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The Week 2 Science Explorers are having a "stellar" time learning about the solar system, constellations, rocketry, and the search for extraterrestrial life! Learn more about this week’s lessons and activities here.

This Saturday marks the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere—and this week’s distance learning theme is seasons. Join one of our museum educators as she learns what causes these periodic changes in Earth’s conditions by reading The Reason for the Seasons, written and illustrated by Ellie Peterson!

This Saturday—June 20, 2020—marks the official beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, with the occurrence of the June solstice. In celebration, we’re focusing this week’s Distance Learning offerings on seasons. Today we’ll revisit a previous lesson about what causes the Earth’s seasons—with bonus content added to focus on the solstices!

This week’s distance learning theme is planets. Join one of our museum educators as she reads about the planets in our solar system—and so much more—in The Story of Space by Catherine Barr and Steve Williams, illustrated by Amy Husband!

You may think of outer space as a vast, empty void—but space is full of objects! Both within and beyond the bounds of our solar system, there are countless stars, nebulae, asteroids, comets—and, of course, planets. But what IS a planet, anyway? Why was Pluto “demoted” from a true planet to a dwarf planet, and what makes a planet different from other objects in space?

In this module, we’ll look at the official definition of what makes a planet, and put the current criteria into historical context by reviewing some of the ways that astronomical understanding has evolved throughout history. This content is most appropriate for middle- and high-schoolers, based on reading level.

Join one our our museum educators as she reads the children’s book “Going Around the Sun: Some Planetary Fun” by Marianne Berkes!

Learn about orbits in our solar system by creating a simple, all-ages model.

Create a scale model of the Earth and Sun with craft supplies in your own home!

This activity is a hands-on lesson in proportions, scale, and relative sizes in the solar system.

Geared toward middle- and high schoolers due to the mathematical component.

Get to know the stars…including one very special star in particular!

Geared toward pre-K and lower-elementary level students.

In this timely multimedia lesson, we explore what causes Earth’s seasons, and what it means to experience an equinox.

Geared toward upper elementary-level students.