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School District
Of
Waukesha
Educational Programs
offer by the
Charles Z. Horwitz
Planetarium
Located in the Retzer Nature Center
Schools
Programs for school groups are available during the daytime by special arrangement. All programs meet the educational criteria of the State of Wisconsin and National Earth Science Education Standards for grades K-12.
Bus parking is available.
Reservations
A three week lead-time is required to book all programs.
Because your program has been specifically booked for your group (date, program, time, etc),
fees must be paid 21 days before program date.
When booking a program 21 days before the program date,
payment is due at the time of the booking.
(We do accept MasterCard and Visa over the phone - only).
If payment is not received 21 days or more before your program date,
the program will be cancelled.
If you cancel your program less than 21 days before program date,
we reserve the right to forfeit the whole program fee,
or issue credit on account instead of refunding money.
Credit on account must be redeemed with the same calendar year unless otherwise noted.
Reservations must be made in advance by calling
Waukesha County Department of Parks and Land Use:
Parks System Division
(262) 548-7801
The Retzer Nature Center
Twice the Value!
Horwitz Planetarium programs can be combined with those of Retzer Nature Center for a complete educational experience. Just one bus trip is required.
Call Retzer Nature Center:
(262) 896-8007
Cost
School group planetarium programs:
$3.00 per person
One teacher is admitted free for each 25 students.
Scouts / Private programs
Call (262) 896-8423
Admission is $4.00 per person.
One scout leader is admitted free.
Programs are available after school or evenings.
What is a Planetarium?
The planetarium is a multi-media sky-theater. The main instrument is a Spritz 512 star projector. It can project an image of the day or night sky on the underside of a dome-shaped ceiling. The planetarium serves as a resource for students, teachers , and community. For details see our home page.
Program Descriptions and Ages
"The
Skies Over Mr. Roger's Universe"
(Recommended for ages 3 - 4)
This program uses the familiar scenes and show characters from the famous television show
"Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" to introduce your young students to the wonders of the day and night sky. Magically produced, this new show is due to be a favorite.
"The Sky Tonight"
(Recommended for ages 4 - 6)
Reach up and paint the sky blue, make a rainbow, sing and clap to the music as we all meet Joe Star, Marsha Moon, and Mike Meteor in this participatory sky and space experience.
"Our Place in Space"
(1st - 2nd grade)
This award-winning, participatory children's planetarium show introduces jungle animals and a space crossword puzzle to unravel the wonders and the mysteries of the universe.
"Honey, I Shrunk the Solar System"
(3rd - 5th grade)
Let's explore the planets! This solar exploration program takes the audience on an imaginary bike ride past the sun , moon, and planets. Students help answer space questions along the way.
"A Solar System Adventure Tour"
(3rd - 5th grade)
You won't believe how fun learning about the planets can be when you step aboard the "Star Traveler" spaceship on your interactive journey past the planets in our solar system.
"Nine Planets and Counting"
(4th - 6th grade)
See the most current images of the Sun, Moon, and Planets in our Solar System. Find out why Pluto is now classified as a "Dwarf Planet". This very beautiful new program investigates the formation and the composition of our neighbors in space.
"Starship Earth"
(4th - 8th grade)
This fast-paced astronomy presentation uses spectacular visuals to answer questions about our home planet Earth. Views of Earth from space, reasons for seasons, and earth's place in the universe are explored.
(Recommended for ages 3 - 4)
This program uses the familiar scenes and show characters from the famous television show
"Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" to introduce your young students to the wonders of the day and night sky. Magically produced, this new show is due to be a favorite.
"The Sky Tonight"
(Recommended for ages 4 - 6)
Reach up and paint the sky blue, make a rainbow, sing and clap to the music as we all meet Joe Star, Marsha Moon, and Mike Meteor in this participatory sky and space experience.
| All programs below begin with a brief tour of the current evening sky. Highlights include: finding your directions, phases of the moon, location of visible planets, and constellation identification. |
"Our Place in Space"
(1st - 2nd grade)
This award-winning, participatory children's planetarium show introduces jungle animals and a space crossword puzzle to unravel the wonders and the mysteries of the universe.
"Honey, I Shrunk the Solar System"
(3rd - 5th grade)
Let's explore the planets! This solar exploration program takes the audience on an imaginary bike ride past the sun , moon, and planets. Students help answer space questions along the way.
"A Solar System Adventure Tour"
(3rd - 5th grade)
You won't believe how fun learning about the planets can be when you step aboard the "Star Traveler" spaceship on your interactive journey past the planets in our solar system.
"Nine Planets and Counting"
(4th - 6th grade)
See the most current images of the Sun, Moon, and Planets in our Solar System. Find out why Pluto is now classified as a "Dwarf Planet". This very beautiful new program investigates the formation and the composition of our neighbors in space.
"Starship Earth"
(4th - 8th grade)
This fast-paced astronomy presentation uses spectacular visuals to answer questions about our home planet Earth. Views of Earth from space, reasons for seasons, and earth's place in the universe are explored.
"Explorers of International Space Station"
(5th - 8th grade)
This program shows science research being done on the International Space Station. Communication, medical technology, and life aboard the space station are just some of the topics in this spectacular visual presentation.
"Journey to the Stars"
(6th - High School)
This fascinating show presents close-up views of the sun, moon, and planets. Then it takes the audience into deep space to explore white dwarf's, neutron stars, and black holes. Also in this program scientists explore some of the most current trends in human and robotic space exploration.
"Blown Away, The Wild World of Weather"
(6th - High School)
Experience our fascinating world of weather as you ride out a thunderstorm, fall into a tornado, and view storms from space. This program studies the dynamics of the water cycle , cloud types, lightning , and auroras. This program meets many of the goals and objectives of state and national science teaching standards.
"The Stargazer"
(6th - High School)
Nichelle Nichols (Lt. Uhura of the television series Star Trek) narrates this fascinating program about stars. "Stargazer" traces the life experiences of well-known astronomy professor Dr. James Kaler. From childhood to adult, his love for the heavens shows us all that there is a "human" connection to the stars. "Stargazer" is funded by the NASA Hubble Space Telescope Institute.
"Hubble Vision II"
(6th - High School)
Images from the Hubble Space Telescope have revolutionized the way modern-day astronomers view the universe. These new images from space are strange and beautiful. Don't miss the story of the life and technology of the Hubble Space Telescope.