Bays Mountain Park staff and volunteers offer programs for school groups from kindergarten through high school level. These programs are offered Tuesday through Friday, September through May. Select from the areas below to learn more about the various programs offered and how to schedule a visit.
School programs are 45-50 minutes long and are on a 1-hour schedule. Time slots are: 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 1:30 p.m. Many school groups schedule both a Nature and Astronomy program for the same day, thus making most efficient use of their transportation dollars.
Program Fees
Kingsport, Rogersville, & Bristol (TN) City Schools – No charge.
Public, private, and home schools within Sullivan County, TN and Hawkins County, TN – No charge.
Home schools, private schools, and public schools located outside Sullivan or Hawkins County: $2 per student, parent and chaperone. There is no charge for teachers.
Park Entrance Fees
$5 per car
$15 per bus (school bus or larger).
Buses from Sullivan and Hawkins counties, Kingsport, Rogersville, & Bristol (TN) City Schools, are not charged the entrance fee.
Scheduling
Please use the teacher request form on this webpage or call Mark Kilgore at 423-230-6357 or the Park at 423-229-9447. Mr. Kilgore or another Park employee will contact you to assist you in scheduling your school group.
Due to our busy school scheduling, small groups may be combined with another same-age group.
There is a 15 person minimum for any school group scheduled for their own program. But, very small groups can be combined with another same-age group.
April and May are our busiest months for school groups. Please call early if you want to receive a program during this time.
Even if you are not charged for your program, please arrive at the park and check in at the front desk of the Nature Center 30 minutes prior to your first scheduled program time. This will allow us to know that you have arrived and we can acquire an accurate attendance. This also allows your group the time to visit the restroom.
Arriving late may cause your group’s program to be cancelled.
It is recommended that you arrive early to have time to use the restrooms. If your program starts late, it will be truncated to accommodate the scheduling of all the other groups visiting.
During Your Visit
Bays Mountain Park is a nature preserve. Please inform your students that playing with, climbing on, or destroying or removing material, either living or non-living violates park rules.
A teacher or other responsible adult should accompany students at all times that they are in the park. Students should be encouraged to walk quietly while in the park. Others are here to enjoy the tranquility of the nature preserve as well as to learn. Teasing, harassing, or feeding of park animals, whether caged or loose, will not be tolerated.
Staying for Lunch
Please note: Bring your own lunch. There is only one very small snack machine (chips and candy) and two drink machines at the park.
Groups may bring their lunches to the park and eat at the picnic tables, the amphitheater, or two covered picnic shelters. These areas are available on a first-come, first-served basis. During inclement weather, we will try to provide indoor or sheltered areas for the students to eat if space is available. The availability of these areas is subject to programming needs. Please help the staff keep the park clean by depositing all trash in appropriate receptacles. Please do not feed any park animals, caged or loose.
The following list contains a variety of programs available for your school group. We strive to have an age- and grade-appropriate program for your students. Please note the grade level on the left side.
If you have a specific topic you wish to be covered, please alert the BMP staff person who schedules you.
Thank you!
Links to Bays Mountain Nature YouTube Videos
Bays Mountain has prepared some special, instructional videos regarding nature on YouTube. They cover many topics and are great for learning about the Park’s special natural resources.
A List of Nature Programs Offered for School Groups:
Recommended Grade Level
Program Name
Description
Pre-K & Up
Snakes Alive!
Find out why these reptiles are important to the ecosystem, learn the difference between non-venomous and venomous and explore the types of snakes that call Bays Mountain home. (Live animals may be used.)
Habitat Tour
Spend time with a park naturalist touring the animal habitats. Listen to stories about the park’s bobcat, white tail deer, red fox, and turtles.
Barge Ride
Enjoy a relaxing boat ride around the reservoir. This program will be adjusted to the age of the students as we observe wildlife and learn about the park’s history.
Turtle Talk
What are turtles, what do they eat and where do they live? (Live animals may be used.)
