StarDome - mobile inflatable planetarium

Reception to Year 9
45 minutes
Setup time: 45 mins. Packup time: 30 mins.

The StarDome is big enough for a class of 30 students and a supervising teacher to crawl inside and look at the stars in the night sky. Topics covered can include day and night, stars, planets, the solar system, galaxies, phases of the moon, seasons, gravity, light and constellations. Sessions are recommended at 45 minutes, but can be shortened or lengthened to suit school timetables and learning outcomes.

Please note: StarDomes require a space 7m x 7m and an unobstructed ceiling height of 3.5 metres. StarDome must be indoors with a powerpoint, and can be set up on carpet, lino, tiles or wooden floorboards. Students sit on the floor surface, and the StarDome sits around them.

Australian Curriculum links

Science Understanding

Year 1

Earth and space sciences: Observable changes occur in the sky and landscape. Recording short and longer term patterns of events that occur on Earth and in the sky, such as the appearance of the moon, and stars at night, the weather and the seasons.

Physical sciences: Light and sound are produced by a range of sources and can be sensed. Recognising senses are used to learn about the world around us: our eyes to detect light, our ears to detect sound. Identifying the sources of light. Recognising that objects can be seen when light from sources is available to illuminate them.

Year 2

Physical sciences: A push or pull affects how an object moves or changes shape. Considering the effects of objects being pulled towards the Earth (forces, gravity, Sun, Moon, tides, orbits etc.).

Year 3

Earth and space sciences: Earth's rotation on its axis causes regular changes, including night and day. Recognising the Sun as a source of light. Describing timescales for the rotation of the Earth. Modelling the relative sizes and movement of the Sun, Earth and Moon.

Year 5

Earth and space sciences: The Earth is part of a system of planets orbiting around a star (the sun). Identifying the planets of the solar system and comparing how long they take to orbit the sun. Modelling the relative size of and distance between Earth, other planets of the solar system and the sun. Recognising the sun as a provider of energy for the Earth. Light from a source forms shadows and can be absorbed, reflected and refracted.

Year 7

Earth and space sciences: Predictable phenomena on Earth, including seasons, eclipses, and phases of the moon are caused by the relative positions of the sun, Earth and the moon. Comparing times for the rotations and orbits of the Earth, sun and the moon. Modelling relative movements. Explaining why different regions of the Earth experience different seasonal conditions.

Physical sciences: Earth's gravity pulls objects towards the centre of the Earth. Exploring how gravity affects objects on the surface of the Earth. Considering how gravity keeps planets in orbit around the sun.

Science as a Human Endeavour

Nature and development of science: Science involves asking questions about, and describing changes in, objects and events. Posing questions about events and features of the local environment that are of interest and affect students' lives. Recognising that descriptions of what we observe are used by people to help identify change (day/night, time, Earth goes around the Sun).

Nature and development of science: Science involves making predictions and describing patterns and relationships. Making predictions about change and events in our environment. Researching how knowledge of astronomy has been used by some Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Considering how posing questions helps us plan for the future.

Nature and development of science: Important contributions to the advancement of science have been made by people from a range of cultures, such as Copernicus and Galileo.
Scientific knowledge changes as new evidence becomes available, and some scientific discoveries have significantly changed people's understanding of the world.

Science Inquiry Skills

Questioning and predicting: Respond to and pose questions, and make predictions about familiar objects and events. Using the senses to explore the local environment to pose interesting questions, make inferences and predictions. Thinking about "What will happen if...?" type questions about everyday objects and events.