Program Descriptions | Planetarium

See also: the Teachers & Group Leaders section of our web site which includes Reservation information, a link to the Planetarium Checklist and more.

2019-2020 Planetarium Programs: General Information

Our programs are designed to meet the needs of students of all ages. The programs support the curriculum of several content areas, but especially science. To assist you in choosing a program, links to specific Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for Science are provided next to the program descriptions below.

There are two basic categories that programs can be placed into: interactive, and fulldome films. In addition, planetarium staff can offer planetarium labs and custom designed programs to meet the needs of your students.

Interactive programs are live presentations in which the planetarium instructor and the students would typically explore a certain subject using the planetarium's simulation system. The interactive nature of these programs provides an engaging environment for learning, and allows us to tailor the program to the needs of your students and the questions that they have.
Fulldome films offer a stimulating array of immersive visuals augmented by a recorded sound track. In addition, there is usually time after the program which can be tailored to suit your needs. If one of these programs fits what you teach, they can be an excellent addition to your curriculum.
Planetarium Labs are astronomy activities which take advantage of the capabilities of the planetarium technology to engage the students in concepts which are difficult to visualize elsewhere.
Custom Designed Programs are developed when existing programs can't be modified to meet the needs of the students. Most of our existing programs can be adapted to meet your specific needs. But if you have a special way that you would like to utilize the planetarium as part of your curriculum, we enthusiastically invite you to work with the planetarium staff to design an experience specifically for your students. (For Non-Madison groups, an $18/half-hour planning fee may apply.) This offer is subject to time availability, and aesthetically it may lack some of the smoothness and cohesion of a polished program.

