Shows for schools
Rome’s Planetarium offers an intense program of educational activities designed for students of every age and level, with a choice of language and content suitable to different ages.
From Tuesdays to Fridays 9.30 and 11.00 performances are reserved for schools, according to the following distribution:
- Tuesday: nursery and primary schools (years I-IV)
- Wednesday: primary schools (years V) and secondary schools (years I-III)
- Thursday: high schools (years I-III)
- Friday: secondary schools (years IV-V) and universities
The reservation is compulsory to 06 42 88 88 88
1 show at the Planetarium + Astronomical Museum
€ 5.50 per student
Roman Citiziens only (by showing a valid ID)
€ 4.50 per student
free: children under 6 years and accompanying teachers
1 show at the Planetarium + Astronomical Museum + Museum of Roman Civilization
€ 7.50 per student
Roman Citiziens only (by showing a valid ID)
€ 6.50 per student
free: children under 6 years and accompanying teachers
The presentation of the educational activities that take place within the planetarium correspond to the most advanced reflections on the communication of science, and they are designed to help and support activities in the classroom, preparing the students and confirming what they have been taught. It is an informal type of education, which accompanies, rather than substituting for, the formal lessons given by a teacher, and is presented as a “show”, rather than a traditional lesson.
For this reason the language and communicative method exploit the planetarium’s particular technological characteristics as a resource for involving the students emotionally in a direct experience of celestial phenomena.
The scientific content of the educational shows (which last for 45 minutes) differs, depending on the academic level, in a deepening progression discussing the motion of the Earth and the orientation of the vaults of the sky, the constellations and the mythology behind them, the Zodiac and the motion of the Sun, the Moon and the planets. It also touches on the Solar System and the structure of the Milky Way, the life-cycle of stars, distance in space, the galaxies and the evolution of the universe.
An innovation characteristic of the planetarium’s educational program is the opportunity for teachers to prearrange the content of the shows. It is possible to make contact with the scientific staff through the call centre which arranges bookings, and for the teachers to request a focus on particular astronomical or astrophysical themes. The scientific and cultural education on offer to schools is therefore extremely varied and flexible, and can be adapted to the requests of its users, thus being effectively shaped to the needs of the classroom. A true educational program can be created, increasing the synergy with the academic program of each institute and making a visit to the planetarium an even more profitable experience for the students.