About:
Star Tellers Portable Planetarium brings you astounding technology and astronomy expertise that will help make your curriculum come alive. We specialize in edutainment and always ensure that learning science is fun and fascinating. Imagine viewing the dark, star-filled cloudless night sky at your school - during the day time! Star Tellers makes that happen through the use of our Star Teller dome, a digital, portable planetarium.
Astronomy and space science come alive as never before with the unique video capabilities of this mobile theater, and knowledgeable, enthusiastic live presenters. Technology may never be able to replace interactive teaching, but it can certainly enhance the lesson. Our programs have a healthy combination of both interaction and cool technology that allow our presenters to AWE your students while teaching them about the universe, astronomy, space science, and exploration.
Star Teller's programs are developed by experienced astronomy educators and are aligned with the current and revised New Jersey core curriculum content (and process) standards. In addition to fully live presentations, we also offer several programs that combine a live segment with a full motion, immersive video presentation. Best of all, we bring these programs to you.
The Starry Sky: This live presentation is an introduction to the day and night skies and can be tailored to any grade level. Learn about the Sun and its apparent motion through the sky. Enjoy a beautiful sunset & take a tour of the bright stars, constellations and planets visible in the night sky. Depth of discussion is tailored to each grade level.
Daytime/Nighttime: Our presenters will introduce children to the basic patterns they can observe in the sky. Students will find out why we have day and night and when they can observe the moon in the sky. We will also explore the stars of the night sky looking at their colors and brightness, and learning some of the basic constellations of the season.
Larry Cat in Space: This is a fun, imaginative cartoon presentation about an inquisitive cat who takes a trip to the Moon. Through Larry's eyes, we observe his human family, a group of enthusiastic sky-watchers. Larry's Human friend, Diana becomes an Astronaut and takes a job on the Moon. She sadly leaves Larry behind. Larry figures out a way to hide in her clothes trunk and learns about gravity, space travel and more during his exciting adventure into space. We combine this wonderful story with discussion about the moon, lunar phases, and the things that students can see in the current night sky.
Secret of the Cardboard Rocket: Take an exciting trip to the planets through both immersive video and live presentation. The full-dome video presentation features a trip aboard a magical cardboard rocket with two young adventurers to experience a breathtaking, up-close look at each of our solar system’s planets with guidance from a wise Astronomy Book. As they tour the solar system, Book shares interesting facts about each body, making sure his students learn something while on their wild ride. In addition to this fun-filled trip, our presenters will take students on a tour of the current night sky to look at some of the bright stars, constellations and visible planets.
Meet the Moon: This program is a great introduction to our nearest neighbor in space, the Moon. Find out about why the moon appears to change shape, some of the effects the Moon has on Earth and how the Moon has been used to help us tell time. Of course, we will also take a closer look at the Moon itself to explore some of its main features.
Stories in the Sky: The sky is not just full of stars, but stories as well. This live presentation will introduce students to the sky as seen by people from around the world. They will learn about some of the familiar constellations, as well as some unfamiliar ones from other cultures. Tales from Native American tribes, China, Africa and other cultures help show how other people throughout history have looked at the sky and explained the things they observed.
Mystery of the Seasons: Why we have seasons here on Earth is a mystery for many. We will take a look at Earth’s relationship with the Sun and reveal the secret behind the seasons. We'll investigate the Sun's motions from day to day and throughout the year, and how our location on Earth affects the seasons we experience. Students will also be able to see the changes that happen in our night sky including the varying constellations visible each season.
A Walk Through the Solar System: Venture out into the Solar System to explore the myriad worlds around our Sun. The other planets, moons, asteroids and comets that make up the Solar neighborhood are wondrous in their own right and teach us about our own planet. This is a live presentation featuring close-up looks at the other worlds in our solar system, as well as how to view some of them in the current night sky.
Two Small Pieces of Glass: 400 years ago, Galileo first used a telescope to study the sky and revealed previously unknown wonders. Students will learn about these wonders and also how evidence based data analysis changed the age old Geo-centric view in those days. This show features both live presentation and full-dome, immersive video. Along the way the students learn how telescopes work, the history of telescopes, and major discoveries made by these instruments. Our planetarium presenter will also show your students some of the celestial objects they can observe for themselves in the night sky.
Secrets of the Sun: Take an intimate look at the role the Sun plays in the life of our solar system. From the nuclear forces churning at the heart of the sun to the mass ejections of solar material into surrounding space, we will experience the power of the Sun and its impact on the planets and ultimately, life on Earth. We will trace the life cycle of the Sun itself, going back to its beginning and moving forward in time to its probable eventual death. In addition to a full-dome, engaging examination of our local star, our presenters will take you on a tour of the stars and other interesting celestial objects visible in the current night sky.
Black Holes: Black holes are one of the most intriguing stages in the life of a massive star. This program will teach students about the life cycles of stars including our own Sun. Black Holes takes you on a journey through one of the most mystifying, awe-inspiring phenomena in the universe: The BLACK HOLE. Where do they come from. Where do they go. How do we find them. Is there one on Earth's horizon. Using the latest in full-dome, 3D animation visualization technology, we will answer these questions and more. The live segment of the program will show students where they can find stars in varying stages of life, including red giants and black holes.
Earth in Space: Interactions between the Earth, Sun, and Moon have major impacts for life on planet Earth. From seasons and tides to ageold timekeeping, the effect of these three objects is seen in our daily lives. We will explore how these bodies interact and how Earth could be a very different place.
The Universe: What is the universe and is it expanding. How did it begin. How will it end. What is the big bag theory. These are not only questions that many of us have, but questions to which scientists are seeking answers. We will explore some of the strange and unusual residents of our universe, the leading ideas on how it began and how it will end, and find out more about how Earth fits into the grand scale of the universe.
Earth and Other Planets: Explore the Solar System from its beginning to the latest data from current space missions. We will discover the other worlds around our Sun and learn what they reveal about our own planet. Additionally, we’ll find out about some of the other strange and unusual planets that have been found around other stars and what they teach us about how planets form.
Ages:
College, Elementary School, High School, Kindergarten, Middle School, Nursery, Prekindergarten, Preschool