First grade classes see stars in APW’s Star Lab

First graders in the Altmar-Parish-Williamstown School District went on a wonderful adventure in their study of the constellations as part of the English Language Arts curriculum.

The students enjoyed a presentation in the district’s own Star Lab, a mobile, domed planetarium that projects various scenes of the night sky onto the ceiling of the Star Lab.

Constellations, astrological signs, navigational stars, and planets were pointed out to the students in the presentations, all information that aligns with the common core learning standards curriculum taught by the district.

Each of the first grade classes took turns viewing the presentation and they were quick to point out the various constellations such as the big and little dippers and Orion the Hunter to name a few.

They talked about how the night sky changes with the seasons and how the sky looks differently on the north and south poles.

The students also discussed how civilizations used the stars to navigate and some used the stars to tell stories about their past.

The APW District secured the Star Lab unit many years ago through a grant and has utilized it for science and ELA study including the first graders and their ELA Domain Unit 6: Astronomy lesson.

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