Waukesha County



Lucy's Cradle


Aligned to SDW grade 7 curriculum (middle school only)
1 hour

For current program rates, see the Waukesha County Environmental Education School Guide

Over a hundred planets and moons of all sizes orbit the sun, yet only Earth has intelligent life, or perhaps any life at all. What are the required conditions to foster life? Solar energy, a protective atmosphere, liquid water, but maybe much more. The record of Earth’s past shows long-term stability, punctuated by moving continents, periods of rising and falling ocean and ice ages followed by global warming. What combination of environmental variation and stability is required for life to begin and to become intelligent?

Standards: MS-LS4-1, MS-LS4-2, MS-LS4-4, MS-LS4-6
Duration: 60 minutes
Fee: Yes
Offered: School Year
Location options: Horwitz-DeRemer Planetarium located at the Retzer Nature Center


Grade 6-8 program listing