Transcript Starlab - Baltimore County Public Schools

Experiencing the Starlab
A Portable Planetarium
Baltimore County Public Schools
Office of Science, PreK-12
Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
Starlab is a valuable educational tool that
is being used to deliver astronomy
instruction to every elementary school
child in Baltimore County Public Schools.
Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
1. What is Starlab?
Starlab is a 25 ft. portable inflatable planetarium
dome.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
2. How do the students get inside the
Starlab?
Students crawl through a tunnel to get
inside the Starlab.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
Students sit on the floor. The images are
portrayed on the walls and ceiling of
the dome.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
25-30 students can fit inside the Starlab.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
Students with physical handicaps can attend
the programs in the Starlab.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
3. Is the Starlab safe? Yes!
• The bottom of the dome is entirely open.
• It is made of flame retardant material.
• It is Latex free.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
4. How is the Starlab set up?
First, a fan is attached to the dome.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
The dome inflates within 10 minutes.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
Next, the projector is put inside the dome.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
5. What topics are taught in the Starlab?
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Primary programs introduce facts about the:
sun
Milky Way galaxy
planets
phases of the moon
stars
exploration of the moon.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
Intermediate programs introduce facts about:
• star properties
• the planets
• circumpolar stars
• seasonal stars
• space travel
• and the galaxies.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
6. Does Starlab just teach science?
Starlab is an interdisciplinary tool that
teaches:
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Earth Science
Language Arts
Math
Art
Social Studies
Reading
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
7. Do teachers have training prior to
their class coming to the Starlab?
An in-service on the Starlab is provided and
teachers are given packets containing:
• pre/post visit activities
• extension/optional activities
• teacher background information.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
8. Are students assessed on the
information that they learn inside the
Starlab?
Each unit has pre-assessment and post
assessment to collect data.
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
A young man was overheard saying as he
crawled out of the Starlab tunnel, “I liked
Starlab. It was fun and interesting. I
learned a lot about space and the stars.”
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Starlab Portable Planetarium
“It was like sitting in the backyard, but it was
better because you are closer to the stars.”
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