Pre-K to 3rd
Around the Pond
Find out which animals call a pond home. Some small, live animals may be used during this program.
Kindergarten & Up
Birds of Prey
Find out what a raptor is, what they eat and how they fly. (Live animals may be used.)
Wolf
This program will cover a wolf’s diet, pack dynamics, socialization and their role within the environment.
1st Grade & Up
Basic Characteristics of Insects & Spiders
The focus of this program will be the insect and spider life cycle.
2nd Grade & Up
Seasonal Changes in Plants & Animals
This program will focus on the following: the addition and loss of a winter coat, migration, hibernation, eggs and cocoons, flowers and fruits and more.
3rd Grade & Up
Interdependence in Nature
Symbiotic relationships in nature are explored.
4th Grade & Up
Pond Life
Students learn about the health of the reservoir through tiny organisms called macro-invertebrates. Students use dip-nets to locate these tiny creatures! This program is best for small groups. (The best time of year for this program is mid-April and early fall.)
Plant & Animal Adaptations
How do plants and animals adapt to our climate and weather patterns?
5th Grade & Up
Scientific Classification of Plants & Animals
This program will talk about the seven classifications of animals and what each level means. For plants, we’ll explore the five classifications and what each level means.
Rocks & Minerals
This program will focus on how metamorphic, sedimentary and igneous rocks form using the rock cycle.
The following list contains a variety of programs available for your school group. We strive to have an age- and grade-appropriate program for your students.
Please note that the grade level header for each section denotes a minimum recommended level. Children younger than the grade listed can enjoy the program, though they may not fully understand the content. Anyone, child or adult, over that grade level will certainly enjoy and learn from the program.
If you have a specific astronomical topic you wish to be covered, please alert the BMP staff person who schedules you so they can add your requests to our scheduling calendar. We will do our best to accommodate!
Thank you!
PLEASE NOTE: The planetarium theater underwent a major renovation. As such, we have to reprogram every presentation.
Unfortunately, this process takes quite a bit of time. Shows marked with this green checkmark are currently available. Over time, all shows will eventually be available. Thank you for your understanding!
Links to Bays Mountain Astronomical YouTube Videos
Bays Mountain has prepared some special, instructional videos regarding astronomy on YouTube. They cover many topics and include some seasonal tours of the night sky.
A List of Planetarium Programs Offered for School Groups:
Recommended Grade Level
Program Name
Description
PLEASE NOTE: The planetarium theater underwent a major renovation. As such, we have to reprogram every presentation.
Unfortunately, this process takes quite a bit of time. Shows marked with this green checkmark are currently available. Over time, all shows will eventually be available. Thank you for your understanding!
Pre-K – 1st Grade & Up
Connections
Connections is an incredible journey that you’ll take from our own back yard to the farthest reaches of space. Our premier in-house full-dome production immerses you in a multitude of environments in which you are literally surrounded with beautiful imagery and sound. From the serenity of a wooded forest to the awe-inspiring majesty of the constellations, planets, galaxy, and universe, you’ll be amazed to see that we are all connected. The show is followed by a tour of the current night sky. Connections highlights many educational standards. The focus being on how all things are connected. We learn by our senses to see that a forest, a field, or deep space are all three-dimensional and that we can move about to gain an understanding of our place in the cosmos. Students will realize that all things cast shadows and that day and night are determined if the sun is shining above or is behind a planet respectively. Our movement on land, an animal’s motion in a forest, or a planet’s rotation and revolution are all different examples of how things move. Part of our connection with the night sky is through the history of observations and mythology. Ancient constellations and modern line drawings are shown to illustrate our human ancestry and the fun of getting out under your own night sky. Note, for Pre-K, the entire program will be about 30 minutes consisting of just the “Connections” program.
