Virtual Programs
Climate change is a complex and wide-reaching problem. How are astronomers contributing to our understanding of this crisis? First, we’ll explore the histories of our nearest planet neighbors, Venus and Mars, and what they can tell us about our own past, present and future. With this knowledge, how can we think creatively to solve parts of the problem? We’ll discuss how we’re personally feeling impacted by climate change and what small actions we can all take going forward. (Supporting resources available in English & Spanish for this program.)
- NGSS Standards: ESS1.B; ESS2.D; ESS3.C; ESS3.D; Constructing Explanations; Cause & Effect
- SEL Competencies: Self-management, Responsible decision-making
Less than a century ago, the known universe was thought to be a much smaller place. Most astronomers claimed that the Milky Way galaxy contained everything, including faint “spiral nebulae.” However, in the 1920s, some astronomers hypothesized that these nebulae were instead entire, separate, “island universes” - galaxies astonishingly and -for some- unimaginably far away. How did these relatively modern astronomers come to work out the size and scale of the universe, and how does the science community support risk-taking and respond to new ideas?
- NGSS Standards: ESS1.A; Engaging in Argument from Evidence; Scale, Proportion, and Quantity
- SEL Competencies: Social awareness, Responsible decision-making, Relationship Skills
Astronauts are selected for their scientific achievements and their ability to persevere through challenges. From living in microgravity and small spaces to managing feelings of isolation from their friends and family, astronauts must closely monitor their mental, physical, and communal health. Collaborating effectively with their team is crucial to survival. When humans make their first long journey through the harsh environment of space to Mars, these necessary skills are only amplified. What can we learn from the challenges astronauts face on a trip to Mars and how these skills relate to our daily lives back here on Earth?
- NGSS Standards: ESS1.B; Asking Questions and Defining Problems; Obtaining, Evaluating and Communicating Information
- SEL Competencies: Relationship skills, Social awareness, Self-management
With our virtual planetarium shows, we can still take your group anywhere in the universe! Conducted live via our YouTube stream or on a Zoom call, we have the ability to use the same visuals we would have in our normal planetarium and MiniDome shows. Kids can even ask the presenter questions using the live chat box! These shows are tailored to your group and customizable for any topic(s) or age range.
- Program length: 30 minutes
- Age recommendation: 5+
Have you ever wanted to be a superhero with heat vision? Or find out how night vision goggles work? We'll use our infrared camera on a Zoom call to investigate how different forms of light allow us to see things our eyes normally couldn't. How do astronomers use infrared light to study distant stars and planets? Test out which everyday objects are "transparent" to infrared light, see how hot and cold items radiate differently, and learn about how this relates to the greenhouse effect.
- Program length: 30 minutes
- Age recommendation: 7+
NASA is excited to send astronauts to spend time on the moon and Mars, but do you know what it takes for living things to thrive on another planet? Do you think you could design a habitat for plants, animals, or even people? In this activity, small groups will brainstorm and engineer livable spaces for other planets based on randomly-drawn conditions like which planet, what kind of life, and how long they'll be there. Groups will utilize skills like teamwork, critical thinking, and ingenuity to create ideas for habitats to present to their classmates.
- Program length: 60 minutes
- Age recommendation: 8+
- Maximum number of students: 40
Pricing Information
| 60-minute Programs | 30-minute Programs |
| $200 for up to 24 students | $100 for up to 24 students |
| $5 per additional student | $5 per additional student |
We offer a 30% discount for Reduced Lunch and Title 1 schools. Contact us with any questions.
Ready to schedule a virtual visit?
Call 303.492.5002.
Additional Virtual Teaching Resources
NASA climate change resources for educators: Curated list of organizations that provide reviewed listings of the best available student and educators resources related to global climate change, including NASA products.
Climate Literacy & Energy Awareness Network (CLEAN): Accurate education about climate and energy topics has never been more important, and it can be challenging to locate reliable, vetted educational materials to use in your classroom. CLEAN is here to help you find the resources that you need, without wondering about their scientific credibility or educational value.
En-ROADS simulator: This interactive simulator can be used to test climate solutions and generate climate scenarios for the future.
NPR: 8 Ways To Teach Climate Change In Almost Any Classroom: Article with some thoughts about how to broach the subject with students, no matter what subject you teach.
UCAR Climate Science Classroom Activities: Hands-on activities for a variety of grade levels.
GLOBE Observer Citizen Science: GLOBE Observer is an international network of citizen scientists and scientists working together to learn more about our shared environment and changing climate. To participate, just download the GLOBE Observer app and submit regular observations.
Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) Citizen Science: CoCoRaHS is a grassroots volunteer network of backyard weather observers of all ages and backgrounds working together to measure and map precipitation (rain, hail and snow) in their local communities.
Changing Climate: Our Future, Our Choice: Online exhibit about climate change
CIRES/NOAA Science@Home: This webinar series is intended to connect middle and high school students that are now in the virtual/remote learning landscape with scientists.
