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School Group Showtimes
The planetarium offers three shows for APS students daily at 9:45 am, 11:05 am, and 12:25 pm, Monday through Friday.
Currently Offered School Programs
Preschool
The Moon – Students explore the observable features of the moon, the apparent daily motion of the moon, and the pattern of change in the moon’s appearance (phases).
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- The Moon Modular Program from the producers of the show.
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After the show, as time allows, students will explore the Arlington sky.
Kindergarten
One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Big Adventure – Big Bird, Elmo and their friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, take viewers on a journey of discovery to learn about the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Sun, and the Moon. CC available upon request.
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- Curriculum Guide and Coloring Pages from the producers of the show.
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After the show, as time allows, students will practice locating their “Friendship Star” from the Arlington sky.
First Grade
Accidental Astronaut – Follow the adventures of Cy and Annie and their dog Armstrong as they embark on an unexpected journey into space! Explore the Earth, Sun and Moon system with a wise-cracking starship computer. Bounce along with them on the surface of the Moon. Get up close and personal with a solar storm. And gain a new appreciation of our home planet. CC available upon request. Also available in Spanish.
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- Educator’s Guide from the producers of the show.
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Standards addressed: The Sun (1.6)
The Stellars – Imani, Aki, and John are three friends from an alien solar system. While on a space exploration mission, they distractedly neglect their onboard “chores,” leading their ship to crash on an unknown planet – Earth. The accident damages the life-support system that sustains the cherished forest they keep onboard, which gives them their vital Yumi-Plumi fruits. However, forests in their society are usually taken care of by robots.
With no knowledge of plant care or any means of contacting their elders, they are fortunate to be able to turn to the planetarium audience for help. All hope now rests on the Earth children, who help the Stellars discover what plants need to survive and to rescue their Yumi Plumi forest.
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- Educator’s Guide from the producers of the show.
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Standards addressed: Plants (1.4)
As time allows, students will also take a tour of the current night sky, highlighting seasonal constellations and visible planets.
Second Grade
Magic Tree House Space Mission – Travel with the brother-sister duo, Jack and Annie, in their Magic Tree House as they discover a note that asks them to answer a series of six questions about space. With the help of the astronomer, the Internet, an astronaut, books and the writer of the mysterious note, Jack and Annie are taken on a wondrous journey of adventure and learning. CC available upon request.
Writing activities from the producers of the show.
Standards addressed: Thinking like a Scientist (2.1), Forces (2.2).
3-2-1 Lift Off! – Is an adventurous animated film about courage and wits you need to have to get into space and back.
Resources and coloring pages from the producers of the show.
Standards addressed: Thinking like a Scientist (2.1), Forces and Motion (2.2).
Life of Trees – Taking the perspective of insects, this film reveals the magic of the microcosm. On their excursion these two insect friends zip around a tree, and in doing so, playfully learn its secrets: How do plants get their food from the sun? How do they grow? How does water get from the roots to the top of the crown? And how does all this make life on our earth possible?
Resources from the show producers.
Standards addressed: Plants undergo a series of orderly changes as they grow and develop which are part of their life cycles. (2.4, 2.8)
As time allows, students will also take a tour of the current night sky, highlighting seasonal constellations and visible planets.
Third Grade
We Are Guardians – Looks at how our world, its peoples and ecosystems are intrinsically connected, and how with the help of satellite monitoring we can examine the links between human activities and climate change. CC available upon request.
Standards addressed: Natural events and humans influence ecosystems. (3.5, 3.6, 3.8)
Dinosaurs: A Story of Survival – Celeste joins Moon on a journey through time for an exciting adventure about the dinosaurs and the Earth as they were in the very distant past. Like most children, Celeste is fascinated with dinosaurs. As she is preparing a talk for her class about how they went extinct, Moon, a very wise and magical character, poses a tantalizing question: what if I told you that there are still dinosaurs among us? Join Celeste and Moon on a journey through time for an exciting adventure to experience Earth as it was in the very, very distant past. CC available upon request. Also available in Spanish.
Standards addressed: Adaptations satisfy the needs of animals. (3.4)
As time allows, students will also take a tour of the current night sky, highlighting seasonal constellations and visible planets.
Fourth Grade
Expedition Reef – Learn the secrets of the “rainforests of the sea” as you embark on an oceanic safari of the world’s most vibrant—and endangered—marine ecosystems. Expedition Reef immerses you in the undersea adventure. CC available upon request.
Expedition Reef for Educators from California Academy of Sciences.
Standards addressed: Organisms, including humans, interact with one another and with the nonliving components in the ecosystem. (4.3, 4.7, 4.2)
Earth, Moon, and Sun – This show explores the relationship between the Earth, Moon and Sun with the help of Coyote, an amusing character adapted from Native American oral traditions who has many misconceptions about our home planet and its most familiar neighbors. CC available upon request.
Curriculum Guide from the producers of the show.
Standards addressed: There are relationships among Earth, the moon, and the sun (4.6).