1st Grade & Up
A Part of the Sky Called Orion
The program looks at how three different ancient cultures looked at the same part of the sky we know as the constellation Orion. We focus on the Greek, Egyptian, and Inupiaq cultures along with their different star stories and images using the night sky. It is thoroughly enjoyed by children and adults and is a great program to explore the heavens. The program is followed by a tour of the current night sky using our exceptional Carl Zeiss ZKP-4 star projector. This is another fantastic in-house Bays Mountain Production that is perfect for 2nd grade and above. It follows state curriculum guidelines as it looks at the big ideas that have guided human understanding of the cosmos and its patterns in the sky.
3rd Grade and Up
Planetary Visions
Make sure your seatbelt is securely fastened! You’ll blast off on an adventurous tour of the Solar System. Detailed information about the planets, moons and Sun is provided as we fly through the various regions within our Solar neighborhood. This program begins with a view of our current nighttime sky where we point out constellations, asterisms, planets and the Milky Way. We then embark on an exciting tour of the Solar System which highlights the regions within and learn what is and is not a planet. Zoom through space to visit each planet and get really close to see details in a stunning 3-D environment.
Appalachian Skies
This program takes visitors on a majestic tour of the evening sky using the spectacular Carl Zeiss ZKP-4 star projector instrument. It’s fiber-optic generated star field is stunning and a pleasure to see. You don’t want to miss it! Led by planetarium staff, learn what fascinating constellations will be easily visible. Marvel at their ancient lore. Find out what planets are easily seen as well. Visitors will take this knowledge home and be able to locate these sights for themselves.
Comets & Discovery
The show is much more than a straight narrative about comets. The show takes the viewer on a journey of discovery. We follow two intrepid comet hunters in first-person. One, a modern explorer. The other, Caroline Herschel. The famous 18th century huntress that ruled the skies for many generations. With both, we learn how they each searched the skies, made their discoveries, and reported them for other astronomers to bear out. We also learn about, depending on the century of the observer, what people thought comets were and their importance to them. We are using green-screen technology, 3-D environments, and good ol’ fashioned still art. Together with a captivating script and sumptuous score, this is a great show for the whole family or school group. We are also incorporating two live sequences to enhance the learning and fun. The first will be an activity to involve and engage the audience to learn more about the parts of a comet, the path a comet takes, and the dust and ion tails that splay out in their correct directions as the comet orbits the sun. The second sequence will use a facility’s star projection system and focus on any upcoming comets to see in the sky and how to view them.
Back to the Moon – For Good
Immerse yourself in a race to return to the Moon 40 years after the historic Apollo landings. See how a competition among privately funded international teams is ushering in a new era of lunar exploration. Learn about the Moon’s resources and discover what humanity’s future on the Moon might hold. Narrated by Tim Allen, “Back To The Moon – For Good” presents the Google Lunar XPRIZE, and the personal stories of competition and collaboration it inspires. The show is immediately followed by a two-part live presentation. The first highlights the moon and its major features. The second utilizes our Carl Zeiss ZKP-4 star projector in which we’ll highlight our current night sky and its major constellations and any Solar System objects visible.
Exploring New Horizons
“Exploring New Horizons” looks at Pluto. We travel through time to witness the forward progression of discovery in our Solar System and find out how important the scientific method really is. We see how Pluto was discovered and how we understand it today as the most popular of dwarf planets. We also ride along the New Horizons spacecraft and experience Pluto first hand. A live activity highlights Pluto’s discovery and the show ends with a live update of the New Horizons mission.
Rosetta
The Fulldome Film Society together with Kiev Planetarium and Atmasfera360 Center are proud to present the unique fulldome show dedicated to a breakthrough discovery and space mission to the core of the comet 67P. Join comet discoverer Klim Churyumov in the story about the origins of the Solar System and life on Earth. Meet the challenges of a 10 year long mission with “Rosetta” spacecraft and the “Philae” lander. Become the first one to find oneself on the comet surface! The show includes updates on the mission and what we have learned.
