Adler Planetarium, Chicago, IL

Education

Curricula & Resources

Discovery Check Out Kits

Our Discovery Kits are sure to be a hit in your classroom! Each Kit is full of learning resources for you and your students to explore, and comes with a corresponding curriculum guide. We encourage you to keep and use these complimentary guides with your students. Each Discovery Kit may be checked out for two weeks at a time. The Kits are available by reservation only. Please call Demi Brand at 312-322-0510 or email dbrand@adlerplanetarium.org to learn more.

• Available Kits
• Borrow a Kit

Available Kits:

Alien Exposé Discovery Kit

Audience: Grades 5-8

Description: Are we alone in the Universe? Build on your students' natural curiosity of life beyond Earth with the Alien Exposé Discovery Kit. This kit provides books, video, and materials to use with our Alien Exposé curriculum guide. Explore what constitutes life, where life can be found on earth, and where it might be found throughout the Universe. Click to preview the curriculum guide

Sun-Earth Connection Discovery Kit

Audience: Grades K-4, 5-8

Description: Begin this amazing journey from the Sun to the Earth with the Sun-Earth Connection Discovery Kit. This kit provides books, posters, CD-ROMS, video and other materials to use with our Sun-Earth Connection curriculum guide. Explore how the Sun affects our daily lives by investigating topics such as night and day, energy, and the reasons for the seasons. Click to preview the curriculum guide

Gravity and Black Holes Discovery Kit

Audience: Grades 5-8, 9-12

Description: "Examine the ultimate limits of gravity and Energy in the Universe" with the Gravity and Black Holes Discovery kit. This Kit provides materials for students to explore gravity and related physics concepts, such as mass and force, within the context of Earth, space, and black holes. Click to preview the curriculum guide

To Borrow a Discovery Kit:

• At least one week in advance, print reservation PDF form, fill out and mail or fax (FAX: 312-322-9181) to Adler, OR call Demi Brand at 312-322-0510 to make a reservation.
• After receiving confirmation of reservation, schedule a Discovery Kit pick up time with an Adler Educator.
• Meet with an Adler Educator to review the contents of your kit.
• Discount on Audio Tour for you and a guest
• Complete and sign a loan agreement.

To Return a Discovery Kit:

•Inventory the Kit to ensure all items are returned.
• Please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation form inside. Your feedback is extremely important to us.
• Return Kit and evaluation to Adler during normal operating hours. (Monday-Friday 9:30am-4:30pm during most of the school year)
• There is a $10 fee for each day that the Kit is overdue. Please see Discovery Kit Guidelines for more information.

Downloadable Curriculum

Adler educators developed the following curriculum guides for the popular Astronomy Connections professional development and classroom curriculum program. Each lesson and activity has been used by interdisciplinary teams of Astronomy Connections teachers in their classrooms, and adapted for Adler's education programs within the museum. Please use and modify these resources to fit the needs of your students.

Alien Exposé

Alien Exposé is a curriculum guide that introduces students to the study of life on Earth and helps them explore the possibility of life elsewhere in the Universe.

Sun-Earth Connection

Sun-Earth Connection is a curriculum guide that focuses on studying the Sun's structure, light, energy, and its relationship with Earth.

Gravity and Black Holes

Gravity and Black Holes is a curriculum guide focused on the teaching of gravity and related physics concepts, such as mass and force, within the context of earth, space, and black holes.

Mars Exploration Station

Mars Exploration Station was developed for the nationwide Mars Millennium Project. Use it as a guide to the study of Mars.

Cultural Astronomy

Bringing the Heavens to Earth is a new online cultural astronomy resource based on Adler's Bringing the Heavens to Earth gallery, which opened in March 2002. The site was co-developed by the Adler Planetarium, the University of Chicago, and Chicago Public Schools involved in eCUIP. The site contains information, lesson plans, interactives, and animations describing how numerous cultures have used the sky over the centuries to survive, structure their communities and provide meaning to their lives.

Interactives

Sun and Seasons Online Activity enhances your class' study of the "reasons for the seasons". You will need the Macromedia Flash Player to do the activity, which only works in Internet Explorer.

Astronomy Connections Gravity Lab is an online activity that allows students to experiment with objects of differing masses in ways not possible in class! This activity requires Macromedia Flash Player, and will only work with the Internet Explorer browser.

Moons of Jupiter Puzzle takes students through observations of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter. We have adapted this activity from one found in the book The Moons of Jupiter, which was developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science for their Great Explorations in Math and Science school curriculum program.


