Background: This survey is on behalf of the Friends of the Austin Planetarium, a non-profit group working towards building a planetarium in Austin.

A major goal in building this facility is to help teachers in the Austin area by providing TEKS-related planetarium shows, instructional modules, and other grade-appropriate teaching materials to fulfill their students’ science TEKS requirements. The envisioned facility would also have laboratories and staff with suitable exercises that could be used by educators for their classes and would be available to answer science-related questions.

Please fill out this short survey below to help Friends of the Austin Planetarium gauge the educator needs in Austin.

Choose all that apply.

1. I feel that I have adequate supplies and financial support for science instruction in the classroom to help me fulfill the science TEKS requirements in general:

2. I feel that I have adequate supplies and financial support for astronomy and space science instruction in the classroom to help me fulfill the science TEKS requirements in this area:

3. I feel that I have adequate supplies and financial support for science instruction in the community (museums, laboratories, etc. to take students to perform experiments) to help me fulfill the TEKS requirements in this area:

4. I feel that I have an adequate source of suitable exercises, modules, or other grade-appropriate teaching materials in science

5. I feel that I have a reliable source to answer my science related questions

6. I feel that I have a reliable source to answer my astronomy related questions

7. How necessary do you feel it is to have a planetarium in the Austin area?

8. How necessary do you feel it is to have additional science museums in the Austin area?

9. I feel that having a planetarium with additional labs for student field trips to perform their experiments with suitable exercises and modules would make me able to perform my teaching responsibilities better or easier.

10. How valuable to students do you feel having hands on science experiments is for their learning experience?

11. Would you incorporate a trip to a planetarium in your curriculum if you could?

12. As an educator, what do you feel would be the greatest benefit of building a planetarium in Austin?