|
|
by
Anthony Amato |
February
28, 2007 |
See
the Stars at Southwest High School
New 57-seat planetarium will enhance science
education and be a community asset
I am extremely
excited about this week’s Amato’s Corner column
because we have a brand new, state-of-the-art facility available
to our students and staff that we believe will take our science
curriculum to a new level.
On Friday evening, the Kansas City Missouri School District
hosted a ribbon cutting at our new Planetarium facility at Southwest
High School. This is a true treasure and we are anxious to share
it with our students and the community.
Under an alumnium dome, the planetarium seats 57 people in theater-styled
seats, complete with fold-up desks for lab sessions. The equipment
displays the visible planets and the sun and moon in their current
positions, as well as an accurate star field of more than 1,900
stars in correct colors and brightness for both the northern
and southern hemispheres, including the Milky Way.
The additional projectors in the Southwest High School Planetarium
allow for the display of the celestial coordinate system, meridians
and the ecliptic overlaid on the star field. These wonderful
learning tools used in a planetarium lab lesson can provide
support and reinforcement for concepts related to rotation,
revolution, orbital motions of the planets as well as the effects
of the Earth precession.
Through our ties with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration)
and other astronomy-related agencies, all lab lessons will include
highlights and current news from NASA, as well as updated information
on prominent constellations, stars, planets and celestial events
visible from right here in Kansas City.
Southwest High School is located at the corner of 65th Terrace
and Wornall Road, and the planetarium is located in the southeast
corner of the school. To schedule an appointment for your class
or group, call our Planetarium Director Bob Riddle at 816-871-4915,
or send him an e-mail at bridle@kcmsd.net.
The planetarium is available for in-service workshops, small
group meetings, guest-lectures and even as a small theatre for
shows.
Amato’s
Corner is a biweekly feature in The Northeast News by Superintendent
Anthony Amato, with insightful information and analysis of education
trends and new programs in the Kansas City, Mo. School District.
We want your feedback. Please feel free to contact our public
information professionals with any questions regarding Kansas
City, Mo. schools and our ongoing endeavor to provide students
the highest quality education possible.
