Exploring the Stars: Our Third Graders’ Planetarium Adventure

Each year, our third graders reach for the stars—literally! As part of their science and writing curriculum, students research, write, and record their very own planetarium show. It’s a beautiful blend of curiosity, creativity, and collaboration, and one of the highlights of the year.

This year’s topic: the dwarf planets.
Students dove deep into the mysteries of Pluto, Eris, Haumea, Makemake, and Ceres, learning what makes these small but mighty worlds so fascinating. They worked in teams to script their narration, record their voices, and create an out-of-this-world show that was both informative and imaginative.

Their finished presentation was brought to life at the Catonsville College Planetarium, where the dome filled with the students’ voices and the glow of distant worlds. Families gathered for a private premiere, and later the show was presented again for the wider community, giving our young astronomers a true audience for their work.

After the show, the adventure continued with a visit to the Benjamin Banneker Museum. There, a park ranger introduced students to the story of Banneker’s remarkable life—surveyor of Washington, D.C., astronomer, and clockmaker. Students marveled at the model of his cabin and learned how he built the first American clock entirely out of wood, right in the Maryland forest, inspired by a European clock he had taken apart to understand how it worked.

It was a day of discovery and inspiration, linking past and present, curiosity and craftsmanship, the stars above and the roots of history below.