Ten-by-16-foot inflatable planetarium packs into a standard-size duffel bag and looks very much like a silver dome tent
Hopewell Valley Regional School District’s new StarLab which will be used in district schools this year is a 10-by-16-foot inflatable planetarium, constructed of flame-resistant, industrial grade nylon (no latex). It packs into a standard-size duffel bag. It looks much like a silver dome tent, except that it comes with a special fan, projector and state-approved curricula.
It comfortably seats 27 adults, sets up in five minutes and is handicapped accessible. It comes with a sampling of six state-approved curricula in several disciplines, including Greek mythology, cellular biology and plate tectonics but, "we can modify this for use in almost any class," said JoAnn Meyer, district director of communications and development.
How does it work? Students enter the lab by crawling through a tube. A special projector projects the images and material of the curriculum on the dome ceiling.
"We already know how excited the kids are going to be about this and many of the teachers are enthusiastic, too, because of the unusual opportunity it presents to teach in a different and creative way," Ms. Meyer said last week.
Math teachers can explore geometry, writing teachers can project student samples on the ceiling for class critiques, Even teachers of autistic students have begun designing lesson plans for it.
The $20,000 cost of the lab was funded by $10,000 from Bristol-Myers Squibb, $5,000 from anonymous donor and $5,000 from the Hopewell Valley Education Foundation.

