Room 215 went to a galaxy, far, far away! Actually, just a few miles away to Raritan Valley Community College to visit the planetarium. We were accompanied by Room 217, and decided to conclude the Science marking period about the Earth, Moon and the Sun, to a sensory-friendly field trip to a planetarium show. Inside of the all-dome theater was an educational program about the universe. It featured songs about the planets, constellations, a film about Neil Armstrong and his crew on the moon, as well as the deep space using a SkySkan DigitalSky system. After the show, students perused the gift shop and toured the tunnel which delved into exhibits such as: the infrared light, the various moon phases, and the Earth and the moon.
The science curriculum for this marking period honed in on the solar system, particularly the planet we live on, its moon and the importance of the Sun. In addition, we explored the various phases of the moon using Oreo cookies to visualize the light and dark parts of the moon. Lastly, students visited Midland’s Science lab to view a model of the planets’ placement around the sun and how orbiting around the sun creates day and night.
The field trip to the planetarium provided an extension to the science unit. It generalized a learning experience for students using a sensory-friendly approach of dimming the lights and using a low voice level during the presentations.
Thank you to Raritan Valley Community College for a trip through the universe! #RVCCplanetarium
