StarLab

If you can't come to Drake Planetarium, we will come to you with StarLab, our portable planetarium. It is an inflatable dome capable of accommodating up to 25 students. Inside the dome, a cylinder projector is not only able to show us the night sky devoid of any light pollution; it can take us on a journey from the South Pole to the Equator and on to the North Pole. We can see the sky as it looks right now in Ohio as well as at the far end of the Australian outback. We can observe our whole galaxy and study the Solar System. We can look deep beneath the Earth's crust to see the tectonic plates and study causes and effects of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.

StarLab can also serve as a great vehicle for exploring different cultures. We can see the sky through the eyes of ancient Egyptians and Greeks, learn the legends of ancient China and Africa, and study the tales of Native Americans.

We will turn your students natural curiosity into a hunger to learn more. Our 14 foot inflatable dome will give your classes a day or week of exciting instruction. All we need is a large meeting room or gym to set up in. Choose the dome for one day or design an entire Space Week for your school. Forget about transportation costs, permission slips, and organizational headaches. We come to you for a fraction of the cost of a traditional field trip -- and it's worth every penny!

Telling Time With The Stars

Take your students on a journey through the night sky. Students will use this lab to experience to observe changes in the day and night sky due to rotation and revolution. They will use this information to navigate their way through the stars.

Colors in Space

This star program takes students on a tour through space using the electromagnetic spectrum. Students will learn about stars by discovering their colors, temperatures and exploring ideas in reflection and refraction.

Students in this program use the concepts of rotation and revolution to find objects in the night sky. Your fifth graders will create constellation cards, introducing and reinforcing concepts of seasonal and circumpolar constellations. Students will also use these cards to find directions and locate deep sky objects in the night sky.

Students will use the visible effects of rotation and revolution to navigate through the night sky. Seasonal and circumpolar constellations will be introduced through laboratory activitiy, and students will create a seasonal clock using the strs as a guide.

Special Programs

Project: Planet Search

Students will explore the universe like never before. They will collect data on our nine planets and will travel to the stars to find which planets are visible in our own night sky.

Native Anerican Mythology

Students will explore the stars using myths and legends from Native American tribes in North America. Students will learn how these stories explained natural phenomena occuring in the night sky.

African Mythology

Students will explore the stars using myths and legends from the African sulture. Students will learn how these stories explained natural phenomena occuring in the night sky.

Follow The Drinking Gourd

The drinking gourd program illustrates how African-American slaves followed the Big Dipper in the sky to navigate their way to freedom in the North. Your students will use this story to navigate their way through the starry sky. Older students will also use the secrets of the drinking gourd story and a Dipper clock to find directions outside and navigate their way through the night sky.