A Field Trip to the Stars
Let the VINS campus become your launchpad to the cosmos with our new StarLab field trip offerings. VINS’ educators will facilitate engaging, inquiry based activities leading your students on a journey through the stars. Our tour of the stars will begin with the many familiar and unfamiliar figures that compose the clearest night sky. From investigating individual celestial bodies, we will then look into many ways that cultures around the world have related them to one another. This exciting new teaching tool will allow us to explore a wide range of topics, as we have four different presentations to choose from.
Aligned Standards: NGSS: 1-ESS1, 5-ESS1; in addition to educational standards from Vermont’s Framework of Standards and Grade Expectations/Common Core State Standards in grades: 1-4 (History and Social Sciences); New Hampshire Curriculum Framework in grades: 5-6 (US / NH History)
Your Day at VINS: Your field trip to the VINS campus includes a 50-60 minute guided program inside the StarLab Deluxe Planetarium - where students will explore a variety of topics in STEM, English Language Arts and Social Studies. The guided program may include narrative histories of constellations, exploration of how astronomy influences culture, guided reflection on key lessons, and more. In addition to your guided lesson, you will have the opportunity to experience a live bird presentation, visit our trails and exhibits, and enjoy lunch on our grounds.
Personalize your field trip! In addition to the programs described below, collaborate with a VINS Science Educator to design a StarLab program to anchor to your classroom curriculum.
Let the VINS campus become your launchpad to the cosmos with our new StarLab field trip offerings. VINS’ educators will facilitate engaging, inquiry based activities leading your students on a journey through the stars. Our tour of the stars will begin with the many familiar and unfamiliar figures that compose the clearest night sky. From investigating individual celestial bodies, we will then look into many ways that cultures around the world have related them to one another. This exciting new teaching tool will allow us to explore a wide range of topics, as we have four different presentations to choose from.
Aligned Standards: NGSS: 1-ESS1, 5-ESS1; in addition to educational standards from Vermont’s Framework of Standards and Grade Expectations/Common Core State Standards in grades: 1-4 (History and Social Sciences); New Hampshire Curriculum Framework in grades: 5-6 (US / NH History)
Your Day at VINS: Your field trip to the VINS campus includes a 50-60 minute guided program inside the StarLab Deluxe Planetarium - where students will explore a variety of topics in STEM, English Language Arts and Social Studies. The guided program may include narrative histories of constellations, exploration of how astronomy influences culture, guided reflection on key lessons, and more. In addition to your guided lesson, you will have the opportunity to experience a live bird presentation, visit our trails and exhibits, and enjoy lunch on our grounds.
Personalize your field trip! In addition to the programs described below, collaborate with a VINS Science Educator to design a StarLab program to anchor to your classroom curriculum.
Lesson Options:
Constellations of the
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Mapping
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Ancient Greece &
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Native American AstronomyLearn about the rich mythology and astronomy traditions of Native American societies! We will begin this lesson by looking at the individual figures of our nightly sky - planets, nebulae, significant stars. We will then overlay the vista of the Milky Way with the constellations of various Native American cultures - including the Navajo, Shoshone, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Tewa, Hopi and Algonquin tribes. The panoramic view in the StarLab will guide our exploration of the mythology connected to each constellation, as well as the rich oral tradition in which these myths arose. This lesson includes special emphasis on the oral tradition of the Navajo - natives of the four-corners region of Utah, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado.
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Age Ranges: StarLab is suitable for teaching all student age ranges. Each presentation can be adapted to accommodate different age groups.
Your Guide: All VINS educators have extensive experience in environmental education, the natural sciences and science instruction. Every instructor works with a certified teacher in NH and VT to ensure their content and methods align with the Next Generation Science Standards and the best practices for outdoor education. All instructors are First Aid and CPR certified.
Your Guide: All VINS educators have extensive experience in environmental education, the natural sciences and science instruction. Every instructor works with a certified teacher in NH and VT to ensure their content and methods align with the Next Generation Science Standards and the best practices for outdoor education. All instructors are First Aid and CPR certified.
Book now using our e-form or contact Linda Conrad, Lead Experience Navigator at 802-359-5000 x 221