Floating Through Spac

Longview ISD Foundation, Inc. Sends Hudson PEP Elementary School Fourth-Graders to the Stephen F. Austin State University Planetarium

“Space is for everybody. It’s not just for a few people in science or math, or for a select group of astronauts. That’s our new frontier out there, and it’s everybody’s business to know about space.” – Christa McAuliffe

Thanks to Andrea Clark and Sharyl Bledsoe, Hudson PEP Elementary School fourth grade teachers and funding of $5,768.00 from the Longview ISD Foundation, Inc., 102 fourth graders made it their business to learn more about space on March 3, 2026, when they visited the Stephen F. Austin State University planetarium. 

The teachers’ goal was to reinforce and extend the classroom science curriculum related to Earth and space systems, specifically Earth’s place in the universe, celestial patterns, and the solar system itself.  By visiting the planetarium, students visualized and understood complex astronomical concepts, such as the movement of the Earth, moon, and planets, the causes of the seasons, and the observable patterns in the night sky.

To discover what students learned, Kay Ray, Foundation director, interviewed several students:  Addison Clapper, Jackson Free, Lilly Jones, Merritt Kipp, Andrea Martinez, McKenna Moon, Val Pelzl, Jackson Plemmons, Oliver Rothrock, Reaghan Smith, Santiago Soto, and Crockett Ward.

The students expressed their fascination with the constellations, the moon, and the sun, especially with ancient myths about their creation.  One myth said that a coyote dropped a torch to create the sun, while another said the coyote then stole the sun and created night.  Another said the constellations were made by animals painting themselves, while another said the animals threw rocks into the sky to create them.  Students enjoyed learning about the cultures that created these legends and about the fascination people have always had with the mysteries of our universe.

However, students learned that the sun, formed 4.6 billion years ago, is not a giant fireball as some believed; instead, it is a sphere of hot plasma that radiates energy from its surface as light, making it the main source of energy for life on Earth.  Some students had thought that since the Sun is the center of the universe, it must be the largest.  However, they learned that there are stars much larger than the sun.  They reported that Sirius, one of the massive stars, is the brightest star in the night sky.  The students saw the constellations they had learned about in class:  the Big Dipper, the Little Dipper, Gemini, Orion, and Taurus.  They also learned that the constellations change throughout the seasons.  For example, they explained, Orion is most visible in the winter.

Because of the recent space travel around the moon by United States astronauts, students were excited to learn about the moon and its new, full, waxing, and waning phases.  All said how much they enjoyed seeing a full moon.  They learned that the moon cycles through its stages approximately every thirty days.  Moreover, they learned about day and night cycles and how the seasons are created.  Since the earth is tilted on its axis, different parts of Earth get the sun’s direct rays as the year progresses.  Students also learned the importance of the seasons.  The seasons, they said, affect farming, water supplies, and animals.  They all said that Earth’s ecosystems rely on the seasons to make them function.  For example, farmers plant according to seasons, and animals reproduce according to seasons. 

The students said they enjoyed the planetarium experience because it made them feel weightless, as if they were floating among the stars and the planets.  One student said she almost forgot she was inside a building because space seemed so real.  All said visiting a planetarium was an experience they had not had before. 

After visiting the planetarium, students experienced life on a college campus, another experience most of them had not had.  They watched students on their way to classes and visited the student commons area, library, and the university’s food court.  The food court was a marvel to the students with its many food choices.  They loved the buffet-style meal and the opportunity to dine with college students. 

While the Longview ISD Foundation’s field trip grant program’s goal is to extend classroom instruction in ways that cannot be replicated in a classroom, the Foundation also wants to help students envision their futures, whether that future is at a technical school, junior or community college, or a four-year college or university.  Not only did the academic field trip to the SFA planetarium bring science instruction to life, but it also introduced fourth graders to college.  Most of the students had not visited SFA or Nacogdoches, but when asked where they would like to attend college, some said SFA seemed like a good choice.  Every student interviewed named colleges they would like to attend, from SFA to LeTourneau to LSU to Notre Dame to Auburn to Texas A&M to the University of Texas at Austin, Tyler, or San Antonio.  With the state’s and Longview ISD’s emphasis on college and career readiness, the Foundation’s grant funding opened another door of opportunity for these students.

These Pepsters already have post-secondary plans, and by visiting the planetarium, the Longview ISD Foundation and Ms. Clark and Ms. Bledsoe are pleased to have sparked an interest in space and STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and math). 

Since 2019, the Foundation has funded thirty-one academic field trip grants for fourth and fifth-grade students and middle school students for a total of $143,467.08.

To date, the Longview ISD Foundation, Inc. has proudly returned $1,198,747.96 to Longview ISD classrooms and campuses to enable innovative educators to provide enhanced educational opportunities for all students through its three grant programs:  the Great Rewards for Great Ideas Grant Program, the Campus Initiative Grant Program, and the John W. Harrison, Jr. Academic Field Trip Grant Program.