fbpx

Planetarium Programs for Scouts

The Treworgy Planetarium offers workshops for many different levels of Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. These workshops satisfy most, or in some cases all, of the requirements for belt loops, merit badges, or Girl Scout badges. Workshops can be booked for a daytime visit to the Planetarium – or, for the fully-immersive experience, a workshop can be built into an Anchor Watch scout overnight visit. Please see below for information about each of our unique scout programs.

Daisy Girl Scouts (grades K-1): Be a Space Science Explorer!

Join us for some fun with the sky, and complete a badge at the same time! This two-hour workshop will provide Daisies with the knowledge, materials, and encouragement to complete their NEW Space Science badge! In this active workshop, Daisies will meet the sun, moon, and stars by:
• Learning how the sun changes with shadow pictures
• Seeing the moon with a telescope (weather permitting)
• Making their own telescope
• Learning about the shapes that stars make in the sky during a planetarium show
By the end of this two-hour workshop, Daisy girl scouts will have completed ALL of the requirements for their Space Science Explorer badge.

Brownie Girl Scouts (grades 2-3): Be a Space Science Adventurer!

Join us for some fun with the sky, and complete a badge at the same time! This two-hour workshop will provide Brownies with the knowledge, materials, and encouragement to complete their NEW Space Science badge! In this interactive workshop, Brownies will be introduced to Astronomy by:
• Learning about our neighbors in the sky by making a “pocket solar system”
• Discovering what makes our moon special
• Creating their own constellations
• Experiencing a planetarium show, where they will see the stars in a new way and learn about some amazing women space scientists!
By the end of this two-hour workshop, Brownie girl scouts will have completed MOST of the requirements for their Space Science Adventurer badge, and will have an opportunity to share what they learned with fellow girl scouts at a later date.

Junior Girl Scouts (grades 4-5): Be a Space Science Investigator!

Join us for some fun with the sky, and complete a badge at the same time! This 2.5-hour workshop will provide Juniors with the knowledge, materials, and encouragement to complete their NEW Space Science badge! In this inquiry-based workshop, Juniors will build on their space science knowledge by:
• Making hypotheses about the solar system
• Testing their hypotheses in creating a solar system scale model
• Learning that a year on Earth may not be the same as a year on other planets
• Creating their own way of measuring distances
• Learning about space missions, and creating our own rovers!
• Learning about fellow women space scientists while seeing the sky in a planetarium show
By the end of this two and a half hour workshop, Junior girl scouts will have completed MOST of the requirements for their Space Science Investigator badge.

Cadette Girl Scouts (grades 6-8): Be a Space Science Researcher!

Enlighten yourselves (literally), with this day long workshop! How can you get sunburned when it’s cloudy out? Who decided how to classify the stars? What is light pollution? Find out the answers to these questions, and earn a badge at the same time! Cadettes will be provided with the knowledge, materials, and encouragement to complete their new Space Science badge! In this experiment-driven workshop, Cadettes will:
• Create and execute their own light experiment
• Discover the different colors of light by creating their own Newton Spinner
• Learn about the woman who changed the way we classify stars
• Become a citizen scientists by participating in a night sky study
• Be introduced to fellow women space researchers while seeing the sky in a planetarium show

This 5-hour workshop includes a lunch break in the middle. Lunch will not be provided, but will be available for purchase. Scouts and their accompanying adults will need to bring their own lunches with them. We will provide an indoor lunch space.

Senior Girl Scouts (grades 9-10): Be a Space Science Expert!

Are we all made of star stuff? Find out in this workshop! Explore light and discover what it teaches us about the universe in this day-long workshop. Seniors will be provided with all of the materials, knowledge and encouragement to become Space Science Experts! Workshop highlights include:
• Learning about how telescopes collect light
• How can Pluto not be a planet anymore? Discuss the controversy, and discover how things can actually change in space
• What is the Period-Luminosity Relationship? Find out, and learn about the woman who discovered it
• Discuss the forgotten or ignored women of space science, discover the importance of Wally Funk’s space flight, and see the night sky with a private planetarium show

This 5-hour workshop includes a lunch break in the middle. Lunch will not be provided, but will be available for purchase. Scouts and their accompanying adults will need to bring their own lunches with them. We will provide an indoor lunch space.

“Out of This World”: Cub Scouts Nova Award workshop

This two-hour workshop has been designed especially for Cub Scouts who are working toward the “Out of This World” Nova Award. The program includes a 45-minute Planetarium show about the night sky, plus activities in the Planetarium classroom. Cub Scouts will:
• Visit a place where space science is being done

• Demonstrate how to focus a simple telescope

• Draw a diagram of our solar system

• Draw and label five constellations

• Explain how revolution (or orbit) compares with rotation
• Investigate and make models of solar and lunar eclipses
Programs are led by a BSA certified Merit Badge Counselor. All materials and lots of encouragement are provided. Each pack is responsible for purchasing and awarding the Nova Awards once scouts have completed the requirements.

Boy Scouts Astronomy Merit Badge workshop

This two-hour workshop satisfies most of the requirements for a Merit Badge in Astronomy. Provided that scouts have completed all of the pre-requisites listed below, our BSA certified Merit Badge Counselors can, upon completion of our workshop, sign blue cards to recognize completion of the Merit Badge requirements. Your troop is responsible for obtaining and awarding merit badges once the scouts have completed the requirements.
Sections of the Astronomy Merit Badge workbook that are NOT covered in our workshop (scouts are encouraged to complete these before visiting):
• Section 1: Observation, Preparation, First Aid
• Section 6, part B: four consecutive days of moon phase sketches
• Section 9: Careers in Astronomy
Sections of the Astronomy Merit Badge workbook that ARE covered in our workshop:
• Section 2: Light Pollution
• Section 3: Binoculars and Telescopes
• Section 4: Stars and Constellations
• Section 5: Planets
• Section 6, all parts except B: Moon
• Section 7: Sun
• Section 8: Visit a Planetarium

Program Details

Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Daisy/Brownie/Junior Girl Scouts:

  • Duration: 2.0-2.5 hours
  • Cost: $12.00 per scout

Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts:

  • Duration: 5 hours (includes lunch break)
  • Cost: $20.00 per scout

To register call 860.572.5322, ext. 1 or email reservations@mysticseaport.org

Search