Exoplanet Lab (grades 7 - 9) from NOVA. A Galactic Resettlement team has received distress calls from aliens in desperate need of new homes. To help, you’ll have to master the same techniques scientists use to find and characterize exoplanets – worlds orbiting faraway stars.
Download the Science on a Sphere free mobile app to explore different Earth and space datasets from a tablet or share during a teaching videoconference.
NASA’s Eyes App (grades 1 - 12) allows you to experience Earth and our solar system, the universe and the spacecraft exploring them, with immersive apps for Mac, PC and mobile devices.
Stellarium (grades 4 - 12) is a free open source planetarium for your computer. It shows a realistic sky in 3D, just like what you see with the naked eye, binoculars or a telescope. Use it to observe patterns of motion of the sun, moon, and stars, magnify the planets to learn more about them and their moons, and more.
PhET Interactive Simulations (grades 7 - 12) offer a large number of STEM simulations that help students learn challenging concepts effectively. Each simulation also is accompanied by curriculum pieces designed by other teachers for your use!
Watch FREE virtual planetarium shows from Fiske Planetarium's YouTube channel about a wide variety of topics in Earth and space science, originally recorded live.
The Dome to Home series is geared for all audiences, but is specifically designed for 4th-8th grade students. Topics and additional suggested activities are guided by NGSS. Episodes are 20 - 30 min with Q+A.
Astronomy @ Home (grades K - 12): Weekly live storytime, lectures, and activities kids ages 3-15 from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific.
NASA STEM @ Home for Students (grades K - 4, 5 - 8): NASA has compiled a variety of activities, puzzles, games, stories, videos, and more for students to do at home.
STAR Net: The Space Science Institute’s Science-Technology Activities and Resource Library Network provides a vibrant online community, activities, webinars, and other resources for STEM learning.
Astronaut Anne McClain’s Tips for Living in Close Quarters: NASA astronaut Anne McClain spent 204 days living on the International Space Station and shares her tips for living in close quarters with only a few other people. She shares what human behaviors create a healthy culture for living and working remotely in small groups. Read her advice here. Learn more about how NASA helps prepare astronauts for the social isolation they will experience.
Earth and Space Science digital curriculum for 8th grade.
Mystery Science Offers a range of k-5 curriculum options that inspire kids to love science! Many of the lessons are hands-on and great for at-home learning, and all are aligned with NGSS and Common Core.
McDonald Observatory from the University of Texas offers a wide variety of activities to explore astronomy. Here are a selection of our favorites to do at home:
Shadow Play (grades K - 5): Everyone and everything has a shadow. Shadows illustrate how three dimensional objects can be viewed in two dimensions. Younger students can learn about the Sun’s relative motion in the sky as they experiment with shadows
Observing The Moon (grades K - 5): Does the Moon always look the same? Does its surface look different at different times?
Seeing the Invisible: Dust in the Universe (grades K - 2; 3 - 5; 6 - 8; 9 - 12): Dust is all around us: at home, on Earth, and in space. Explore the properties of dust and the astronomical research of dust in space with these three inquiry based activities from McDonald Observatory.
Scale Models (grades 6 - 8): Use playdough to make two balls that represent different objects in the solar system. Can you guess which ones they represent? (Make your own playdough if you don’t already have some!)
Color of Stars (grades 9 - 12): Observe colors in the flame of a burning candle to explore connections between matter, light, color, and temperature
Stars and Galaxies (grades 9 - 12): Apply concepts of scale to grasp the distances between stars and galaxies. You will use this understanding to elaborate on the question, Do galaxies collide?
The Astronomical Society of the Pacific offers a list of K-12 classroom activities.
The Exploratorium hosts robust professional development programs, activities for classrooms, and other tools for teaching and learning.
Visit NASA Space Place for classroom activities for elementary kids, available in English and Spanish.
Science Never Stops (grades K - 12): STEAM videos exploring museum artifacts, hands-on science, live astronomy demonstrations and so much more!
NASA eClips (grades 3 - 12): Videos explaining science, engineering, and the natural world in ways that make you think! Activity links also provided.
SciShow Space (grades 9 - 12): The universe is awe-inspiring! From ground breaking discoveries in the news to the big questions about what makes life possible, SciShow Space brings you answers to your burning questions... and poses some even weirder questions along the way.
MinutePhysics (grades 9 - 12): Short videos on astronomy and physics with easy-to-understand illustrations. Learn about fundamental concepts such as gravity and light all the way up to higher level topics like relativity and quantum mechanics.
PBS Space Time (grades 11 - 12): Space Time explores the outer reaches of space, the craziness of astrophysics, the possibilities of sci-fi, and anything else you can think of beyond Planet Earth with astrophysicist host Matthew O’Dowd.
How will we go back to the Moon? Is it possible to stop an asteroid from hitting Earth? Could there be life outside our solar system?
Join Fiske Planetarium hosts Tara Tomlinson and Collin Sinclair as they interview local Colorado experts in all fields of space science.