STARLAB PLANETARIUM

Solar System and Constellations

Learn about the Milky Way Galaxy, the Sun, and the planets. Then head to the Starfield and view the night sky, and the different constellations that are in our night sky, such as the Big Dipper, the North Star, Orion the Hunter, and Leo the Lion.

Science

Earth and Space Sciences

Benchmark C Explain the 4.5 billion-year-history of Earth and the 4 billion-year-history of life on Earth based on observable scientific evidence in the geologic record.

Grade 9 Indicator 3. Explain that gravitational forces govern the characteristics and movement patterns of the planets, comets and asteroids in the solar system.

Benchmark A Grade 11, 12: Explain how technology can be used to gather evidence and increase our understanding of the universe.

Grade 11 Indicator 1. Describe how the early Earth was different from the planet we live on today, and explain the formation of the sun, Earth and the rest of the solar system from a nebular cloud of dust and gas approximately 4.5 billion years ago.

Grade 12 Indicator 1. Explain how scientists obtain information about the universe by using technology to detect electromagnetic radiation that is emitted, reflected or absorbed by stars and other objects. Indicator 2. Explain how the large-scale motion of objects in the universe is governed by gravitational forces and detected by observing electromagnetic radiation. Indicator 3. Explain how information about the universe is inferred by understanding that stars and other objects in space emit, reflect or absorb electromagnetic radiation, which we then detect. Indicator 4. Explain how astronomers infer that the whole universe is expanding by understanding how light seen from distant galaxies has longer apparent wavelengths than comparable light sources close to Earth.

Benchmark B Grade 11, 12: Describe how Earth is made up of a series of interconnected systems and how a change in one system affects other systems.

Grade 11 Indicator 2. Analyze how the regular and predictable motions of Earth, sun and moon explain phenomena on Earth.

Benchmark F Grades 9-10: Summarize the historical development of scientific theories and ideas, and describe emerging issues in the study of Earth and space sciences.

Grade 9 Indicator 8. Use historical examples to explain how new ideas are limited by the context in which they are conceived; are often initially rejected by the scientific establishment; sometimes spring from unexpected findings; and usually grow slowly through contributions from many different investigators.

Grade 10 Indicator 9. Describe advances and issues in Earth and space science that have important long-lasting effects on science and society.

Benchmark A Grade 9-10: Explain how evidence from stars and other celestial objects provide information about the processes that cause changes in the composition and scale of the physical universe.
Benchmark B Grade 9-10: Explain that many processes occur in patterns within the Earth’s systems.
 

Life Sciences

Benchmark A Grades 11, 12 Explain how processes at the cellular level affect the functions and characteristics of an organism.

Physical Sciences

Grade 12 Indicator 9. Describe how gravitational forces act between all masses and always create a force of attraction. Recognize that the strength of the force is proportional to the masses and weakens rapidly with increasing distance between them.

Benchmark A Grade 9-10: Describe that matter is made of minute particles called atoms and atoms are comprised of even smaller components. Explain the structure and properties of atoms.
Benchmark B Grade 9-10: Explain how atoms react with each other to form other substances and how molecules react with each other or other atoms to form even different substances.
Benchmark D Grade 9-10: Explain the movement of objects by applying Newton’s three laws of motion.
Benchmark G Grades 9-10: Demonstrate that waves (e.g., sound, seismic, water and light) have energy and waves can transfer energy when they interact with matter.
 

Science and Technology

Grade 11 Indicator 1. Identify that science and technology are essential social enterprises but alone they can only indicate what can happen, not what should happen. Realize the latter involves human decisions about the use of knowledge. Indicator 2. Predict how decisions regarding the implementation of technologies involve the weighing of trade-offs between predicted positive and negative effects on the environment and/or humans.

Grade 12 Indicator 1. Explain how science often advances with the introduction of new technologies and how solving technological problems often results in new scientific knowledge. Indicator 2. Describe how new technologies often extend the current levels of scientific understanding and introduce new areas of research. Indicator 3. Research how scientific inquiry is driven by the desire to understand the natural world and how technological design is driven by the need to meet human needs and solve human problems. Indicator 4. Explain why basic concepts and principles of science and technology should be a part of active debate about the economics, policies, politics and ethics of various science-related and technology-related challenges.

Scientific Ways of Knowing

Benchmark A Grade 9, 10: Explain that scientific knowledge must be based on evidence, be predictive, logical, subject to modification and limited to the natural world.

Grade 10 Indicator 2. Describe that scientists may disagree about explanations of phenomena, about interpretation of data or about the value of rival theories, but they do agree that questioning, response to criticism and open communication are integral to the process of science. Indicator 3. Recognize that science is a systematic method of continuing investigation, based on observation, hypothesis testing, measurement, experimentation, and theory building, which leads to more adequate explanations of natural phenomena.

