StarLab brings unique learning experience to HRA

Hampton Roads Academy is one of the only schools on the peninsula to have access to the distinguished StarLab. With its first year at the school, students from all grade levels made scheduled visits to the planetarium to learn about cell anatomy, astronomy and geography. Able to accommodate more than 30 students, the StarLab is a great teaching tool for different size classes and is a fun learning environment.

Familiar with its educational benefits, Head of Middle School and science teacher Rhonda DeChirico took the lead in bringing the StarLab to Hampton Roads Academy. “The StarLab is a tool that I have used in schools for many, many years, witnessing its value and motivational effect on students of all ages,” said DeChirico. “It creates an environment where concepts can become tangible, and provides a learning environment that I felt our HRA students deserved to experience.”

During the StarLab presentation, each class got the opportunity to interact with the lesson by asking questions and identifying shapes on the dome wall using a laser pen. Images of a starlit night gave the feeling of being in space, while animated projections of mitochondria and ribosomes put students right in the heart of an animal cell. Jada Buckhanon, a seventh grade Life Science student at Hampton Roads Academy, got a better understanding of different cell structures during her visit. “Because of the StarLab experience, I remembered where things were in the cell and the phases of mitosis and meiosis…it was a little cooler than just learning them in a classroom.”

The portable StarLab fit comfortably inside of the Hampton Roads Academy lobby, making it easy for multiple classes to visit throughout the day. Students enjoyed having it set up so close to their other classes. “It’s kind of nice not having to take a field trip and just having it in the school,” said HRA seventh grade student, Brian Buck.

DeChirico hopes that the StarLab experience at Hampton Roads Academy will continue to stimulate students’ interest in science subjects as well as spark their own creativity. “Learning in a StarLab has provided an experience that touched on all senses, and in doing so, offered tremendous opportunity for full comprehension, and extended curiosity for all students.”