Interactive Program Descriptions

This 2-column table includes descriptions of programs, links to teacher's guides, and links to NGSS standards.
Program information (abbrev. show title)	NGSS Performance Expectations
Skywatching Skywatching Teachers Guide Available (all levels, 1-hour program) Become a Skywatcher by exploring the current night sky. Locate visible planets and constellations, and enjoy some sky lore. This show can be adapted to all grade levels and can include specific topics of your choice such as day/night, phases of the moon, seasons, light pollution, and more. If this program will be fulfilling part of a scout badge (ex.: Brownies, Junior Girl Scouts, Girl Scouts, Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, etc.), please let us know the level and name of the badge so that we can review the requirements before the program.	1-PS4-2 1-ESS1-1 5-ESS1-1 5-ESS1-2 MS-ESS1-1
Nightwatchers Nightwatchers Teachers Guide Available (grades k-1, 1-hour program) As the planetarium sky slowly changes from day to night, delve into the night-life as we explore the daytime sky, the concepts of day and night, the night-time sky, and nocturnal animals. This program fits well with an interdisciplinary "nighttime" unit.	1-PS4-2 1-ESS1-1
Moonwatch 1 Moonwatch 1 Teachers Guide Available (grades 1-3, 1-hour program) This is the first of two programs which are designed to introduce and wrap-up your moon observation unit. Use Moonwatch 1 before your students start observing the moon. Moonwatch 1 teaches the students how to observe the moon, raises questions about when and where we will be able to see the moon and what it will look like, and introduces the students to observing the moon with telescopes and traveling to the moon (Apollo program). The ideal situation would be to include both programs (Moonwatch 1 and 2) in your unit. See our Daytime Moon Calendar for information about observing the moon, and daytime observations. This program supports the FOSS Air and Weather module.	1-PS4-2 1-ESS1-1
Moonwatch 2 Moonwatch 2 Teachers Guide Available (grades 1-3, 1-hour program) This is the second of two programs which are designed to introduce and wrap-up your moon observation unit. Use Moonwatch 2 after your students have finished observing the moon. See our Daytime Moon Calendar and the teachers guide for information about observing the moon, and daytime observations. Moonwatch 2 summarizes their observations, shows the changes in the planetarium sky, delves deeper into the Apollo program, and introduces the students to the other moons in our solar system. The first part of the program focuses on reporting your observations. It is recommended that teachers bring the class calendar or record with them to this program. Teachers have the option of preparing the students to make a brief presentation which summarizes their observations. (See the Teachers Guide for more information about the report.) The ideal situation would be to include both programs (Moonwatch 1 and 2) in your unit. This program supports the FOSS Air and Weather module.	1-PS4-2 1-ESS1-1
Home Sweet Home 1 Home Sweet Home 1 Teachers Guide Available (grades 1-2, 1-hour program) This program explores two themes: where we live, and changes that happen over time. It is designed to help students learn to make observations of the Sun and Moon during the day, looking for patterns which would help them to make predictions. We explore changes in the Sun's path throughout the year, looking for more patterns and making predictions along the way. Students then apply what they've learned in the daytime sky to observations and predictions of changes they can see in the night sky. We learn how to find planets and a few star patterns in the current sky in order to practice observing changes in the real nighttime sky. Then we take a virtual field trip out into space to observe locations on the Earth changing from day to night, and zooming in on your school to see where they live in larger contexts.	1-PS4-2 1-ESS1-1 4-PS4-2
Home Sweet Home 2 Home Sweet Home 2 Teachers Guide Available (grades 3-5, 1-hour program) This program takes you to a deeper understanding of our home planet as part of larger systems; such as the Earth and Moon system, Solar System, and the Milky Way Galaxy. Concepts related to the Earth's motions (day/night, seasonal constellations, changes in the apparent path of the sun) are addressed. This program matches well with the FOSS "Sun, Moon, Stars" module for grades 3-4 and NGSS ESS performance expectations for 5th grade.	1-ESS1-1 1-ESS1-2 4-PS4-2 5-ESS1-1 5-ESS1-2
Hunting for Rocks in the Solar System (grades 2-5, 1-hour program) Get the "big picture" on rocks and minerals! Explore the Solar System in search for rocks! Featuring astronauts collecting rock samples on the moon, photos of Mercury, photos of the rocky surface of Venus, show how the rovers on Mars are studying the rocks there, explore asteroids, and even examine rocks made out of water on Saturn's moon, Titan. Your students will apply and expand their understanding of rocks and minerals in ways that are out of this world! This program supports the FOSS Earth Materials module.	4-ESS1-1
Rocks on Other Worlds (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) Do the same processes that form and change rocks on Earth take place on other worlds? In this program, we examine data gathered by orbiting spacecraft, landers, and rovers to answer that question. Students will apply what they know about weathering, erosion, deposition, and rock types as they strive to unlock the same mysteries that planetary geologists are wrestling with today -- unraveling the geologic history of other worlds. This program fits best toward the end of a unit on the rock cycle (formation and evolution of sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic rock).	4-ESS1-1 MS-ESS2-2 MS-ESS2-1
