Griffith Observatory School Visit Program
2008-09 School Year
June 11, 2009 Update: |
Soon after opening in 1935, Griffith Observatory initiated one of the first school visit programs in the region. Generations of Los Angeles-area students made the pilgrimage in buses up Mount Hollywood for an experience under the stars. With the reopening of the renovated Observatory in late 2006, we welcomed back school groups for a unique experience in science education. Over 60,000 fifth-grade students and nearly two thousand teachers from hundreds of schools around the region participated in the School Visit Programs in spring 2007 and the 2007-08 and 2008-09 school years.
Here's a brief description of the program:
WHO: Fifth-grade students ONLY. The School Visit Program is open exclusively to fifth-grade students. The content and activities are aligned with the California State Board of Education Content Standards for fifth grade. Only fifth-grade classes will be considered for visits.
WHAT: A two-and-a-half hour program with exhibit, building, and theater experiences. The program uses the Observatory’s telescope, exhibit, and building content as well as programs in the Samuel Oschin Planetarium and Leonard Nimoy Event Horizon theater. Museum Guides, Observatory Lecturers, and Telescope Demonstrators will guide students in standards-based learning experiences using our unique facilities. Each component of the program is designed to complement the others and to support the fifth-grade education standards. Click here for a two-page description of the program.
WHEN: Three mornings a week. The program runs from 9:30 a.m. until 12:00 noon. Buses must arrive between 9:00 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. so the program can start promptly at 9:30 a.m. The program will accommodate roughly 350 fifth-grade students per day.
WHERE: Griffith Observatory. The programs are held at historic Griffith Observatory (at 2800 East Observatory Road in Los Angeles). Access to the Observatory is available from Vermont Avenue. Friendly Observatory staff will greet buses, divide students into groups, and guide students through the program. Both students and chaperones must arrive by bus. The bus will drop you off and pick you up at the horseshoe driveway.
HOW: By advance phone reservations ONLY. We do not accept reservations by fax, email, or other means. The reservation office is closed for the summer. Please watch this website for information about the 2009-10 school visit program, which we plan to post by late August 2009. We regret that no reservations can be taken at this time.
