Second graders from Smiley Elementary School in Ludowici visited the Georgia Southern University Planetarium on March 28.
Candy Parker and Danielle Pritchett took their classes with parents, grandparents, and siblings to Statesboro for the field trip, and the group of 66 learned about space, ranging from why Pluto wasn't a planet anymore to why the planet of Saturn has rings.
Graduate student Chris Lowder led the visual demonstration, and began his presentation by explaining about the different solar systems, with a focus on our own Milky Way.
He also enlisted volunteers from the classes, and showed the group the different types of stars, using rubber balls of different sizes and color to describe the differences between them.
He also described the different characteristics of the planets, going through each one, and wrapping up with information on Pluto and why it is now defined as a dwarf planet.
The group then looked at several displays including one that had a small rock from Mars. Lowder then took the kids outside and let them look through special glasses at the sun, informing them that they should never look at the sun without protective eyewear.
Lowder then set up a sun seeker, and showed the second graders what the sun looked like through this piece of equipment.
After the demonstration, the classes went to one of the parks on campus, ate lunch, and were given free time to run and play.
Chris Lane, who was on his second field trip of the week, (earlier, he and his wife Angel went to the Bamboo Farm with his son Jamel) said, "This has been a good trip. Everyone has had a good time, and it was very informative."
His wife Angel, "Smiley always seems to do a good job. They have good trips and good teachers."
The day wrapped up with all of the buses getting back to the school around 1:30 p.m.
Candy Parker and Danielle Pritchett took their classes with parents, grandparents, and siblings to Statesboro for the field trip, and the group of 66 learned about space, ranging from why Pluto wasn't a planet anymore to why the planet of Saturn has rings.
Graduate student Chris Lowder led the visual demonstration, and began his presentation by explaining about the different solar systems, with a focus on our own Milky Way.
He also enlisted volunteers from the classes, and showed the group the different types of stars, using rubber balls of different sizes and color to describe the differences between them.
He also described the different characteristics of the planets, going through each one, and wrapping up with information on Pluto and why it is now defined as a dwarf planet.
The group then looked at several displays including one that had a small rock from Mars. Lowder then took the kids outside and let them look through special glasses at the sun, informing them that they should never look at the sun without protective eyewear.
Lowder then set up a sun seeker, and showed the second graders what the sun looked like through this piece of equipment.
After the demonstration, the classes went to one of the parks on campus, ate lunch, and were given free time to run and play.
Chris Lane, who was on his second field trip of the week, (earlier, he and his wife Angel went to the Bamboo Farm with his son Jamel) said, "This has been a good trip. Everyone has had a good time, and it was very informative."
His wife Angel, "Smiley always seems to do a good job. They have good trips and good teachers."
The day wrapped up with all of the buses getting back to the school around 1:30 p.m.