Cosmic Perspectives Cosmic Perspectives Teachers Guide Available (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) In a current sky setting, explore the structure of the solar system, galaxies, and the universe as we find our place in the cosmos. Students will explore concepts related to the Earth's motions (day/night, seasonal constellations, changes in the apparent path of the sun), as well as changes in the moon's position and appearance. Patterns in changes seen over time will also be addressed. This program supports the FOSS Planetary Science middle school unit.	5-ESS1-1 5-ESS1-2 MS-ESS1-1 MS-ESS1-2
Planetary Energy Revealed Planetary Energy Revealed Teachers Guide Available (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) Explore the concepts of temperature and thermal energy locally and globally. We’ll get a visual representation of temperature and explore locally how light interacts with matter using an infrared camera. These principles will then be applied to why your car heats up on a sunny day. This phenomenon can also be applied globally to understand the Greenhouse Effect in the context of climate change. The differences between what we see in visible light and what we can see in infrared light will be used to build a case for exploring the universe around us in all types of light. Students will also learn about NASA’s SOFIA aircraft which carries a large infrared telescope, and the James Webb Infrared Space Telescope. Comparing infrared images of Earth and Jupiter will raise questions about the source of each planet’s thermal energy. To explore their ideas, students will observe the Sun’s path for each season as seen in Wisconsin, and compare this to what people experience at the equator. Then we’ll travel to Jupiter to the Sun’s role in Jupiter’s thermal energy for comparison. This experience supports and extends the following units taught in 6th grade science in MMSD: Thermal Energy; Ocean, Atmosphere, Climate; and Earth’s Changing Climate. The timing of this visit may fit best in the Earth’s Changing Climate unit.	MS-ESS2-4 MS-ESS2-5 MS-ESS2-6 MS-ESS3-5
Books and Stories of the Night Books and Stories of the Night Teachers Guide Available (grades 1-3, 1-hour programs) Books and clear night skies have at least one thing in common -- they capture the imagination. This interdisciplinary program explores the night sky, and nighttime as guided by several children's books. Concepts addressed in the program include day & night, nocturnal animals, current night sky (constellations and planets), the moon, and our place in the universe.	1-ESS1-1 5-ESS1-1
US History and Space Exploration (grades HS-adult, 1-hour program) The Space Race was an important part of modern U.S. History. Trace the history of space exploration from the development of the V2 rockets at the end of WWII, through the race to the Moon, to current events in human and unmanned exploration of space. Connections are developed between the space program, our culture, and the ways our lives are affected by technology developed for and by NASA (spin-offs). This program connects nicely to a high school Social Studies Modern U.S. History course. [Supporting Social Studies Standards: B.12.9,10; D.12.4]
Astronomy in the Scientific Revolution (grades HS-adult, 1-hour program) Modern science emerged out of a time when developments in natural and physical science transformed views of the world around us and our place in the universe. Fast-forward through time using the planetarium’s simulated sky to explore the observations that became the foundations of early theories. Starting in the Renaissance era, renewed scrutiny brought refined observations and new theories. Delve into the evolving models of how the cosmos works as we explore this time in history. This program supports a high school Modern Europe or World History study of this time period we refer to as the Scientific Revolution. [Supporting Social Studies Standards: A.12.10; B.12.10; E.12.11]	Nature of Science: Scientific knowledge is open to revision in light of new evidence
Follow the Drinking Gourd Follow the Drinking Gourd Teacher's Guide Available (grades 1-4, 1-hour program) Through this interdisciplinary program, students explore the concepts of day and night, rising and setting motions, constellations, and seasonal changes as they discover how slaves may have used the Drinking Gourd (Big Dipper) and a song to find their way to freedom. This show is based on the children's book and the folk song by the same title. Bring your singing voices!	1-ESS1-2 5-ESS1-2
Mythology (grades 4-12, 1-hour program) People all over the world have always connected the sky to their culture. Explore the constellations and learn how they fit into myths from around the world. The program is set up to concentrate on Roman and Greek mythology, but can be adapted to include more of Native American mythology.	5-ESS1-2
Energy from Stars Energy from Stars Teachers Guide Available (grades 9-12, 1-hour program) Explore the source of the energy that drives our weather and the carbon cycle--the sun. How can so much energy be released for so long? Exploration leads us through fusion, stellar formation and evolution.	HS-ESS1-1 HS-ESS1-3
Fusion and Stars (grades 9-12, 1-hour program) When we look at the composition of the Sun, we see that it's primarily hydrogen and helium, but is also made up of many of the elements we find here on Earth. Where did all of these elements come from? Nuclear fusion! We explore all the way back to the beginning of the universe to find the source of the lightest elements, and peer deep inside of stars to find more. Star formation and stellar evolution are keys to the source of these elements as well.	HS-ESS1-1 HS-ESS1-3

