When it comes to giving their students a hands-on learning experience, Baldwin knows how to make it happen. The district partnered with the Cradle of Aviation Museum to bring the solar system to its fourth-grade students on Nov. 20.
The museum’s portable planetarium came to Brookside Elementary School as a fun, engaging way to wrap up their current science unit of study. From light pollution to the mythological stories of the constellations, students had an opportunity to learn about all things space, stars and sky. The interactive experience had them in awe, and audible “wows” could be heard from outside the dome throughout the 45-minute presentation, with hands constantly shooting up to ask questions.
Not only did the planetarium give the students a deeper understanding of what they have been learning in class, but it also ignited a passion in some of them for science.
“It made me want to learn more about (what) we did in there, because it’s really interesting and fun,” fourth-grader Alana Mendoza said. “It might be a fun thing to do when I grow up.”
For the museum, the goal of bringing the portable planetarium into schools is to keep the stories written in the stars alive. “Our educators share constellation stories and teach (students) the skills to find constellations and planets in their own backyard,” Kerri Kilker, the museum’s planetarium manager, said. “We hope they take those lessons home and share them with their friends and families, just like people have done for thousands of years.”
Baldwin district officials agreed that they want to immerse their students in learning experiences outside the traditional classroom setting, which is what led them to bring in the Cradle of Aviation. “We share a philosophy here in Baldwin that it’s very important for students to see how their learning is applied to real-life situations,” Superintendent Anthony Mignella said.
Brookside Elementary Principal Jeanette Rottkamp said she hoped the students take away that this experience is also a form of learning. “This is the type of learning that we want students to explore,” she said. “It’s not just what’s on the computer or what teachers [are showing them] on a slideshow.”
The district plans to keep the students eager to learn about science with a STEAM Night offered in the spring. Rottkamp noted that she is looking forward to sharing this experience with families.
“In terms of interests they may have, I think it’s a great conversation that families can have with their kids, and how parents and our community can support their interest in this as well,” she said.
The museum’s director of education, Inés Jijón, told the Herald that it is looking forward to returning to the Baldwin district in the spring to work with fourth-graders and continue sparking their curiosity and excitement.
“Inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders across Long Island is at the heart of our mission,” Jijón said, “and collaborations like this make that work truly meaningful.”