Totality
“Totality” is a fascinating look at all the wonders of eclipses, especially total solar eclipses. An eclipse is described simply as when one celestial object blocks another from our view. This program, produced by Bays Mountain Planetarium, examines what eclipses are, how and when they occur, and what wonderful sights they create. We also look back to a fascinating period in scientific discovery when general relativity was proven with the photographic recording of a total solar eclipse. Our production includes a variety of wonderful styles – from spectacular space environments to humorous pop-up books. A very special part of the show relates, in a very human way, what happens when you are caught in the shadow of the Moon and the Sun is plunged into a total solar eclipse. You will love this program.
First & Farthest
From the first rockets, to the first man on the Moon, “First and Farthest” celebrates humanity’s great accomplishments in the Space Race. This show will bring back memories for those who experienced the Space Race and inspire new generations to keep exploring our Universe. With its discussion of science, technology, engineering and mathematical concepts, “First and Farthest” supports a STEM-focused curriculum. A tour of our current night sky using our stunning Carl Zeiss Starmaster ZKP-4 star projector follows.
4th Grade and Up
Two Small Pieces of Glass
Astronomers have learned so much about the night sky, and it all started with just two small pieces of glass. Look back to the discoveries of telescope design and the discoveries by the telescope itself. Look forward to what is yet to come with new telescopes of the very near future. Then, go back 400 years to those first days of using the telescope on the night sky with Galileo Galilei. We’ll use our Carl Zeiss Starmaster ZKP-4 star projector with its 7000+ pinpoint stars to accurately recreate the skies of Galileo along with the planets that he discovered were worlds, and not stars. Students will learn how special equipment was designed and used to gain an understanding of our cosmos. Observational skills is most necessary when using a telescope. Logic, too, is important to understand what you are observing and to not confuse illusion with fact. The telescope showed us not only details of celestial objects, but allowed us to realize that we are not the center of the Solar System by specific changing appearances of the planets.
The Case of the Disappearing Planet
This program looks into the changing status of objects we call “planets.” It not only covers Pluto, but the historical temporary planetary status of asteroids as well. The tally of “planets” in our Solar System has been going up and down for hundreds of years! Another great production by Bays Mountain! You’ll follow Skye Watcher, a fun, street-savvy 1940’s-style detective and learn, most clearly, what we now call a planet. This is a very topical subject in your educational curriculum.
Discover the Stars
On a clear, dark night, most of us, at one time or another, have gazed upon the stars and wondered about all those tiny points of light. Many of us are able to identify different patterns and constellations in the stars. But, what are those tiny points of light? This exciting program takes viewers beyond a simple observation of the night sky and delves into the fascinating lives of stars. When we look up at the night sky, we can see that stars vary in brightness and have many different colors. The program reveals what is similar to all stars and what makes them unique. In “Discover the Stars,” we explore the many facets of a stars’ life. One of which is to venture deep into a giant molecular cloud to witness the birth of a new star. Stars also do not last forever. The program looks at the different ways that stars end their lives and the astronomical wonders that are left behind.
Out There – The Quest for Extrasolar Worlds
With the world’s most powerful telescopes, we are able to explore the Universe surrounding us and start looking for planets around other stars. For thousands of years, mankind thought that the Earth was the center of the Universe. Thanks to our curiosity, imagination and urge to explore, we now know that planets like our Earth are nothing special in the cosmos. The Sun is just one ordinary star among hundreds of billions in our galaxy, the Milky Way. With the world’s most powerful telescopes, we are able to explore more and more of the Universe. What we have found so far has surpassed even the wildest expectations of scientists as well as authors of science fiction. Most stars have planets — it turns out they are more common than we thought. A huge diversity of different worlds is out there, just waiting to be discovered.
