Students become pioneers of the space frontier as their classroom is transformed into a design centre for the creation of a multinational settlement on Mars. Canadian National Marsville is a complete cross-curricular program which challenges students to work towards a common goal and apply knowledge from a variety of subject areas including Science, Math, Technology, Communications, Humanities, and Health and Recreation. Marsville lasts approximately 8-12 weeks and culminates with students from different schools meeting to construct a mock Martian colony and share their experiences, problem-solving strategies and results. Marsville runs in the classroom from January to April, with teacher in-service taking place in January 2012 at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (teacher in-service is mandatory for first-time Marsville teachers).

Ever wonder what the H.R. Macmillan Space Centre is like at night? Your class will have the Space Centre all to themselves! Students will explore the Cosmic Courtyard, look through the ½ metre telescope in the Gordon MacMillan Southam Observatory (weather permitting), create a hands-on project, and end the night with an orientation to the night sky in our Planetarium. In the morning, a light breakfast is served followed by launching bottle rockets. Programming is ideally suited to grades 4 to 7 or ages 6 – 12 for community groups.

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP (60 min): INFO coming soon. ..... GROUNDSTATION CANADA THEATRE PRESENTATION (20 min): The Science of Light - Join us live in the Ground Station Canada theatre as we travel at one billion km/h – the speed of light! Watch as we use some of light’s unique properties to travel through space, power our world and blast objects out of the sky! HANDS-ON WORKSHOP (60 min): Light, Telescopes and the Messages from Stars - How do astronomers use light to learn about the stars and planets? With objects being so far away, how are we able to see these objects from here on Earth? By exploring the inner workings of a telescope, students will be able to make connections between important properties of light such as reflection and refraction, and how a telescope enables us to see stars, hundreds of light years away. ..... COSMIC COURTYARD GALLERY (30 min) - Visit our space-themed, hands-on gallery. Students can morph into an alien, touch a Moon rock or event try to lift a meteorite.

Choose your own combination of programs. ..... PLANETARIUM SHOW (35 min): Quest for Origins - How are stars and galaxies formed? What are stellar nurseries like? What about the origin of the Universe? This show examines some of the big questions in astronomy and the contributions of Canadian astronomers and the technology they use to advance our understanding of the Universe. ..... Sky Stories: A First Nations Journey - Experience the night sky through the stories, dances and cultural practices of the First Nations of BC and the Yukon. Follow Raven as we fly through time and space to learn about the 13 moons of the Wsanec, and marvel at the beauty and meaning of the northern lights. ..... Nightwatch: The Astronomers'Passion - This show highlights how astronomical discoveries shape our understanding of the Universe and ends with one of our astronomers describing the Vancouver sky. ..... GROUNDSTATION CANADA THEATRE PRESENTATION (20 min): Powering the Future - Power is critical for space exploration. This presentation examines possible renewable and non-renewable power sources for space exploration. ..... The Colour of Fire: An Astronomer's Tool - Ever wonder how astronomers learn about stars? This blazing presentation demonstrates the use of spectroscopy in astronomy. ..... COSMIC COURTYARD GALLERY (30 min) - Visit our space-themed, hands-on gallery. Students can morph into an alien, touch a Moon rock or event try to lift a meteorite.

PLANETARIUM SHOW (30 min): Little Dippers - Tour through the night sky and orient yourself with the major constellations such as the big dipper, little dipper and north star. Children will become aware of the seasonal and diurnal changes and patterns determined by the earth's rotation and the tilt of the Earth's axis. ...... HANDS-ON WORKSHOP (45 min): Secrets of the Sky - Students identify how animals, plants, and humans react to the similarities and differences between day, night, and the seasons with props and costumes. They will also make a sky-inspired take home craft. ..... COSMIC COURTYARD GALLERY (30 min) - Visit our space-themed, hands-on gallery. Students can morph into an alien, touch a Moon rock or event try to lift a meteorite.