Clark Planetarium Visits Wayne Middle School

A Science Activity That Was “Out Of This World”

On October 8th, 2018, representatives from Clark Planetarium visited Wayne Middle School.  They taught us some interesting information about our Solar System and the Universe, and had some neat displays that taught us about some science facts.  Clark Planetarium is located is Salt Lake City, Utah.  The planetarium is mainly focused on the science of space, but also offers some other neat and educational displays and activities.

The visit was divided between different grades and classes.  During first period, the planetarium’s representative, Thomas, taught sixth graders about the sun, moons, planets, and stars.  He showed us a simulation of the locations of the planets in our solar system, and our moon and the stars.  The simulation used ratios so you could see what the sky was like in 50 BC.  He also used a simulation that showed us the speed of light and how fast it looks while traveling all the way to Mars!  At the end of the class (as a bonus) we saw what would happen if the sun was a black hole.

Later, Thomas joined everybody else in the gym for some science projects.  First, he showed a device that generated electricity by spinning very fast.  He showed us static electricity with a wig and aluminum.  He showed us a Tesla, and illuminated two light bulbs with the electricity generated by the device.  He also showed us the power of “rocket fuel” during one activity.  Then, he had everyone join hands while he charged up an electrical device. When the device was ready, some touched a metal plate, which resulted in all of us being shocked!

Everyone really seemed to enjoy the visit from Clark Planetarium.  We hope that they can visit Wayne Middle School again.

Submitted By,

Kylee Pace