		Education Curricula & Resources Back to the Educators main page Discovery Check Out Kits Downloadable Curriculum Interactives Discovery Check Out Kits Our Discovery Kits are sure to be a hit in your classroom! Each Kit is full of learning resources for you and your students to explore, and comes with a corresponding curriculum guide. We encourage you to keep and use these complimentary guides with your students. Each Discovery Kit may be checked out for two weeks at a time. The Kits are available by reservation only. Please call Demi Brand at 312-322-0510 or email dbrand@adlerplanetarium.org to learn more. • Available Kits • Borrow a Kit Available Kits: Alien Exposé Discovery Kit Audience: Grades 5-8 Description: Are we alone in the Universe? Build on your students' natural curiosity of life beyond Earth with the Alien Exposé Discovery Kit. This kit provides books, video, and materials to use with our Alien Exposé curriculum guide. Explore what constitutes life, where life can be found on earth, and where it might be found throughout the Universe. Click to preview the curriculum guide Sun-Earth Connection Discovery Kit Audience: Grades K-4, 5-8 Description: Begin this amazing journey from the Sun to the Earth with the Sun-Earth Connection Discovery Kit. This kit provides books, posters, CD-ROMS, video and other materials to use with our Sun-Earth Connection curriculum guide. Explore how the Sun affects our daily lives by investigating topics such as night and day, energy, and the reasons for the seasons. Click to preview the curriculum guide Gravity and Black Holes Discovery Kit Audience: Grades 5-8, 9-12 Description: "Examine the ultimate limits of gravity and Energy in the Universe" with the Gravity and Black Holes Discovery kit. This Kit provides materials for students to explore gravity and related physics concepts, such as mass and force, within the context of Earth, space, and black holes. Click to preview the curriculum guide To Borrow a Discovery Kit: • At least one week in advance, print reservation PDF form, fill out and mail or fax (FAX: 312-322-9181) to Adler, OR call Demi Brand at 312-322-0510 to make a reservation. • After receiving confirmation of reservation, schedule a Discovery Kit pick up time with an Adler Educator. • Meet with an Adler Educator to review the contents of your kit. • Discount on Audio Tour for you and a guest • Complete and sign a loan agreement. To Return a Discovery Kit: •Inventory the Kit to ensure all items are returned. • Please take a few minutes to complete the evaluation form inside. Your feedback is extremely important to us. • Return Kit and evaluation to Adler during normal operating hours. (Monday-Friday 9:30am-4:30pm during most of the school year) • There is a $10 fee for each day that the Kit is overdue. Please see Discovery Kit Guidelines for more information. Downloadable Curriculum Adler educators developed the following curriculum guides for the popular Astronomy Connections professional development and classroom curriculum program. Each lesson and activity has been used by interdisciplinary teams of Astronomy Connections teachers in their classrooms, and adapted for Adler's education programs within the museum. Please use and modify these resources to fit the needs of your students. Alien Exposé Alien Exposé is a curriculum guide that introduces students to the study of life on Earth and helps them explore the possibility of life elsewhere in the Universe. Sun-Earth Connection Sun-Earth Connection is a curriculum guide that focuses on studying the Sun's structure, light, energy, and its relationship with Earth. Gravity and Black Holes Gravity and Black Holes is a curriculum guide focused on the teaching of gravity and related physics concepts, such as mass and force, within the context of earth, space, and black holes. Mars Exploration Station Mars Exploration Station was developed for the nationwide Mars Millennium Project. Use it as a guide to the study of Mars. Cultural Astronomy Bringing the Heavens to Earth is a new online cultural astronomy resource based on Adler's Bringing the Heavens to Earth gallery, which opened in March 2002. The site was co-developed by the Adler Planetarium, the University of Chicago, and Chicago Public Schools involved in eCUIP. The site contains information, lesson plans, interactives, and animations describing how numerous cultures have used the sky over the centuries to survive, structure their communities and provide meaning to their lives. Interactives Sun and Seasons Online Activity enhances your class' study of the "reasons for the seasons". You will need the Macromedia Flash Player to do the activity, which only works in Internet Explorer. Astronomy Connections Gravity Lab is an online activity that allows students to experiment with objects of differing masses in ways not possible in class! This activity requires Macromedia Flash Player, and will only work with the Internet Explorer browser. Moons of Jupiter Puzzle takes students through observations of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter. We have adapted this activity from one found in the book The Moons of Jupiter, which was developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science for their Great Explorations in Math and Science school curriculum program.