Grade Level(s):  4 - 12

Program Length:  45 minutes

Program Description:
Views of the Universe will take you on a virtual journey, visiting planets of our Solar System, probing into large clouds of gas and dust in space called nebulae (nebula in singular), exploring the life and death of stars, plummet into a black hole (singularity), and more. This show is a great introduction to the science of astronomy and the hobby of stargazing for any age.

The presentation will conclude with a guided tour of the current night skies over Southeastern Michigan, including what planets, stars, and other celestial objects will be visible from your backyard.

Program Objectives:
Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

1. Identify the different types of objects visible in the night sky; such as stars, planets, and constellations;
2. Explain the differences between planets and stars;
3. Understand the spatial relationships between the objects in our Solar System and other objects in the Universe,
4. Understand the limits of our knowledge of our and other solar systems. Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Pluto, while solid, is still unexplored and unknown.

The Detroit Science Center and the Dassault Systèmes Planetarium are dedicated to assisting all educators in building and utilizing curricula based on the above-mention standards and benchmarks. Each of our shows for school groups keeps you and your students needs in mind. For this show, the Standards & Benchmarks addressed include:

Elementary School:
Constructing New Scientific Knowledge I, 1-5
Reflecting on Scientific Knowledge II 1-1
Solar System, Galaxy and Universe V. 4-1,2

Middle School:
Constructing New Scientific Knowledge I, 1
Reflecting on Scientific Knowledge II 1-1&3
Solar System, Galaxy & Universe V. 4-1,2,3,5,6

High School:
Constructing New Scientific Knowledge I, 1,2,3
Reflecting on Scientific Knowledge II 1-2,3
Solar System, Galaxy & Universe V. 4-1,2,3,5,6