You don't need a telescope to enjoy the night sky at Harmony Hills Elementary School. An interactive 'Star Lab' dome brings the solar system, stars and constellations to life through a projector. A childhood trip to the planetarium inspired Instructional Science Coach Jessica Buchanan to find an innovative way to bring the galaxy to Harmony Hills.
"I was inspired to bring the Star Lab to Harmony Hills because I loved the planetarium as a kid," said Buchanan. "The Star Lab allows the kids to see the planets, our galaxy, constellations, even the entire Earth. Since students are not able to take field trips this year, bringing the Star Lab to Harmony Hills brought a little bit of normalcy back. It was like taking a field trip with Miss Frizzle."
Buchanan loves being able to help her students make real-world connections with science, whether it's stargazing, learning from animals or recreating volcanic eruptions. There are opportunities to bring science to life every day and tools like the 'Star Lab' help create new, engaging learning experiences.
"Experiences give students connections, excitement and a concrete understanding to build everything else on top of," said Buchanan. "It takes reading something on a page or seeing it in a video to turn it into a real part of their life - a memory. I love watching the kids' faces and hearing their minds make connections as they experience learning through labs and explorations."
