Boys Present Original Space Shows at the Hayden Planetarium

"We're made of star stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself."
-- Carl Sagan

Just prior to spring break, our sixth graders took an audience of parents, faculty and staff on a breathtaking tour of the universe, via their Digital Universe Field Study presentations at the Hayden Planetarium.

The boys narrated their presentations from the control room at the Planetarium. The shows were impressive visually and reflected the depth of their research.

Working in teams, the boys had chosen their own area in astronomy to research, and developed their story based on their personal interest. The diverse topics presented included How does Jupiter affect its moons? What can we learn about global warming from other planets? What is the future of our sun? and What does light teach us about the universe?

Over a series of weeks they explored the museum, conducted experiments in the classroom, researched, wrote, story boarded, and rehearsed their space shows. Throughout this interdisciplinary unit, conducted through Saint David's unique collaboration with the astrovisualization team at the American Museum of Natural History, our boys had private access to the Planetarium and its cutting-edge UniView software.

This unit is an amazing opportunity for our boys to indulge their intellectual curiosity about the awe-inspiring universe, while availing of the expertise of world renowned astrophysicists and their wonderful science, technology and English teachers at Saint David's.

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