SEEING! – A Photon’s Journey Across Space, Time and Mind
A transit of Mercury across the Sun is an event that happens when Earth and Mercury are in just the right positions for an alignment with the Sun. Bays Mountain Planetarium is proud to present “The Transit of Mercury featuring ‘Solar Quest.’” In this live and interactive program, visitors will explore the small, rocky world of Mercury from its rare glimpses in the twilight skies to recent explorations by the Messenger spacecraft. The powerful nature of our Sun is presented through a short segment entitled “Solar Quest,” which was produced by the Buhl Planetarium at Carnegie Science Center. A live activity demonstrating the relative sizes and distances of Mercury, Earth and Sun highlights why transit events are somewhat rare occurrences. The program concludes with information about how to observe this event safely. “The Transit of Mercury featuring ‘Solar Quest’” was written and produced by Bays Mountain Planetarian, Jason Dorfman. The live content is rich with great full-dome animations, use of the Carl Zeiss ZKP-4 star projector, and a fun activity!
When Venus Transits the Sun
This is a fantastic full-dome show that looks into the rare and magnificent celestial apparition called a Venus transit. The show covers what a transit is, a famous transit viewing from the 18th century led by Captain Cook, and exciting information about the sun and Venus. There will also be a live component to the show that allows the audience to participate in two fun activities. A Venus transit is when the planet Venus is seen passing in front of the sun. Why so special? Telescope technology in the 18th century allowed the first opportunity for astronomers to accurately determine the size of the Solar System. Another reason for being special is that these transits are rare. Two consecutive transits occur eight years apart. But, these pairs are separated by 105.5 and 121.5 years alternatively. The last two transits occurred in 2004 and 2012. Diehard optimists will just have to wait about 100 years for the next pair!
Sunstruck
Travel back to the beginning of time and experience the birth of the Sun. Discover how it came to support life, how it threatens life as we know it, and how its energy will one day fade away. This program was created by the Michigan Science Center.
5th Grade and Up
Under the Milky Way
This is a great show that highlights our very own Milky Way galaxy. We look into the structure of our galaxy and how it was formed. We also look back, starting with an ancient Chinese star lore story, to our continuing understanding of what our galaxy is and how large it is. The show’s second feature is a live presentation utilizing some of the wonderful capabilities of our Carl Zeiss ZKP-4 star projector as well as our digital projection system. We’ll highlight our current night sky, but relate it to our show’s topic. Learn about some other celestial delights found within our galaxy. We conclude our program by transforming our position on earth and travel down to the southern hemisphere and spy the two largest dwarf galaxies that orbit us, the Magellanic Clouds.
Cosmic Colors
This show was produced by the Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA) and is great fun for the whole family. As described by GLPA, “Cosmic Colors” will take you on a wondrous journey across the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Discover the many reasons for color—like why the sky is blue and why Mars is red. Take a tour within a plant leaf and journey inside the human eye. Investigate x-rays by voyaging to a monstrous black hole and then back at your doctor’s office. You will even see the actual color of a dinosaur–based on recent evidence. Get ready for an amazing adventure under a rainbow of cosmic light!
Chasing the Ghost Particle: From the South Pole to the Edge of the Universe
Deep in the ice at the heart of Antarctica, the biggest and strangest detector in the world waits for mysterious messengers from the cosmos. Scientists are using tiny and elusive particles called neutrinos to explore the insides of stars and galaxies. These ghostly neutrinos give us an exclusive look into exploding stars and black holes. In this program, stunning views of the most extreme places in our universe, the galaxies around us, and the Earth and the Sun await. They are just a prelude to a thrilling journey inside the detector, looking for traces of neutrinos from when they collide with atoms in the ice. From one of the most remote locations on Earth to the unexplored regions of the cosmos, “Chasing the Ghost Particle: From the South Pole to the Edge of the Universe” will take you on a journey you will never forget. Chasing the Ghost Particle is a co-production of the Milwaukee Public Museum and the Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC) of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The program is immediately followed by the use of our Carl Zeiss ZKP-4 optical star projector with a tour of our current night sky and a look at the southern celestial skies of Antarctica.
