Astronomy & Space Science Presentations

Title (Suggested Grade Level) Description

• Pictures in the Sky  (Grades Preschool-K)  Using our unique Day/Night Wheel and the planetarium, young children are introduced to the sky in a hands-on manner.  Discover day/night, stars, constellations, clouds, the Moon, rainbows, and much more.  (PLEASE NOTE:  This show is limited to an absolute maximum of 30 children per presentation.)  

• ABC’s of the Sky  (Grades K-2)  A is for Astronaut, B is for Big Dipper, and C is for Comet. . . . Exploring space with the alphabet. Each concept will be explained appropriately for young children.

• Our Family in the Sky  (Grades K-2)  The planets are personified as Mr. Sun guides the children through a tour of the Solar System. The presentation includes planets, comets, asteroids, the Moon, and a constellation point out.

• Our Place in Space  (Grades 1-2)  Follow the adventures of “Scarlett” the macaw as she solves a crossword puzzle about Our Place in Space.  Learn about day/night, the Sun, rotation, gravity, the planets, and the constellations. 

• “Sandy, Pepper and the Eclipse” and “Moon Witch!”  (Grades 2-4)  A Double Feature that discusses the Moon, Earth, and the Sun. “Sandy,” a golden retriever, teaches your class about the relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun that creates a solar eclipse.  In Moon Witch, a girl named Diana helps us discover the Moon’s motions, phases and many appearances.  Both story lines make this show a favorite with young audiences.

• The Great Moon Adventure  (Grades 4-6)  Discover lunar features such as craters, maria, rilles, mountains, volcanoes, ejecta, and more. The Moon’s motions, phases, and eclipses will all be examined. The show also explores the Apollo Missions and finishes with a video featuring Buzz Aldrin—the second man on the Moon—describing what visiting the Moon was really like. 

• The Wonderful Sky  (Grades 3-6)  This program takes a look at the seasonal night sky as seen with the unaided eye.  Stars, constellations, visible planets, meteors, the Moon, and northern lights are all likely to be discussed. 

• Exploring Our Solar System  (Grades 3-8) Let’s explore the planets and dwarf planets, both as seen in the night sky and as visited by space probes. The show includes a constellation point out as well.

• Earth—Our Place in the Cosmos (Grades 3-5)  This show was created to meet the standards for grades 3-4.  Learning points include: the Earth/Sun connection, constellations, the Moon and its phases, rotation and revolution, and our place in the solar system of eight planets. Students discover that our Earth is a small place in a vast constantly moving universe.

• Comet!  (Grades 3-7) What is a comet? Learn the difference between comets, asteroids, and meteors. Find out what a comet really is and how it works. See how we’ve explored comets with space probes and even brought pieces of a comet back to Earth! 

• Mars Magic!  (Grades 3-7)  Examine the red planet and what we’ve discovered about Martian germs, rust, rocks, faces, canals, rivers, canyons, and volcanoes. Meet the space probes that have visited this planet: Viking, Mars Global Surveyor, Spirit, Opportunity, and the Curiosity Rover.

• Stars  (Grades 5-8)  What are stars and how do they work? Exploring the Sun first, we then discuss star colors, how stars are created, and how they die yielding white dwarfs, supernovae, and the most mysterious objects of all--black holes.   

• The Sky Tonight  (Grades 6-8)  See what might be visible in the sky during the time of year we visit your class.  As we travel through the constellations, we will discover various nebulae, star clusters, galaxies, and planets that one can find with a small telescope or binoculars.

• Galaxies  (Grades 5-8)  What are galaxies?  We’ll begin by examining our own Milky Way in several different ways using different types of light. Then discover how we learned that other spiral nebulae are actually galaxies separate from our own. We’ll see to the edge of the known universe to see the oldest galaxies of all.

• Secrets of the Rainbow  (Grades 5-8) Discover how the rainbow (aka the spectrum) has taught us about the composition of the stars, how they are moving, and that the spectrum continues with colors we can’t see and how we detect these invisible colors and what they teach us about space.

• Explorations: Create A Show (Grades 3-8) Design the show you want!  NSP is now offering a modular presentation, you can pick 3 topics to customize the presentation you want.  The list of topics will grow with time, but to start with:  1. Constellations,  2.Moon phases,  3. Eclipses,  4. Apollo 11 Lands on the Moon,  5. The Sun,  6. Star Colors,  7. Visible Planets,  8. Secrets of Orion,  9. Why Pluto isn’t a Planet,  10.  Meteors.  11. Ursa Major and Minor (the bears). If you want something not listed, ask, maybe we can come up with something.

