Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star: A Visit with the Night Sky

Science all around!

Ever spent an evening under the stars, an afternoon contemplating all of the various nighttime constellations? Well, that’s exactly what the 3^rd graders did during our trip to Southwest Minnesota State University’s planetarium in Marshall, Minnesota.

As part of our “Sun, Moon, and Stars” science unit, we spent some time studying the constellations in a contained night-sky setting. Not only were we able to view the constellations in our own night sky, but also, some of the 3^rd graders own favorite star groupings that we ourselves can’t see from our own geographical location as a result of the sun. We were also treated to a movie on our solar system as well as a holiday light show before we took a hands-on side trip to the university’s Museum of Natural History where we had some time to interact with the many exhibits displayed there.

What’s especially nice about this trip is that even though Sleepy Eye isn’t located next door to a big city, we still had the chance to take in all of this without having to make a two-hundred mile round trip to the nearest big city where other venues such as this one are usually found.  Instead, we were dazzled by the stars just a mere two-hour drive away from our own hometown!