Stars and sky bridge culture and language: Adventure Science Center hosts Sesame Street planetarium show daily through December 5 (Spanish version on Saturdays)

Big Bird and Elmo from Sesame Street are visiting Nashville's Adventure Science Center through December 5 in One World, One Sky: Big Bird’s Adventure.  In the Turner Theatre of the Sudekum Planetarium, Big Bird, Elmo and their new friend from China, Hu Hu Zhu, observe the Big Dipper, the North Star, the Moon and more as they discover how their cultures view the stars in different ways.

One World, One Sky runs daily. A Spanish version will run at 10:30 a.m. every Saturday through December 4, or to large groups or school groups with advance reservations.  A Mandarin Chinese version will also run at 3:30 p.m. on Sundays through December 5.

Before or after the show, preschoolers can explore Garden of Gizmos, an exhibit featuring interactive displays designed to explore the basic science of movement and plant growth through hands-on, family-friendly activities. Displays within the whimsical exhibit include

• Groundhog’s Ground: While one participant directs a “groundhog” with a manual crank, other participants stand on grass and dodge the groundhog while learning how the animals move through the ground.
• Bird Land: Using the flapping of birds’ wings as an example, this exhibit allows visitors to visually understand simple machines and engage with the display by turning a wheel and rod.
• Bead Stream: Visitors are in control at this exhibit, moving strings of beads back and forth and observing how movement resonates down the different bead streams in waves.

Garden of Gizmos is included with regular admission to the Adventure Science Center, $12 for adults; $9 for children ages 2 to 12, seniors 65+, active military families (with ID) and college students (with ID). Tickets to One World, One Sky in the Sudekum Planetarium are $6 with general admission tickets, $4 for members. For more information about these and other exhibits, visit www.adventuresci.com.

Both One World, One Sky and Garden of Gizmos run through December 5.  One World, One Sky was produced by Chicago’s Adler Planetarium, Sesame Workshop, Beijing Planetarium and Liberty Science Center, with major support from the National Science Foundation. One World, One Sky is distributed by Evans & Sutherland.