SCHOOL GROUP SHOW INFORMATION
For
reservations or more information, call
the Planetarium at (908) 231-8805
Monday-Friday from 8:30am to 4:00pm,
or
e-mail us at: planet@raritanval.edu
All
shows run approximately 45 minutes.
Fee: $7 per
person for one show.
$12 per person for two shows.
One adult is free with every ten students. Minimum group size:
15 students.
There is a $105 minimum charge for any group
seeing one program, and $180 for any group seeing two programs.
That price covers 15 people. If you bring more, the rates
above apply.
Preschool - Kindergarten
ROCKIN' ROCKET RIDE
Designed for Preschool - Kindergarten
Put on your space suit and blast-off into outer space to visit the
Moon, Sun and planets. A lively experience for young people with
selected music from "Journey Into Space" by Jane Murphy.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: Science: 5.1.PA,
5.1.PB, 5.1.PC, 5.4.2A, 5.4.4A, 5.4.6A
SKY LIGHTS
Laser and Video Concert
Recommended for PreK and K.
Our youngest audience members can sing along with songs by mr. RAY (Family
Ride, Kalien the Alien) and Jane Murphy (Moon Rock Rock, The
Planet Song). Some songs are illustrated with lasers and other
songs feature video images.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: 5.1.PC, 5.4.2A,
5.4.4A, 5.4.6A
Grades
1-3
SPACE SHAPES &
TYCHO to the MOON
Designed for Grades K – 3
We begin by exploring shapes: are the Moon and its orbit "round" like a ball or a
pancake? Play connect-the-dots with the stars to find
triangles and squares and constellations. Fly around the solar
system to learn about the planets. Then meet Tycho,
a dog who doesn’t just howl at the Moon, but wants to go there.
Blast off on an amazing ride. Learn about night and day, space
travel, the phases of the Moon, and features of the lunar surface.
Take a close up look at the Sun, watch the effects of gravity, see
the Earth from space, and watch meteors shoot across the sky.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: 5.1.PC, 5.4.2A,
5.4.4A, 5.4.6A
NEW!
MAGIC TREE HOUSE: SPACE MISSION
Designed for Grades K –
4
What would you do
if you found a note with lots of question on it? "How many
stars in the starry night sky? If we flew to the Sun, how long
would we fly? Will we travel to planets and will it be soon?
Will we ever be able to live on the Moon? How does it feel to
journey through space? Why is our Earth so special a place?" From the authors
of the best selling novel series, join Jack and Annie as they
discover the secrets of the Sun, Moon, planets, space travel, and
more. Who can help them answer the mysterious "M's" questions?
Morehead Planetarium, creators of "Magic Tree House: Space Mission,"
has created an
educator's guide.
The LITTLE STAR THAT COULD
Designed for grades 1 - 3
Travel with an average
yellow star on his quest to get a “name” and a planet to call his
own. A “cool” red star, a “hot” blue star, a dying star, double
stars, and the Milky Way Galaxy teach the Little Star some important
things about being a star. Imagine Little Star’s surprise when he
discovers planets already going around him! This show is a great
introduction to the different kinds of stars in space as well as the
planets in our solar system. After the story, we’ll discover some
of the stars and constellations we can see in tonight’s sky.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: 5.1.PC, 5.4.2A,
5.4.4A, 5.4.6A, 5.4.12A
The SECRET of the CARDBOARD ROCKET
Designed for grades 1 - 3
Students travel with two adventurous youngsters in their cardboard
rocket as they explore the Sun and the planets of the solar system.
This show is designed to encourage the use of libraries, enhance
language skills and develop individual imagination.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: 5.1.PC, 5.4.2A,
5.4.4A, 5.4.6A
FOLLOW the DRINKING GOURD
Designed for grades 2 - 4
Learn to find the Big Dipper
and several other constellations in our night sky. Then, we’ll go
back in time as a slave trying to escape oppression. Follow the Big
Dipper through a frightful but rewarding voyage out of slavery. Run
through the rivers, forests, fields and mountains while trying to
find a helping hand to freedom. Sing along with the slaves who used
the song of the Drinking Gourd to travel north on foot from Alabama
to Canada. Based on Jeanette Winters’ book by the same title, this
show describes the astronomy behind the slave song “Follow the
Drinking Gourd.”
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: Science: 5.1.PC,
5.4.2A, 5.4.4A, 5.4.6A, 5.4.8A, Social Studies: 6.1.4A, 6.1.4C,
6.1.4D
Grades 3-5
EARTH, MOON, and SUN (and COYOTE)
Designed for grades 2 - 5
Coyote has a razor-sharp wit, but he’s a little confused about what
he sees in the sky. Join this amusing character (adapted from
Native American oral traditions) in a fast-paced and fun, full-dome
show that tells Native American stories, explores lunar phases,
eclipses, and other puzzles. Engaging and immersive, “Earth, Moon &
Sun” also examines how humans learn through space exploration. This
program is paired with a brief tour of the current night sky.
