This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Schools

Home School Astronomy Classes

Home School Astronomy:
Exploring
the Solar System
Our Solar System
    - This introductory class will take students on a journey from the creation of our solar system to the present   day. Learn how our sun and planets formed, how we measure outer space, and the structure of our solar system. Students will act   out the Solar System to help them understand how immensely far apart the planets are.
Our Sun     - What powers the Sun? This class will provide an introduction into nuclear fusion, properties of the fourth state of matter, as well as   the structure and composition of the Sun. Also, learn about the many ways that our star affects our solar system.
The Rocky Inner Planets     - Explore the four inner planets. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are four very different and interesting worlds. Learn about   the formation and characteristics of rocky planets. We will visit each rocky planet in the planetarium and learn about its unique environment.
The Gas Giant Outer Planets     - Discover the four outer planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune are balls of gas hundreds of times the size of our Earth. Learn   about the bizarre weather patterns that rage in their cold atmospheres. There is much to learn and much still to learn about these ever-changing worlds.
The Moons of Our Solar System     - Our moon is the only place in space that humans have visited, so far. Learn about where our moon came from and what Earth would be   like without it. Then we will explore some of the other planets’ moons. Discover frigid oceans, ice volcanoes, and more on the moons of the Gas Giants.
Asteroids, Comets, and Dwarf Planets     - There has been a lot of buzz lately in the astronomy community about the smaller objects in our solar system. Learn about Pluto and what   scientific discoveries lead to its reclassification as a Dwarf Planet. Explore the outer reaches of our solar system where comets come from.
Exploration of our Solar System     - Learn about the past, present, and future space missions. See the planets through the eyes of the many orbiters and landers we have sent into space. Also   learn about the history and future of human space flight.
Could We Terraform Mars or Venus?     Terraforming is the idea of using science and technology to transform the landscape and atmosphere of an inhospitable planet to make it more like Earth. Right   now, this idea is purely science fiction; however, there are some people who think it might be possible to transform our nearest neighbors, Mars or Venus. The students in this final class will work in groups   and use what they learned about the planets, the sun, and the rest of the solar system to decide if some day we could transform these planets.
Telescope Night:     Included in this class is a telescope evening. The date of this night is still to be determined and will be based on weather and student availability. Planetarium staff will show students how to set   up and use a telescope. Students are welcome to bring their own ‘scopes if they have them or use ours.
Click for Pricing information and to Register Online!
Our Home School Astronomy Class is for students between the ages of 10 and 14. Parents are welcomed to audit the class for a fee. Younger   children are not permitted in the planetarium during class time. Parents with younger children can tour The Children’s Museum free of charge   during the class period. For more information about our Home School Astronomy Class please contact Assistant Planetarium Director, Kyra Elliott at   860.231.2824 x24 or kelliott@thechildrensmuseumct.org   • One hour of lecture, accompanied by use of the planetarium   dome/projector to illustrate concepts.   • One hour lab/activity period where the students will see special   science demonstrations and participate in hands-on activities relating to   the topic of the lecture.   • Key concepts and terminology used by astronomers, as well as applications of   chemistry, physics, geology, and meteorology.   • Take home information.
Where     - The Travelers ScienceDome Planetarium (950 Trout Brook Drive West Hartford, CT)
When-     Thursdays 1:00 - 3:00 PM starting February 1st (Skipping Feb. 23rd); 8 weeks.
Join us in Connecticut’s largest digital planetarium
for a special eight week class! Winter of 2012.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?