Abstract
Employing the research-based curricular planning approach called the 5E Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, Evaluate), five planetarium based labs for non-science majors are being developed to address two over-arching content learning objectives: students will leave the instruction with the ability 1) to find and describe the location of celestial objects using compass direction, altitude, magnitude, and angles between stars and 2) to predict the apparent motions of the Sun, Moon, and stars from different positions on Earth. Using two-tiered assessment, the effectiveness of the curriculum's ability to foster conceptual change will be evaluated over the course of a semester. Student confidence and interest will also be assessed.
