fun fact-finding quiz by exploring the Space Gallery.

Planetarium: In the immersive, 360-degree planetarium, students will watch a planetarium show followed by a live tour of the celestial sights above Auckland, reinforcing the key learnings from the Space Room session. Choose from Solar System Odyssey (Y3-6); Astronaut (Y4-10); We are Aliens (Y4-10); Two Small Pieces of Glass (Y5-8); We are Astronomers (Y7+); Wildest Weather in the Solar System (Y6+); Big (Y7+); Capturing the Cosmos (Y7+), Incoming! (Y5+) or Beyond the Solar System (Y7+) . Visit the education show library for the full list of our planetarium shows.

Take it home! Each child will receive a pass to visit Stardome again.

Learning outcomes: Space science is a field where every new answer leads to more questions and challenges. Students will appreciate the positive outcomes of having a curious mind and asking big questions.

Curriculum links: Level 3 and 4

Resources: You might find these teacher resources useful Introduction to Dawn and Ceres and Cassini-Huygens Spacecraft. You can download all the resources here.

The Stardome education experience can be customised to suit your learning unit to help your students reach their learning potential. Select the topic of study that matches your unit and any of our education planetarium shows and create your Stardome experience. Check out the education show library and visit the other year level pages and then fill in the enquiry form below.