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Fulldome Film Descriptions

This 2-column table includes descriptions of programs, links to teacher's guides, and links to NGSS standards.
Program information (abbrev. show title)	NGSS DCIs
The Friendly Stars (pre-school, 4-5 years old; 45-minute program) Our sun, Sol, takes us on an interactive, entertaining tour of the Sun, Solar System and the daytime sky, and the friendly stars guide us through the night sky. We sing, explore, and laugh our way through this non-threatening introduction to the planetarium and things we can see in the sky.	1-PS4-2
Did an Asteroid Really Kill the Dinosaurs? (grades 3-adult, 1-hour program) Did a space rock slam into the Earth 66 million years ago and wipe out the dinosaurs? Cosmic collisions are abundant in our solar system. See the numerous craters on worlds like the moon, Mars, and even distant Pluto. Explore the dinosaur disaster up close.	3-LS4-1 3-LS4-3 MS-ESS1-4 MS-LS4-1
Season of Light (grades 3-adult, 1-hour program) This delightful multicultural program leads us through the discovery of many basic astronomy concepts as we explore the holiday traditions of several cultures and religions. We’ll also give you a tour of the current night sky, finding planets and constellations. (This program is only available in December)	To be determined
Cosmic Colors Cosmic Colors Teachers Guide Available (grades 5-adult, 1-hour program) Get ready for an amazing adventure across the entire electromagnetic spectrum -- discovering the reasons for color, journeying inside the human eye, using x-rays to explore black holes and bones, and more!	5-ESS1-1 MS-PS4-2
From Earth to the Universe (grades 5-adult, 1-hour program) This stunning film takes us on a voyage through space and time and conveys the Universe revealed to us by science. Revel in the splendor of the worlds in our Solar System. Travel to the colorful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars. And still further out beyond the Milky Way to the unimaginable immensity of myriads of galaxies. We also explore the current night sky. This film is also available in Spanish.	To be determined
Cosmic Recipe: Setting the Periodic Table (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) The famous astronomer Carl Sagan once said: “If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first invent the universe.” It’s true! Pull up a chair at our Planetarium’s Periodic Table and learn the cosmic recipes that created everything in our world – even us! Discover how the Big Bang and the stars have cooked up the everyday elements we interact with every day — like the calcium in our teeth, the silicon in our smart phones, and even the carbon in our apple pies. Explore the world of chemistry — the protons, neutrons and electrons! See how tiny atoms relate to the mammoth stars! Connect the physical worlds of the small and large in this engaging and inspiring show.	5-ESS2-1 MS-PS1-1 HS-PS1-1,2
Cosmic Safari (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) Astronomers have discovered thousands of planets out there orbiting distant stars. Could they harbor life? What might that life be like? In differing environmental conditions, you’ll discover what living creatures might look like on worlds very different from our own. Narrated by John de Lancie, “Q” from TV's Star Trek: The Next Generation, Cosmic Safari transforms scientific theory into exotic worlds filled with fantastic creatures never before imagined. This program supports the 8th grade Amplify Natural Selection unit, and can be combined with a visit to support your unit on the phases of the Moon as well.	MS-LS4-2 MS-LS4-6
Ice Worlds (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) The delicate balance between ice, water and the existence of life has been a topic of scientific inquiry for generations. In travels to the Arctic and Antarctic regions of our planet, we'll examine the ecosystems that exist and thrive there and learn how their survival is connected with our own. Beyond Earth, we'll see how the existence of ice shapes the landscape and the natural systems on other planets and moons in our Solar System. Narrated by Academy Award nominated actress, Emily Watson. This program supports the Amplify 6th grade 6.6 (Ocean, Atmosphere, Climate) and 6.8 (Earth’s Changing Climate) units. You could also arrange for a double feature and participate in the Planetary Energy Revealed program too.	MS-LS2-4 HS-ESS2-2,4 HS-ESS3-4,5
The Sun, Our Living Star (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) The Sun has shone on our world for four and a half billion years. The light that warms our skin today has been felt by every person who has ever lived. It is our nearest star and our planet’s powerhouse, the source of the energy that drives our winds, our weather and all life. The passage of the Sun’s fiery disc across the sky — day by day, month by month — was the only way to keep track of time for countless past civilisations. Don’t be fooled by the terminology; although it is a typical dwarf star, the Sun consumes 600 million tons of hydrogen each second and is 500 times as massive as all the planets combined. Discover the secrets of our star in this planetarium show and experience never-before-seen images of the Sun’s violent surface in immersive fulldome format.	4-PS3-2 HS-PS1-8 HS-ESS1-1 HS-ESS1-3
Two Small Pieces of Glass: The Amazing Telescope (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) This film traces the history of the telescope and explores the discoveries made by astronomers over the past 400 years. The setting is a star party, where two teenagers learn about telescopes and astronomy from an amateur astronomer, from the invention of the telescope to today's modern observatories. We also explore the current night sky.	To be determined
Galileo: The Power of the Telescope (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) This film tells the personal and powerful story of Galileo Galilei, and explores how his discoveries displaced long-held views about the universe. We also explore the current night sky. Learn about his experiments with gravity and laws of motion, how he enhanced the early telescopes, how his observations provided evidence for a Sun-centered model of the Solar System, and more. We also explore the current night sky.	To be determined
The Stargazer (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) Learn about the lives of stars and astronomers as Dr. James Kaler shares his excitement about the fast-moving field of stellar evolution. Nichelle Nichols (Uhura from the original "Star Trek") and Dr. Kaler narrate this personal look at gravity, light, and the spectrum and how they help us, and scientists of the past, to decipher the lifestyles of the stars.	5-ESS1-1 MS-ESS1-2 HS-ESS1-1 HS-ESS1-3
Cosmology (grades 9-adult, 1-hour program) What is the structure of the universe, how did the universe begin, and how is it evolving? How do we know all of this? In this program we’ll explore our place in the cosmos, and we’ll delve into the history of astronomy, spectroscopy, Big Bang Theory, cosmic microwave background, and more.	HS-ESS1-2
Dark Matter Mystery (grades 9-adult, 1-hour program) One quarter of what the universe is made of is something we can't see that we call Dark Matter. We can detect it, but we don't know what it is made of. This film explores one of contemporary Astrophysics' greatest quests, with experiments taking place deep underground and out in space. We also explore the current night sky.	To be determined
Phantom of the Universe: The Hunt for Dark Matter Teachers Guide (external PDF) (grades 9-adult, 1-hour program) This film is an an exciting exploration of dark matter. It reveals the first hints of its existence through the eyes of Fritz Zwicky, the scientist who coined the term "dark matter." It describes its discovery made by Vera Rubin in the Andromeda galaxy, and then plummets deep underground to see the most sensitive dark matter detector on Earth, housed in a former gold mine. From there, it journeys across space and time to the Large Hadron Collider, speeding alongside particles before they collide in visually stunning explosions of light and sound, while learning how scientists around the world are collaborating to track down the constituents of dark matter. This film is also available in Spanish.	To be determined