From Earth to the Universe
The night sky, both beautiful and mysterious, has been the subject of campfire stories, ancient myths and awe for as long as there have been people. A desire to comprehend the Universe may well be humanity’s oldest shared intellectual experience. Yet only recently have we truly begun to grasp our place in the vast cosmos. To learn about this journey of celestial discovery, from the theories of the ancient Greek astronomers to today’s grandest telescopes, we invite you to experience “From Earth to the Universe.” Directed by the young Greek filmmaker Theofanis N. Matsopoulos, and featuring a sweeping soundtrack from Norwegian composer Johan B. Monell, viewers can revel in the splendour of the various worlds in the Solar System and the ferocity of the scorching Sun. From Earth to the Universe then leaves our home to take the audience out to the colourful birthplaces and burial grounds of stars, and still further out, beyond the Milky Way, to the unimaginable immensity of a myriad galaxies. Along the way, the audience will learn about the history of astronomy, the invention of the telescope, and today’s giant telescopes that allow us continue to probe ever deeper into the Universe. Director Theofanis N. Matsopoulos described the film as “a colourful and inspiring journey… the visuals are stunning and really speak for themselves in showing just how far humanity’s ambition has taken us in terms of observing and understanding the Universe”.
Cosmic Origins Spectrograph
This planetarium program created by the Fiske Planetarium in Colorado, CO highlights the current research of the Cosmic Origin Spectrograph (C.O.S.) aboard the Hubble Space Telescope, the last instrument installed by NASA astronauts. C.O.S. is allowing us an unprecedented view into the vast spaces between galaxies which surrounds our own Milky Way. Join us in the exploration of this hidden universe as we decode the secrets to the origins of the cosmos.
6th Grade and Up
Dark
The search for Dark Matter is the most pressing astrophysical problem of our time – the solution to which will help us understand why the Universe is as it is, where it came from, and how it has evolved over billions of years – the unimaginable depths of deep time, of which a human life is but a flickering instant. The show is presented by Dr Alan Duffy, a brilliant young astronomer from the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR) at the University of Western Australia – who creates simulations of Dark Matter evolution inside supercomputers. Alan introduces us to the idea of Dark Matter, why astronomers think it exists, and explains why Radio Astronomy is so well-suited to its discovery. We journey through completely immersive visualizations of Dark Matter evolution calculated upon some of the world’s fastest supercomputers – cosmological visions on a truly vast scale, in which galaxies themselves are but points of light, distributed across far larger intergalactic structures of Dark Matter.
The Hot and Energetic Universe
“The Hot and Energetic Universe” takes visitors on a cosmic journey. A journey that uses astronomical observatories throughout the world and those above the Earth’s atmosphere. All types of celestial phenomena are studied, but a focus is set upon those of high energy. These objects are part of the very hot and violent Universe.High Energy Astrophysics probes hot gas in clusters of galaxies, which are the most massive objects in the Universe. It also probes hot gas accreting around supermassive black holes in the centers of galaxies. Finally, high energy radiation provides important information about our own galaxy, neutron stars, supernova remnants and stars like our Sun which emit copious amounts of high energy radiation. The XMM-Newton and the Integral missions, are leading the exploration of the X-ray and gamma-ray Universe. ESA‘s mission ATHENA, to be launched in 2028, will carry the most sensitive X-ray telescope ever and it will be the flagship of all high X-ray missions. The producer of this documentary is the “Integrated Activities in the High-Energy Astrophysics Domain” (AHEAD). AHEAD is a project funded by the European Commission in the framework of Horizon2020. It is led by IAPS/INAF in Rome and involves most Universities and Research institutes which are involved in High Energy Astrophysics in Europe. The project aims to combine the efforts of all these Institutes in the analysis of X-ray data and facilitate the access to infrastructures distributed across Europe.
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