Morehead Planetarium, creators of "Earth, Moon, and Sun," has
created an
educator's guide.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: Science: 5.1.PC,
5.4.2A, 5.4.4A, 5.4.6A, 5.4.8A, Social Studies: 6.1.4D
The PROBLEM with PLUTO
Designed for Grades 3 – 6
Follow Lucy on her trip through the solar system as she gathers data
on Pluto’s status as a planet. Discover current information about
the planets and investigate where Pluto belongs in the overall
structure of the solar system. This program is paired with a brief tour of the current night sky.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: 5.1.PC, 5.4.4A,
5.4.6A, 5.4.8A5.4.12A
Grades 5-12
NEW!
SOLAR SYSTEM ODYSSEY
Designed for
Grades 4-12
Go on a
futuristic journey through our Solar System. With Earth's
resources being rapidly depleted, a tycoon sends our hero, Jack
Larson, on a mission to discover a new home to colonize. This
character-driven show is perfect for middle school students!
Morehead Planetarium, creators of "Solar System Odyssey," has
created a
trailer and
curriculum guide for the show.
NEW!
NATURAL SELECTION
Designed for
Grades 5-12
Join the young
Charles Darwin on an adventurous voyage of exploration
circumnavigating the world with the HMS Beagle. In Victorian
times, many physical phenomena were already discovered and described
by natural laws, but life's most eloquent mechanism was still
unknown. How could new species arise to replace those lost in
extinction? It was time for someone to stand up and come forth
with a naturalist explanation of this mystery of mysteries.
Witness the thrill of scientific discovery by seeing the world
through Darwin's eyes, make observations of the most beautiful
natural scenery, and let the pieces of the scientific puzzle slowly
but surely fall into place. Allow Darwin himself to reveal
this simple and most beautiful mechanism that explains the evolution
of all life on Earth: natural selection, the single most wonderful
idea anyone has ever had.
NEW!
BLACK HOLES
Designed for
Grades 5-12
Black Holes takes
you on a journey through one of the most mystifying, awe-inspiring
phenomena in the universe: a black hole. Where do they come
from? Where do they go? How do we find them? Is
there one on Earth's horizon? Explore the science and mystery
of Black Holes.
MOONS
of the SOLAR SYSTEM
Designed for grades 5 - 12
The year 2009 celebrated 400 years since Galileo first turned his
telescope up to the sky and turned the scientific and religious
worlds upside down. We will observe our Moon changing in the
sky, recreate Galileo's observations of Jupiter, when he discovered
four moons circling the giant planet, and fly by some of those
moons.
A live interactive presentation in four stages
1. Observing the Moon from Earth
2. Modeling Moon Phases with a Moon
Ball
3. Tracking Jupiter’s moons as seen
from Earth. (Recreates Galileo’s observations)
4. Tour of moons around Mars,
Jupiter, and Saturn as time allows. This portion is accurately
displayed as if the audience is in a spaceship orbiting the planet.
The show ends with a quick trip back to Earth.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: Science: 5.1.PC,
5.1.4A, 5.1.4B, 5.1.4C, 5.4.4A, Social Studies: 6.2.12D
TWO SMALL PIECES OF GLASS
Designed for grades 5 - 12
"Two
Small Pieces of Glass" traces the history of the telescope from
Galileo’s modifications to a child’s spyglass—using
two small pieces of
glass—to the launch of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and the future
of
astronomy. It explores the wonder and discovery made by astronomers
through out the last 400 years. "Two Small Pieces of Glass"
runs about 30 minutes, and is paired with an introduction
to the stars & constellations we can see in tonight's sky.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: 5.4.12A
ASTRONOMYTHS
Designed for grades 5 - 12
The Autumn Skies are full of myth and
science. Learn some of the Greek mythology associated with the
constellations, then look beyond the stories to discover the deep
sky objects hidden within: binary star systems, star clusters, and
giant galaxies."AstronoMyths"
runs about 30 minutes, and is paired with an introduction
to the stars & constellations we can see in tonight's sky.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: 5.4.12A
INFINITY EXPRESS &
How Big is the Universe
Designed for grades 6 - 12
A remarkable blend of science, art, and entertainment, "Infinity
Express" takes the audience on an exciting journey of discovery,
from the search for solar systems to the mapping of the Universe.
Dramatically communicating the latest breakthroughs in our quest to
understand the Cosmos, this shows features our new planetarium
technology, all-dome video! "Infinity Express" runs 25
minutes, and is paired with "How Big is the Universe."
