Teacher's Guide for:

Rites of the Season

Snow crunches underfoot.  Saturn and the hunter Orion glisten In a velvet sky.  Wreaths and brightly colored lights decorate our streets ad our homes.  Now is the time to celebrate the rites of the season.?

This is the call that our December holiday program, "Rites of the Season," makes to us.  We explore the wonders of our winter sky and discover a close link to the traditions and holidays of our citizens. 

The winter solstice is one example of such a link: our ancestors celebrated it to mark the beginning of the sun's return to the north.  Many traditions still serve to remind us of the coming return of light and life to our land: evergreen decoration, mistletoe, holly, and candles.  Perhaps you can name more. 

Rites of the Season is the result of more than a decade of collaboration among members of the Great Lake Planetarium Association.  The final version of the script--and also the audiovisual presentation--were locally produced at the Staerkel Planetarium.  Holiday music by Mannheim Steamroller adds its powerful allure to the enchantment of the program. 

A primary aim in producing this program was to express a wish of "Peace on Earth, Good Will to All."  Exploring a variety of religious traditions and holidays may heighten our mutual understanding and serve to emphasize our link to a common sky above. 

Contributions of information and advice from local clergy and private citizens have been invaluable.  These individuals have made this a community production, rather than a production of the Staerkel Planetarium alone.  We are very grateful.

This show conforms to the following state science standards:  12.F.2a, 12.F.2b, 12.F.2c

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