AVAILABLE MINI LESSONS FOR 4TH GRADE

Please choose two to three mini-lessons from the list below.  Then choose one fulldome movie selection from the next section.

1. Patterns and Changes in the  Sky including Day/Night Rotation (4.9.A)

2. Changes in the Moon's Appearance (7.9.B)

3. Landforms, Weathering , Erosion, Deposition with Chant (4.10.B)

4. Water Cycle Lesson and Game (4.10.A)

5. Grade 4 Wow Tour: A quick tour of the Solar System and the Milky Way

6. Cycling of Matter and Flow of Energy in a Constellation Food Chain (4.12AB)

7. Constellations: What, Why, How?

8. If there is something that is not on the list but would be great to see at the Planetarium AND you think I may be able to create it, please email me to discuss! (This will require time for me to create)

FOURTH GRADE OPTIONS: 

Dancing Among the Stars ~25 minutes A beautiful animated look at the motions of the Earth in space that lead to the cycles of the day and night and the parade of the seasons throughout the year as well as the turning of the stars in the sky at night. Subjects that can be challenging and complex, yet important to understand, are made colorful and clear.

Moons: Worlds of Mystery: ~24 minutes This film immerses you in the amazing diversity of moons and tells the story of their important role in shaping our solar system. Follow in the footsteps of astronauts to our silvery Moon, and then venture beyond to unfamiliar and exotic worlds:  the outer planets and their moons. We'll return home with new-found wonder about the dynamic and intricate solar system in which we all live.

Force 5: Nature Revealed ~25 minutes: Experience nature's fury as all of her powerful forces are unleashed. You'll be thrown into the sea to ride out a massive hurricane, swept into the massive funnel cloud of a violent tornado, and launched into the heart of a gigantic solar flare. You'll learn how these phenomena develop over time and how they can turn into cataclysmic events when the forces of nature converge. Produced in cooperation with the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Trailer: https://shows.es.com/Shows/Force5

Habitat Earth: ~24 minutes (also offered in 5th grade) Habitat Earth explores our relationship with the animals, plants and other life forms that make up the many ecosystems on Earth. Dive beneath the ocean’s surface to witness the dynamic ecological relationships within kelp forests, burrow beneath the forest floor to see how some of Earth’s tallest trees depend on tiny fungi to survive, and journey to new heights to witness the intricate intersection between human and ecological networks. Learn how life changes our planet and discover what it means to live in today’s connected world.

Trailer: https://www.spitzcreativemedia.com/shows/habitat-earth/

Expedition Reef ~ 24 Minutes (also offered in 5th grade) Learn about the secrets of the “rainforests of the sea” as you embark on an oceanic safari through the world’s most vibrant—and endangered—marine ecosystems. Narrated by Tony Award® winner Lea Salonga, Expedition Reef immerses you in a spectacular undersea adventure. Discover how corals grow, feed, reproduce, and support over 25% of all marine life on Earth—while facing unprecedented threats from climate change, habitat destruction, and overfishing.

Trailer: https://www.spitzcreativemedia.com/shows/expedition-reef/

Back to the Moon for Good: ~23 minutes: After the Space Race of the 1960s, interest in the Moon quickly waned. The Google Lunar X Prize is hoping to change that, reinvigorating interest in Moon exploration and colonization. This time, however, it's different. A $30-million-dollar prize is being offered to all citizens of the world, not governmental space corporations, for achieving a successful Moon mission. The initiative is designed to instill a new generation with the wonders and importance of space travel and exploration. The criteria for winning the prize will involve landing a module on the surface, travelling at least 500 meters, and returning HD images and videos back to Earth. Established in 2007, the mission deadline has been extended to December 2017, with three teams still in contention as of 2016: SpaceIL, Moon Express and Synergy Moon.

Trailer: https://www.eso.org/public/usa/videos/bttmfg_fd_trailer_en/

Water Cycle  ~15 minutes long: Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, advection, humidity, transpiration, and even evapotranspiration are introduced and taught in this video. We use live action FullDome videography to immerse the audience in the learning experience. This education module ends with a review set to a rap – the “Water Cycle Rap”. Careful, you may find yourself humming the catchy tune well after you are back from the Planetarium! 

Flight to the Moon: LCROSS Mission ~ 9 minutes A mini-show about NASA’s LRO and LCROSS missions to the Moon. In 2009, two unmanned spacecraft, the LRO (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) and LCROSS (Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite) launched together to explore the Moon in new ways. The LRO spacecraft continues to map the moon in unprecedented detail. LCROSS delivered the Centaur impactor into a shaded lunar crater (called “Cabeus”) near the lunar south pole, creating a plume for the spacecraft to fly into and collect data to look for water.

Solar Quest ~ 10 minutes (also offered in 5th grade and secondary grades): Solar Quest is a full dome planetarium short feature that demonstrates how the Sun and Earth are interconnected and that we are “Living with a Star.” High quality animations display solar phenomena such as fusion and light energy as well as solar surface features and events. Granules, solar flares and coronal mass ejections are highlighted. The show discusses the impacts of space weather and how the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field protects all life on Earth.

FULL SHOW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__TMI8HiaR8&t=9s

Solar System Odyssey ~ 30 minutes (also offered in 5th grade and secondary grades): Solar System Odyssey is set in the future, in a time when humans have depleted the resources of their planet. Accompany our hero, Jack Larson, on a mission to discover a new home for humanity as he seeks answers to these questions: How are the worlds of our solar system alike? How are they different? What must those worlds have in order for humans to live there? Take part in an exciting exploration of our cosmic neighborhood, including the icy rings of Saturn, Jupiter's volcano-ridden moon Io and the sub-zero methane lakes of Saturn's moon Titan.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOY9vlEYSF0

Eclipse: The Sun Revealed ~25 minutes The movie is for general audience viewing.  It explains what eclipses are and discusses the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 4th, 2024.