A live interactive presentation based on the film “Powers of Ten”,
this program surveys distances and sizes of things in the Universe.
How do astronomers know the distances to objects in space? The
program starts with ordinary objects and travels out to the Moon,
Sun, nearby stars, through the Milky Way galaxy to the nearby
galaxies. Parallax, radar and comparing brightness of objects
measure distances.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: 5.1.PC, 5.4.4A,
5.4.6A, 5.4.12A
The Planets
– Grades 6 – 12
Question and answers test students’ knowledge of the planets in our solar system. The audience
find themselves transported from planet to planet, immersed in
spectacularly different environments. Great fun, the show also has
enough facts and concepts to provide real educational value.
This program also includes a live tour of the current night sky
and/or a trip out of our solar system to see where planets have been
discovered around other stars.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: 5.1.PC, 5.4.4A,
5.4.6A, 5.4.8A, 5.4.2G
S.E.T.I. –
Grades 6 – 12
The prospect that we may not be alone in the universe is taken as a
fact by the movies, writers, and a great many scientists. As yet,
we have no hard evidence of another living thing outside Planet
Earth. S.E.T.I. – The Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence – is
a show that explores all sides of this topic, from the planets we
are finding around other stars, to the feasibility of traveling to
the stars, and what aliens might actually be like, to the
possibility that UFOs have been visiting and the various methods
that scientists are using to get in touch. Will we make contact in
our lifetimes? This stunning immersive show guides you through the
myriad of ideas to a surprising conclusion. This program also
includes a live tour of the current night sky and/or a trip out of
our solar system to see where planets have been discovered around
other stars.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: 5.1.PC, 5.4.4A,
5.4.6A, 5.4.12A, 5.4.8C, 5.4.2G
LIVE
SEASONAL STAR SHOW
Modified for each group, grades 3 - 12
Introduce your students to the wonders of the day and night sky. This program
can be tailored to your needs. Please choose one or two of the
topics listed:
* locating stars, constellations, and planets in the current
evening sky, stories of the constellations, movement of objects
across the sky.
* Seasons
* Moon Phases
* Coordinate Systems
* Daily and Annual
Motion of the Sky and Planets.
* Call to discuss
topics you’d like to cover during this show.
Related NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards: 5.1.PC, 5.1.4A,
5.1.4B, 5.4.2A, 5.4.4A, 5.4.6A, 5.4.8A,
5.4.12A, 5.4.12F
LASER LIGHT CONCERTS
Watch lasers draw pictures on the dome while music plays.
Fee: $7.00
per person for school groups, $12.00 per person for two shows on the
same day.
Schools get one adult free for every ten students who attend.
Minimum group size: 15 students.
SKY LIGHTS laser
and video concert
Our youngest audience members can sing along with songs by mr.
RAY (Family Ride, Kalien the Alien) and Jane Murphy (Moon
Rock Rock, The Planet Song). Some songs are illustrated with
lasers and other songs feature video images. Recommended for PreK
and K.
LASER KIDS
An introduction to how a laser works is followed by popular
music from the 60’s, 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, like Little Deuce
Coupe, The Lion Sleeps Tonight, The Adams Family theme song, and
more. Recommended for grades 1-5.
LASER KIDS 2
Features songs including Fireflies, You're the One
that I Want, Hot, Hot, Hot, and
more. Recommended for grades 1-5.
LIGHT WAVES
Features songs by The Beatles, Ke$ha, Owl City, Moby,
and U2.
Recommended for grades 4 and up.
Rock Laser
Concerts
Looking for more rock and roll? We’ve got Pink Floyd, Led
Zeppelin, ELO, Beatles, Legends of Rock, and more. Recommended for
grades 6-adult.
FRIGHT LIGHT
A Halloween Laser Show with Monster Mash, Thriller and
the theme from Ghostbusters. Recommended for grades 3 and up.
WINTER WONDER LIGHT
Laser Show featuring holiday music, including Jingle Bells,
Santa Baby and others. Recommended for grades 1 and up.
Educational Shows Performance Information:
Show times are Monday - Friday at
10:00 a.m.
11:00 a.m.
12 Noon
1:00 p.m.
Admission Fee: $7.00 per person for groups of 15 or more
or $12.00 per person for two planetarium shows on the same day.
There is a minimum group charge of $105 for one show and $180 for two
shows.
One adult admitted free for every 10 students.
Reservations are required at least two weeks prior to performance.
Our February - June calendar fills up very quickly. Please
call early in the school year to reserve your trip.
For reservations or more information, call
the Planetarium at (908) 231-8805
Monday-Friday from 8:30am to 4:00pm,
or
e-mail us at:
planet@raritanval.edu |