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Planetarium Labs

This 2-column table includes descriptions of programs, links to teacher's guides, and links to NGSS standards.
Program information (abbrev. show title)	NGSS DCIs
Seasons Seasons Teacher's Guide Available (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) Chart the changing path of the sun as you explore the “reasons for the seasons.” Students face their own misconceptions as they explore evidence about the changing length and height of the sun's path. As time allows, modeling demonstrations are used to show why these changes occur.	5-ESS1-2 MS-ESS1-1 MS-ESS2-6
Moon Motions (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program Make observations of the Moon's position and appearance in the sky, identifying patterns, rates, and directions. Then apply these observations to create a model which explains the changes. Rotation of the Earth, the orbit of the Moon, and the rotation of the Moon are addressed.	MS-ESS1-1
Spectroscopy (grades 6-adult, 1-hour program) Spectroscopy is the study of light. By studying the light from stars, planets, and galaxies, we can discover what they are made up of, their surface temperature, and more. This lab starts by exploring the variety of colors of stars in the night sky, and progresses to determining which gases are emitting light by studying its bright line spectrum. NOTE: students should bring pencils.	5-ESS1-1

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Custom Designed Programs

If the offerings listed above do not serve the needs of your students, you are invited to work with the planetarium staff to design a unique program which will fit into your curriculum. Extra planning for a Non-Madison program may be subject to a $18 per half-hour fee. Contact the planetarium staff for more information.

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