Benchmark B Grade 9, 10: Explain how scientific inquiry is guided by knowledge, observations, ideas and questions.

Grade 9 Indicator 5. Justify that scientific theories are explanations of large bodies of information and/or observations that withstand repeated testing. Indicator 6. Explain that inquiry fuels observation and experimentation that produce data that are the foundation of scientific disciplines. Theories are explanations of these data. Indicator 7. Recognize that scientific knowledge and explanations have changed over time, almost always build on earlier knowledge.

Benchmark D Grade 9-10: Recognize that scientific literacy is part of being a knowledgeable citizen.

Grade 9 Indicator 8. Illustrate that much can be learned about the internal workings of science and the nature of science from the study of scientists, their daily work and their efforts to advance scientific knowledge in the area of study. Indicator 9. Investigate how the knowledge, skills and interests learned in science classes apply to the careers students plant to pursue.

Benchmark A Grade 11, 12: Explain how scientific evidence is used to develop and revise scientific predictions, ideas or theories.

Grade 12 Indicator 1. Give examples that show how science is a social endeavor in which scientists share their knowledge with the expectation that it will be challenged continuously by the scientific community and others. Indicator 5. Describe how individuals and teams contribute to science and engineering at different levels of complexity.

Benchmark C Grade 11, 12: Explain how societal issues and considerations affect the progress of science and technology.

Grade 11 Indicator 8. Explain that the decision to develop a new technology is influenced by societal opinions and demands and by cost benefit considerations.

Grade 12 Indicator 8. Recognize that individuals and society must decide on proposals involving new research and the introduction of new technologies into society. Decisions involve assessment of alternative, risks, costs and benefits and consideration of who benefits and who suffers, who pays and gains, and what the risks are and who bears them. Indicator 9. Recognize the appropriateness and value of basic questions “What can happen?” “What are the odds?” and “How do scientists and engineers know what will happen?” Indicator 10. Recognize that social issues and challenges can affect progress in science and technology.

Mathematics

Number, Number Sense and Operations

Benchmark A Grade 8-10: Use scientific notation to express large numbers and numbers less than one.
Measurement
Benchmark A Grades 8-10: Use proportional reasoning and apply indirect measurement techniques, including right triangle trigonometry and properties of similar triangles to solve problems involving measurements and rates.
Mathematical Processes
Benchmark A Grades 8-10: Apply mathematical knowledge and skills routinely in other content areas and practical situations.
Benchmark I Grades 8-10: Estimate, compute and solve problems involving scientific notation, square roots and numbers with integer exponents.
Measurement
Benchmark F Grades 8-10: Write and solve real-world, multi-step problems involving money, elapsed time and temperature, and verify reasonableness of solutions.

Geometry and Spatial Sense

Benchmark I Grades 8-10: Use right triangle trigonometric relationships to determine lengths and angle measures.

Benchmark A Grades 11-12: Represent and compute with complex numbers.
Measurement
Benchmark D Grades 11-12: Solve problem situations involving derived measurements; e.g., density, acceleration.
 

English Language Arts

Communication: Oral and Visual

Benchmark A Grade 8 –12: Use a variety of learning strategies to enhance listening comprehension.

Indicator 1. Apply active listening strategies (e.g., monitoring message for clarity, selecting and organizing essential information, noting cues such as changes in pace) in a variety of settings.

Benchmark B Grade 8 – 10: Analyze the techniques used by speakers and media to influence an audience, and evaluate the effect this has on the credibility of a speaker or media message.

Grade 9 – 10 Indicator 3. Analyze the credibility of the speaker (e.g., hidden agendas, slanted or biased material) and recognize fallacies of reasoning used in presentations and media messages.

Grade 11 – 12 Indicator 3. Critique the clarity, effectiveness and overall coherence of a speaker’s key points.

Acquisition of Vocabulary

Benchmark F Grades 8-10 Use multiple resources to enhance comprehension of vocabulary.

Communication: Oral and Visual

Benchmark A Grades 8-10: Evaluate the content and purpose of a presentation by analyzing the language and delivery choices made by a speaker.

Benchmark A Grades 11-12: Use multiple resources to enhance comprehension of vocabulary.

Communication: Oral and Visual

Benchmark A Grades 11-12: Evaluate the clarity, quality, effectiveness and overall coherence of a speaker’s key points, arguments, evidence, and organization of ideas, delivery, diction and syntax.

Social Studies Benchmarks

History

Benchmark A Grades 9-10: Identify major historical patterns in the domestic affairs of the United States during the 20th century and explain their significance.

Benchmark B Grades 11-12: Use historical interpretations to explain current issues.