Cosmosphere

Cosmosphere International SciEd Center & Space Museum
Hutchinson, KS | cosmo.org

Cosmosphere Outreach opportunities are designed to meet the needs of teachers and their students while fulfilling Next Generation Science Standards. Cosmosphere Educators can travel to the school and present to several grade levels, or programming can be delivered via virtual presentations. Each activity includes a 45-minute presentation and a hands-on culminating activity.

ROCKETS (K-12)

Presentation: Students take a trip back in time to the 1930s lab of Dr. Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocketry. This interactive show uses live demonstrations on a journey through the history of rockets.

Activity: Students in grades K-2 will build and launch straw rockets, testing different methods to achieve the farthest flight. Grades 3-12 will build and test air rockets.

WEATHER/CLIMATE (K-12)

Presentation: Explore the scientific principles behind things like cloud formation, humidity, and what causes changes in weather.

Activity: Design and build a structure that will protect people from various weather hazards such as rain, wind and snow.

ENERGY (3-12)

Presentation: Energy is everywhere.  Learn what it is, how we use it, and why it is important.

Activity: Learn how batteries work by building one to power an LED light.

LIVING IN SPACE (K-12)

Presentation: Sleeping, eating, and going to the bathroom are a bit different in space. Learn what it’s like to live in space! Discover the science of orbit, types of space food and how to become an astronaut.

Activity: Trying to eat in space is quite a bit harder than on Earth. Students will design and create their own space food container that can be used to hold, cook, and eat food in microgravity.

THE SOLAR SYSTEM (K-8)

Presentation: Discover what we have learned about our solar system. Dive deep into each planet, and find out what makes each an exciting place to explore.

Activity: Students will create a model of the solar system as a bracelet.

ROBOTS! (K-12)

Presentation: Why do humans build robots? How do you program a robot to perform a task? Learn about robots and their uses in our world, and those beyond.

Activity: Program our Sphero BOLT robots to make their way through a maze.

BEYOND OUR SOLAR SYSTEM (3-12)

Presentation: What exists beyond our solar system, and how do we learn about deep space?

Activity: Students will mimic real astrobiologists and perform tests on different exoplanets to find out if they could possibly sustain alien life.

LUNAR LANDERS (K-12)

Presentation: How do engineers contribute to our study of space? Students will be introduced to engineering principles and career paths as they study the application of engineering design theory.

Activity:  Design and build a new model lunar lander to deliver people (marshmallows) safely to the Moon.

SPACE PHOTOGRAPHY (K-12)

Presentation: Students will learn how space telescopes like Hubble and Webb take pictures of such faraway places and explore how taking pictures in different wavelengths in the EM Spectrum gives us information about these places.

Activity: Draw pictures “using” different types of waves (visible, IR, X-ray, etc.) to convey different types of information.

CHEMISTRY (3-12)

Presentation: Learn the science behind different types of cool chemical reactions.

Activity: Students will use their knowledge of chemistry to solve a problem.

ELECTRICITY (3-12)

Presentation: Learn the scientific principles behind how electricity works.

Activity: Build circuits to make an explosive hatch just like the one on the Mercury capsule.

SCHEDULING: To schedule a program or to learn more about specific programs and which NGSS criteria are met by each topic, please call the Cosmosphere Education Department at 620-665-9334 or email schools@cosmo.org.