Experiencing the Starlab

1. Experiencing the Starlab A Portable Planetarium Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12 Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

2. Starlab Portable Planetarium Starlab is a valuable educational tool that is being used to deliver astronomy instruction to every elementary school child in Baltimore County Public Schools. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

3. Starlab Portable Planetarium • 1. What is Starlab? • Starlab is a 25 ft. portable inflatable planetarium dome. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

4. Starlab Portable Planetarium 2. How do the students get inside the Starlab? Students crawl through a tunnel to get inside the Starlab. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

5. Starlab Portable Planetarium Students sit on the floor. The images are portrayed on the walls and ceiling of the dome. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

6. Starlab Portable Planetarium 25-30 students can fit inside the Starlab. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

7. Starlab Portable Planetarium Students with physical handicaps can attend the programs in the Starlab. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

8. Starlab Portable Planetarium 3. Is the Starlab safe? Yes! • The bottom of the dome is entirely open. • It is made of flame retardant material. • It is Latex free. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

9. Starlab Portable Planetarium 4. How is the Starlab set up? First, a fan is attached to the dome. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

10. Starlab Portable Planetarium The dome inflates within 10 minutes. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

11. Starlab Portable Planetarium Next, the projector is put inside the dome. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

12. Starlab Portable Planetarium • What topics are taught in the Starlab? Primary programs introduce facts about the: • sun • Milky Way galaxy • planets • phases of the moon • stars • exploration of the moon. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

13. Starlab Portable Planetarium Intermediate programs introduce facts about: • star properties • the planets • circumpolar stars • seasonal stars • space travel • and the galaxies. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

14. Starlab Portable Planetarium 6. Does Starlab just teach science? Starlab is an interdisciplinary tool that teaches: • Earth Science • Language Arts • Math • Art • Social Studies • Reading Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

15. Starlab Portable Planetarium 7. Do teachers have training prior to their class coming to the Starlab? An in-service on the Starlab is provided and teachers are given packets containing: • pre/post visit activities • extension/optional activities • teacher background information. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

16. Starlab Portable Planetarium 8. Are students assessed on the information that they learn inside the Starlab? Each unit has pre-assessment and post assessment to collect data. Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

17. Starlab Portable Planetarium A young man was overheard saying as he crawled out of the Starlab tunnel, “I liked Starlab. It was fun and interesting. I learned a lot about space and the stars.” Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12

18. Starlab Portable Planetarium “It was like sitting in the backyard, but it was better because you are closer to the stars.” Baltimore County Public Schools Office of Science, PreK-12