Over 80 fourth grade students and teachers visited Samford University’s Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education on March 11 to participate in the 2015 “Space Day.”

The event was hosted by Samford’s teacher education students, who planned various learning activities throughout the day including a special visual presentation in Samford’s Christenberry Planetarium. The Space Day event begins a week-long study of the solar system for the students at Trace Crossings Elementary School in suburban Hoover that ends with a trip to Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama.

Amy Hoaglund, associate professor of curriculum and instruction, coordinates the annual event. “This event is special to us not only because our students plan hands-on, standards-based lessons that support classroom instruction, but it celebrates the continued partnership Samford has with Trace Crossings.”

Teacher education candidates spend significant amounts of time in Trace Crossings classrooms teaching lessons and assisting children as part of a K-12 school-university partnership with their teacher education preparation. The partnership allows students to learn by becoming immersed in the elementary school culture.