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Learning Lab Descriptions Control the Skies: Air Traffic Control in Action Grades: 6-12 Description: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics all come together to control the skies overhead. Students learn the history, purpose and various parts that make up an Air Traffic Control System. With unique resources students will be able to plot an actual air navigation route and determine the distance and length of flight. Through a computerized simulated activity, students will act as an Air Traffic Controller by rerouting planes and manipulating the speed of planes so that they can safely land at an airport.
Grades: 5-12 Description: Students discover the four basic principles of flight: weight, lift, thrust and drag. Students will see the effects of gravity, air pressure, air resistance, and Newton's Third Law on aircraft through demonstrations and activities. Through an airfoil design activity, students analyze the effects of wind angle to the lift generated by an airfoil.
Heats Up, Shields Up: An Exploration in Thermal Protection Grades: 5-10 Description: Students learn the need for thermal protection on spacecraft through investigations and activities. Discussions focus on conduction, convection and radiation as methods of heat transference. Students will also look at forms of insulation and the properties of ablative and non-ablative (reusable) heat protection used in the Space program from Mercury through the Space Shuttle Program. Students work in teams to design, create and modify a heat shield that protects a spacecraft from heat exposure; simulating reentry into the earth’s atmosphere.
Grades: 4-9 Description: Students learn the history and purpose of Space Stations through hands-on activities and investigations. Class explorations focus on the technology, innovations, and tools used in the International Space Station, as well as the effects of microgravity on the astronauts residing and working in space. Students perform tasks highlighting communication and cooperation that would be necessary in a time of crisis aboard the International Space Station.
New for fall 2007! Grades: Pre-K-K Availability: Tuesdays and Thursday Mornings Only Description: Imagine learning about the first trip to the moon, how the Wright Brothers came up with their idea to build the first powered controlled airplane, hearing the tale of Bessie Coleman, or learning about what planes can do and how different they can look. Our youngest visitors can learn these accomplishments by hearing a story and by participating in a hands-on activity. Class size is limited to 20 individuals. Please indicate the age of students attending and focus preferred in the special needs/notes section of the reservation form so that an age appropriate activity can be prepared for the group.
Grades: 4-9 Description: Students will gain insights into our quest for learning about Mars. Through hands-on demonstrations, students will discover the obstacles and challenges of unmanned exploration, and learn firsthand some of the many discoveries made thus far by using satellites as well as by using landers and rovers. Students will explore the latest discoveries from the surface of Mars with the twin rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. Students will work as mission design teams and create a fictitious spacecraft that could go to Mars. They are given budget and other parameters to help guide and challenge them.
Grades: 3-6 Duration: 60 minutes Description: Students gain an understanding of stability and aircraft design through hands-on activities and investigations. Students use experimental design, data collection, and graphing to create, manipulate and test paper airplanes. Students conduct flight trials of paper airplanes to explore the relationship between an airplane’s center of gravity and flight stability.
New forJanuary 2008! Grades: 4-9 Description: Students explore the history of space travel which led to past Lunar Explorations. Through hands-on demonstrations and activities, students will discover the obstacles and challenges of living and working on the moon, what was learned from the Apollo missions, and what can still be learned by returning to the Moon. Students will also learn about future plans to return to the moon "Project Constellation" and about future explorations beyond the Moon. Students will work as mission design teams and create a fictitious habitat that could support human life on the Moon and support further planetary explorations.
Seeing the World Through Satellites’ Eyes Grades: 1-4 Description: Through stories, demonstrations and simple experiments, students learn about the uniqueness, benefits and importance of satellites. With manipulatives and museum artifacts, students look at all key parts of a satellite and how they work. Students create a simulated satellite, highlighting key parts all satellites must have to operate.
Grades: 6 –12 Description: Students explore the effect of changes in oxygen, air pressure, g-forces on humans through demonstrations and hand-on experiments. They learn how we have protected the human body when it goes into the air and into space, and what is needed for survival. Using museum artifacts, the class explores the history of pressure suits and pressurized aircraft. Students will manipulate air pressure and how it affects selected experimental samples. They will document their finds as well as draw and analyze graphs.
Grades: K-3 Description: Students experience through hands-on activities and stories the important steps of going on a commercial flight, and the basics of how an airplane flies by examining the 4 basic forces of flight. Students will create and learn to fly their own flying device based on these principles.
The Wright Brothers and the Process of Invention Grades: 4-9 Description: Students celebrate "A Century of Flight" through a variety of activities and demonstrations which illustrate the Wright Brothers’ inspirations, discoveries, and experiences. Class experience is focused on the “Process of Invention.” Students work in groups to design, build and test a simple propeller using the scientific inquiry model.
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