Seventh graders use inflatable planetarium for hands-on space lesson at Clarendon Hills Middle
Seventh-grade science students at Clarendon Hills Middle School are taking part in a space lesson inside the D181 Star Lab, an inflatable planetarium. The activity allows students to learn about astronomy in an immersive setting without leaving their school.
The Star Lab is available to students through a partnership between Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 and the D181 Foundation. According to the district, this collaboration provides hands-on science lessons that make complex subjects more accessible and engaging for students.
Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 includes schools such as Clarendon Hills Middle School, Elm Elementary School, Hinsdale Middle School, Madison Elementary School, Monroe Elementary School, Oak Elementary School, Prospect Elementary School, The Lane Elementary School, and Walker School. The district serves both DuPage and Cook counties. More information can be found at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
The district employs 282 teachers with an average salary of $94,227 before pension contributions. Of these teachers, 90 percent are women and 10 percent are men. No teacher in the district has had more than ten absences in a school year. Additional details are available at https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
Demographically, the student population of Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 is nearly 70 percent White, with smaller percentages of Black (1.1 percent), Hispanic (6.8 percent), and Asian (15.4 percent) students according to state education data: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
In terms of spending, the district allocated $31,308 per student in 2020 for a total expenditure of $117 million that year: https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/.
"This partnership ensures that science students have access to engaging, hands-on lessons that bring complex topics like astronomy to life, enhancing their learning experience in a unique, immersive environment," stated the district.