STARLAB PLANETARIUM

Weather

Inside the planetarium students view the Earth’s atmospheric circulation patterns including location of the wind systems and jet streams, as well as high and low pressure masses.

Science

Earth and Space Science

Benchmark B (Grade 9-10): Explain that many processes occur in patterns within the Earth’s systems.

Grade 9 Indicator 4. Explain the relationships of oceans to the lithosphere and atmosphere.

Grade 10 Indicator 1. Summarize the relationship between the climatic zone and the resultant biomes. Indicator 2. Explain climate and weather patterns associated with certain geographic locations and features

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. Indicator 3. Explain heat and energy transfers in and out of the atmosphere and its involvement in weather and climate.

(radiation, conduction, convection and advection). Indicator 4. Explain the impact of oceanic and atmospheric currents on weather and climate. Indicator 5. Use appropriate data to analyze and predict upcoming trends in global weather patterns. Indicator 10. Interpret weather maps and their symbols to predict changing weather conditions worldwide.

Grade 12 Indicator 5. Investigate how thermal energy transfers in the world’s oceans impact physical features and weather patterns.

Physical Sciences

Benchmark D (Grade 11-12): Apply principles of forces and motion to mathematically analyze, describe and predict the net effects on objects or systems.

Grade 12 Indicator 8. Describe how the observed wavelength of a wave depends upon the relative motion of the source and the observer (Doppler effect). If either is moving towards the other, the observed wavelength is shorter; if either is moving away, the observed wavelength is longer (e.g., weather radar, bat echoes and police radar).

Scientific Inquiry

Benchmark A (grade 9-10): Participate in and apply the processes of scientific investigation to create models and to design conduct, evaluate and communicate the results of these investigations.

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 3. Recognize that science is a systematic method of continuing investigation, based on observation, hypotheses testing, measurement, experimentation, and theory building, which leads to more adequate explanations of natural phenomena.

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.

Grade 11 Indicator 3. Demonstrate that scientific explanations adhere to established criteria, for example a proposed explanation must be logically consistent, it must abide by the rules of evidence and it must be open to questions and modification. Indicator 7. Explain how theories are judged by how well they fit with other theories, the range of included observations, how well they explain observations and how effective they are in predicting new findings.

Grade 12 Indicator 1. Give examples that show how science is a social endeavor in which scientist share their knowledge with the expectation that it will be challenged continuously by the scientific community and others.

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

Grade 12 Indicator 10. Describe costs and trade-offs of various hazards-ranging from those with minor risk to a few people, to major catastrophes with major risk to many people. The scale of events and the accuracy with which scientists and engineers can (and cannot) predict events are important considerations. 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?”

Social Studies

People in Society

Benchmark C (Grade 9-10): Analyze the ways that contact between people of different cultures result in exchanges of cultural practices.

Grade 9 Indicator 3. Explain how advances in communication ad transportation have impacted c. The environment;

English Language Arts

Reading Process: Concepts of Print, Comprehension Strategies and Self-Monitoring Strategies

Benchmark B (Grade 8, 9, 10, 11) Demonstrate comprehension of print, electronic text and visual material by responding to questions. Indicator 2. Answer literal, inferential, evaluative and synthesizing questions to demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate print texts and electron and visual material.

Reading Applications: Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text

Benchmark A (Grade 8, 9, 10): Evaluate how features and characteristics make information accessible and usable and how structures help authors achieve their purposes. Indicator 3. Analyze information found in maps, charts, tables, graphs, diagrams, cutaways and overlays.

Writing Applications

Benchmark D (Grades 8, 9, 10, 11): Determine the usefulness of organizers and apply appropriate pre-writing tasks.

Indicator 6. Produce informal writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.

Communication: Oral and Visual

Benchmark A (Grades 8, 9, 10, 11): Use a variety of strategies to enhance listening comprehension. Indicator 1. Apply active listening strategies in a variety of settings.

Benchmark B (Grades 8, 9, 10) Analyze the techniques used by speakers and media to influence and audience, and evaluate the effect this has on the credibility of a speaker or media message. Indicator 3. Analyze the credibility of the speaker 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.

Benchmark D (Grades 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) Demonstrate an understanding of effective speaking strategies by selecting appropriate language and adjusting presentation techniques. Indicator 9. Deliver formal and informal descriptive presentations that convey relevant information and descriptive details.

Mathematics

Patterns, Functions and Algebra Standard

Benchmark C (Grade 10) Translate information from one representation to another representation of a relation or function. Indicator 11. Solve real-work problems that can be modeled, using systems of linear equations and inequalities.

Data Analysis and Probability Standard

Benchmark D (Grade 12) Connect statistical techniques to applications in workplace and consumer situations.