Star Light, Star Bright: Dazzled by the Stars

It may be hard to imagine, but a mere two hours away from school, it is actually possible to lie back in the comfort of a padded, reclining chair, and simply drift away in complete and utter silence, under the soft light of a perfectly projected image of the night sky. Such was the experience of the third graders last Wednesday (December 2nd) whose recent road trip landed them in Marshall, MN, at Southwest Minnesota State University's very own on-campus planetarium.

In addition to our overall viewing of our own nighttime sky as it normally appears, students were also privy to a special treat which involved an in-depth look at the many constellations visible long after the sun has gone down, including those normally seen from our own backyards as well as those we are unfortunately unable to from present geographical location as a result of the sun.  Students soon learned that the one constellation most easily seen and located in our own home is "Orion", with his belt made up of three stars all lined up in a row. Additionally, students were also instructed on how to find both the Big and Little Dippers, using the North Star as their guide to finding the former.

Once we had completed our exploration of the stars themselves, students viewed a short movie, which fell into the mystery genre and featured our very own solar system. A very nice tie in to the conclusion of our recent "Sun, Moon, Stars" science unit. Following that was the holiday laser show, which is always a huge hit with the students. Then, after a quick school-packed lunch, it was off to visit the university's Museum of Natural History where student were encourage to an unique hands-on experience, investigating and manipulating the various displays exhibited.

Not a bad way to spend midday on a windy Wednesday morning, especially with everyone's Sleepy Eye Pride so very pleasantly displayed! Nice job third graders!