Storytelling Presentations

Title (Suggested Grade Level) Description

• Star Stories  (Grades 1-2)  This program is a collection of stories, myths, and legends about the sky and constellations. All the stories have been chosen and adapted to suit younger children. Stories include:  How the Stars Came to Be, Orion and the Bull, Andromeda and the Whale, and others. 

• Stories of Orion (Grades 3-6) A live storytelling presentation concentrating on stories about the stars that comprise the constellation of Orion. Stories come from ancient Greece, Native America, the Inuit north, and Japan. A great way of seeing how different cultures look at the same stars and see different things.

• Heroes, Gods, & Monsters  (Grades 5-8)  A live storytelling presentation on Greek and Roman myths about the stars, and constellations. The myths presented vary with the time of year, but may feature stories such as: The Myth of Orion,  The Labors of Hercules or Andromeda and the Whale. This is a great introduction to classical mythology.  

• A World of Sky Stories (Grades 3-6)  Legends of the sky from around the world are told live under the stars. Hear stories from Australian Aborigines, Inuit (Eskimo), African Tribes, Japan, India, the rainforests of South America. 

• “Follow the Drinking Gourd”  (Grades 2-4)  Learn how slaves found their way north using the stars of the Big Dipper or the drinking gourd.  A great mix of cultural studies, music and astronomy. Come follow the drinking gourd with us! 

  Earth Science Presentations

• Earth, The Ocean Planet  (Grades 4-6) Explore the wettest planet in the Solar System. This program concentrates on physical oceanography:  tides, waves, ocean currents, mapping the oceans’ floors, and human exploration in submersibles-we’ll take a dive to the ocean floor! 

• Volcano!  (Grades 3-7)  We examine the different types of volcanoes using Mount St. Helens and Hawaiian volcanoes as examples. Continental drift, plates, and earthquakes are also examined. Find the locations of plates, faults and volcanoes on our all-dome world map.  The program then searches the Solar System for volcanoes on other worlds. 

• Where Do Clouds Come From? (Grades 1-3) Weather and seasons presented in a format designed for primary age students. Concepts covered:  seasons, rotation, revolution, evaporation, cloud formation, rain and snow,  the water cycle, basic cloud types, and thunder storms.

• Weather and the Seasons  (Grades 4-8)  Why do we have seasons and how do basic weather systems work? A deeper look into the workings of Earth’s weather. Explore forecasting skills with our portable weather station and its instruments.   

  Life Science Presentations     

• Birds and Migration (Grades 3-7)  Learn how birds have adapted to their environments by studying varying styles of beaks, claws, wings, and feathers. Learn why birds migrate, which birds do and which birds don’t, and why various species follow very different routes.  See how the stars, magnetism, wind, land features, and the Sun all play a role affecting where different species go and how they get there.  These are illustrated on a full-dome world map showing important migration routes.  The program closes with a demonstration of birdcalls--a favorite activity.

• Biology of the Cell  (Grades 5-8)  This life science presentation examines the workings of the living cell. Through visuals and careful explanations, we will gain an understanding of the workings of a typical animal cell. Organelles, genes, mitosis, cell size, and the role of the cell within a living being will all be discussed.  These components are illustrated by turning the dome into a giant cell over our heads! 

  Evening Outdoor Sky Activities

• Star Parties* (Grades 3 and up)  Explore the real night sky with our telescopes outside your school using our 8” cassegrain Celetron telescope, two 4” Astroscans and a small refractor.

• Night Sky Tours* are star parties without telescopes. We gather outdoors after dark at your location. John will lead the group through a tour of the constellations and stars visible that evening. We will also find and discuss any visible planets, the Milky Way, as well as meteors (shooting stars) and satellites. The presentations always include a bit of sky-lore storytelling and have ample time for questions and discussion. $200 plus mileage.

  • *Binocular Sky Exploration This is an add-on to the Night Sky Tour. All participants must bring their own binoculars. John will lead the group through a binocular tour of sky objects using the “star hopping” method. Participants may see planets, binary stars, nebulae, star clusters, and galaxies, as well as the Milky Way up close and personal! Free addition to a Night Sky Tour or Star Party.

  These evening activities do not use the planetarium and are weather contingent. It is limited to schools and venues within 70 miles of Waterville, Maine and is priced differently than planetarium shows.

  Star Parties are not currently available during the Covid-19 pandemic as we cannot safely share an eyepiece at the telescope.

  Night Sky Tours are available with group size limited to 30 people, face masks and social distancing required.