The Great Solar System Adventure – Join our showman extraordinaire on a death-defying journey to the planets. Explore the wonders and perils of our Solar System in this breathtaking adventure.From the sun-scorched surface of Mercury to the icy expanses of Pluto and beyond, prepare to be subjected to the myriad dangers and wonders of our Solar System, on a breathtaking tour that reveals just how precious our home planet really is. CC available upon request.
Standards addressed: Planets have specific characteristics, primarily due to their location within the solar system. Earth is unique in that its characteristics and location allow for life to exist. (4.5)
As time allows, students will also take a tour of the solar system highlighting our place in space, and review the order and characteristics of the planets in our solar system.
Fifth Grade
We Are Stars – Narrated by Andy Serkis, this show seeks to answer some of the biggest questions of all time. What are we made of? Where did it all come from? Explore the secrets of our cosmic chemistry, our explosive origins and connect life on Earth to the evolution of the Universe. A family-friendly film full of fun, adventure, and enlightenment. CC available upon request.
Educator Pack from the producers of the show.
Standards addressed: Matter is composed of atoms, has properties and can change based on energy. (5.2, 5.7)
Beyond the Sun – While CELESTE is fighting off sleep in her room by reading a book on astronomy she receives an unexpected visit from MOON.Together, they will enjoy a journey through the Universe to discover what exoplanets are and how they can be detected. CC available upon request. Also available in Spanish.
Resources from the producers of the show.
Standards addressed: Matter is composed of atoms, has properties and can change based on energy. (5.2, 5.7)
Traveling with Light – Through the conversation between a child and his mother, the planetarium show “Traveling with Light” tackles the importance of light in all areas of our lives. The program presents different scenarios that reveal the complexity of light and its direct influence on our planet. Concepts include: Light sources, properties of light (including the EM Spectrum), light in life (photosynthesis and human vision), and light in technology. Also available in Spanish.
Standards addressed: Light has certain characteristics and behaves in predictable ways. (5.6)
As time allows, students will also take a tour of the current night sky, highlighting seasonal constellations and visible planets, or a tour of the solar system.
Secondary Programs
Current Show List March 2024.docx
The California Academy’s newest production is a great fit for the 6th grade Big Idea: The habitability of Earth is impacted by its place in the solar system, the interactions of water, energy, air, and the ecosystems on it, and our actions and choices as humans. CC available upon request.
Expedition Chesapeake, A Journey of Discovery is a story of epic proportions that journeys into the mysterious and beautiful watershed and explores the connections between the millions of people, plants and animals that call it home. This unique, immersive film will be a powerful educational tool for the next generation of environmental stewards and will inspire people to learn how they can restore the health of the watershed and the estuary where they live.
Expedition Chesapeake Resources
It has been over 50 years since humankind last set foot on the Moon and now we are going back to stay. MOONBASE: THE NEXT STEP tells the story of this human endeavor, visualizing the scientific and technological advances needed to safely travel 250,000 miles and survive the hostile and alien conditions. How do we establish a foothold on the Moon? Can we explore the vast landscape and extract the resources needed to live there on a permanent basis? Follow our story filled with awe, danger and trepidation and share the wonder of the lunar environment made for the 360 full dome format. Prepare for an immersive and breathtaking lunar experience…
Explore
The story centers around the motive of human travel to Mars, but the show presents and explains a much broader selection of science including history of astronomy, geocentric and heliocentric models, Kepler laws of planetary motion or orbital maneuvers.
Astronaut
The exploration of space is the greatest endeavor that humankind has ever undertaken. What does it take to be part of this incredible journey? What does it take to become an astronaut? Experience a rocket launch from inside the body of an astronaut. Explore the amazing worlds of inner and outer space, from floating around the International Space Station to maneuvering through microscopic regions of the human body.
Dynamic Earth shows how the Earth’s climate is determined by the many forces playing out on the planet. The program emphasizes the impact human activities are having on our climate. CC available upon request. Also available in Spanish.
Expedition Reef – Learn the secrets of the “rainforests of the sea” as you embark on an oceanic safari of the world’s most vibrant—and endangered—marine ecosystems. Expedition Reef immerses you in the undersea adventure. CC available upon request.
(*Note: This show is an option for 4th grade but appeals to a general audience and would be a great resource for Biology, Oceanography, Earth Science, and Environmental Science.)
Expedition Reef for Educators from California Academy of Sciences.
Habitat Earth – Living networks connect and support life form a large and small – from colonies of tiny microbes and populations of massive whales to ever-expanding human societies. In California Academy of Sciences’ latest original planetarium show, Habitat Earth, discover what it means to live in today’s connected world. CC available upon request.
Habitat Earth in the Classroom from California Academy of Sciences.
Dream Big – From the Great Wall of China and the world’s tallest buildings, to underwater robots, solar cars and smart sustainable cities, Dream Big celebrates the human ingenuity behind engineering marvels big and small, and reveals the heart that drives engineers to create better lives for people around the world. CC available upon request.