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 C Grade K – 2 Observe, describe and measure changes in the weather, both long term and short term.

Grade K Indicator 4. Observe and describe day-to-day weather changes.

Indicator 5. Observe and describe seasonal changes in weather.

Grade 2 Indicator 4. Observe and describe that some weather changes occur throughout the day and some changes occur in a repeating seasonal pattern.

Indicator 5. Describe weather by measurable quantities such as temperature and precipitation.

Benchmark D Grade 3 - 5 Analyze weather and changes that occur over a period of time.

Grade 4 Indicator 1. Explain that air surrounds us, takes up space, moves around us as wind, and may be measured using barometric pressure.

Indicator 2. Identify how water exists in the air in different forms (e.g., in clouds, fog, rain, snow and hail).

Indicator 3. Investigate how water changes from one state to another (e.g., freezing, melting, condensation and evaporation).

Indicator 4. Describe weather by measurable quantities such as temperature, wind direction, wind speed, precipitation and barometric pressure.

Indicator 5. Record local weather information on a calendar or map and describe changes over a period of time (e.g., barometric pressure, temperature, precipitation symbols and cloud conditions).

Indicator 6. Trace how weather patterns generally move from west to east in the United States.

Benchmark C Grade 6 – 8 Describe interactions of matter and energy throughout the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere.

Grade 7 Indicator 6. Determine how weather observations and measurements are combined to produce weather maps and that data for a specific location atone point in time can be displayed in a station model.

Indicator 8. Describe how temperature and precipitation determine climatic zones (biomes) (e.g., desert, grasslands, forests, tundra and alpine).

Indicator 9. Describe the connection between the water cycle and weather-related phenomenon (e.g., tornadoes, floods, droughts and hurricanes).

Science and Technology

Benchmark A Grade 3 – 5 Describe how technology affects human life.

Grade 4 Indicator 1. Explain how technology from different areas has improved human lives.

Benchmark A Grade 6 – 8 Give examples of how technological advances, influenced by scientific knowledge, affect the quality of life.

Grade 7 Indicator 2. Describe how decisions to develop and use technologies often put environmental and economic concerns in direct competition with each other.

Indicator 3. Recognize that science can only answer some questions and technology can only solve some human problems.

Scientific Inquiry

Benchmark B Grade 3 – 5 Organize and evaluate observations, measurements and other data to formulate inferences and conclusions.

Grade 4 Indicator 2. Analyze a series of events and/or simple daily or seasonal cycles, describe the patterns and infer the next likely occurrences.

Scientific Ways of Knowing

Benchmark C Explain the importance of keeping records of observations and investigations that are accurate and understandable.

Grade 4 Indicator 4. Explain why keeping records of observations and investigations is important.

English Language Arts

Acquisition of Vocabulary

Benchmark A Grades K – 3 Use context clues to determine the meaning of new vocabulary words.

Grade K Indicator 1. Understand new words from the context of conversations or from the use of pictures within a text.

Grade 2 Indicator 10. Determine the meaning and pronunciations of unknown words using a beginner’s dictionary, glossaries and technology.

Communication:Oral and Visual

Benchmark A Grade K – 3 Use active listening strategies to identify the main idea and to gain information from oral presentations.

Grade K Indicator 1. Listen attentively to speakers, stories, poems and songs.

Grade 1 Indicator 1. Use active listening skills, such as making eye contact or asking questions.

Indicator 1. Compare what is heard with prior knowledge and experience.Indicator 3. Follow simple oral directions.

Grade 2 Indicator 1. Use active listening strategies, such as making eye contact and asking for clarification and explanation.

Indicator 2. Compare what is heard with prior knowledge and experience.Indicator 3. Identify the main idea of oral presentations and visual media.Indicator 4. Follow two- and three-step oral directions.

Grade 3 Indicator 1. Ask questions for clarification and explanation, and respond to others’ ideasIndicator 2. Identify the main idea, supporting details and purpose of oral presentations and visual media.

Benchmark E Grade K – 3 Deliver a variety of presentations that include relevant information and a clear sense of purpose.

Grade K Indicator 5. Deliver informal descriptive or informational presentations about ideas or experiences in logical order with a beginning, middle and end.

Grade 1 Indicator 4. Speak clearly and understandably.

Indicator 5. Deliver brief informational presentations that:a. demonstrate an understanding of the topic; b. include and sort relevant information and details to develop topic.

Grade 2 Indicator 8. Deliver informal presentations that: b. demonstrate an understanding of the topic; c. include relevant facts and details to develop a topic.

Grade 3 Indicator 8. Deliver informal presentations that:b. demonstrate an understanding of the topic.

Benchmark A Grade 4 – 7 Use effective listening strategies, summarize major ideas and draw logical inferences from presentations and visual media.

Grade 5 Indicator 1. Demonstrate active listening strategies.

Indicator 2. Interpret the main idea and draw conclusions from oral presentationsand visual media.

Indicator 3. Identify the speaker’s purpose in presentations and visual media.Indicator 9. Deliver formal and informal descriptive presentations recalling an event or personal experience that convey relevant information and descriptive details.

Benchmark B Grade 4 – 7 Explain a speaker’s point of view and use of persuasive techniques in presentations and visual media.

Grade 5 Indicator 1. Demonstrate active listening strategies.

Indicator 2. Interpret the main idea and draw conclusions from oral presentationsand visual media.

Benchmark F Grade 4 – 7 Give presentations using a variety of delivery methods, visual materials and technology.

Grade 5 Indicator 9. Deliver formal and informal descriptive presentations recalling an event or personal experience that convey relevant information and descriptive details.

Benchmark E Grade 8 – 10 Give informational presentations tat present ideas in a logical sequence, include relevant facts and details from multiple sources and use a consistent organization structure.

Grade 8 Indicator 9. Deliver formal and informal descriptive presentations that convey relevant information and descriptive details.

Social Studies

Geography

Benchmark C Grade 6 – 8 Explain how the environment influences the way people live in different places and the consequences of modifying the environment.

Grade 6 Indicator 5. Describe ways human settlements and environmental factors and processes in different places and regions including influence activities: a. bodies of water; b. landforms; c. climates; d. vegetation; weathering; seismic activity.

Mathematics

Data Analysis and Probability

Benchmark A Grade K – 2 Pose questions and gather data about everyday situations and familiar objects.

Grade K Indicator 1. Gather and sort data in response to questions posed by teacher and students; e.g.; how many sisters and brothers, what color shoes.

Grade 1 Indicator 4. Read and interpret charts, picture graphs and bar graphs as sources of information to identify main ideas, draw conclusions, and make predictions.

Indicator 7. Answer questions about the number of objects represented in a picture graph, bar graph or table graph; e.g., category with the most, how many more in a category compared to another, how many altogether in two categories.

Grade 2 Indicator 2. Read, interpret and make comparisons and predictions from data represented in charts, line plots, picture graphs, and bar graphs.

Grade 3 Indicator 8. Identify the mode of a data set and describe the information it gives about a data set.

Grade 4 Indicator 5. Propose and explain interpretations and predictions basedon data displayed in tables, charts and graphs.

Grade 5 Indicator 3. Read and interpret increasingly complex displays of data,such as double bar graphs.

Grade 6 Indicator 6. Make logical inferences from statistical data.