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IMAX Films
Events
Teacher Tuesdays
in August 2010
NASA
NASA eClips™
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Traveling Exhibits
Education Guide

One-Hour Programs


Under the Weather
SOL: 3.9b, 4.6

Using an appropriately-sized barbell weight, students will be introduced to standard atmospheric pressure. They will observe the indications on a barometer to determine pending changes in the weather. Students will collect weather data representing different climates and will identify those readings with the actual pattern of weather or climate represented. Using a model, students will observe the water cycle.

Scheduling Tip! Goes well with the IMAX film Forces of Nature.


Scream Machines
SOL Science 3.1a, c, j, 4.1a, b, 4.2a, c, d, 5.1h

Students will explore the science concepts engineers apply in building fantastic roller coasters. They will investigate the inertia & force concepts at work in our everyday lives. Students will be introduced to force, motion, and energy through interactive demonstrations featuring gravity, potential and kinetic energy and friction. They work in collaborative teams to design and model a simulated roller coaster ride, and then use the scientific method to improve the performance of their designs.

Scheduling Tip! Goes well with the demonstration Master Machines.

 

Moon Colony
SOL: Science: 3.8, 3.9 C/D, 3.10, 3.11, 4.5, 4.7, 5.7A
History: 3.1

Take a trip to the future as we colonize the moon. Students will compare and contrast surface conditions of the moon and Earth, describe contributions of the Apollo missions to our understanding of the moon, and identify the actions required to sustain life in a lunar colony. Students will identify energy sources that can be used to support a lunar colony.

Scheduling Tip! Goes well with the IMAX films Space Station 3D & Hubble 3D, and the demonstration Space Freeze II and the Space Quest gallery.

 

Mad Scientist
SOL: Science 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 5.4
Math 3.14, 4.10, 4.11, 4.12, 5.11

Students will use the scientific method to perform real experiments. They will conduct preliminary observations and form hypotheses about the materials on which they will experiment. Students will test their ideas with experiments to determine the state of matter of unknown substances, and measure weight, volume, temperature and dimensions. They will perform experiments that combine one or two states of matter which will result in a new state of matter. They will prove that using just their senses is not an adequate method for obtaining results, scientific equipment is needed. They will graph data to show conclusions. They will collect data through observations and use scientific reasoning to draw a conclusion.


Living Planet
SOL: Science 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.9, 3.10, 4.4, 4.5
Social Studies 3.5

Through active game participation, students will explore habitats and discover how animals’ behavioral and physical adaptations help them survive their environment. Using a terrarium, students will study a closed environment and observe the water cycle in action. They will investigate the interdependency of plants and animals, gain an understanding of soil and its importance, and discover why photosynthesis is so crucial to live. Students will discover how NASA satellite imagery helps scientists learn more about Earth’s climate and health.

 

Radical Robotics - NEW!
Science SOL - 3.2, 4.2, 5.li, k

Robotics are compound machines designed and programmed to make life easier. Students will learn the parts of a robot and be able to identify them. They will see how robots, sometimes programmed with sense, are utilized in the medical field and by NASA. Students will observe robots that interact with each other, including Mindstorms, and participate in small group challenges to program a robot to perform specific tasks.

 

Our Solar System - NEW!
Science SOL - 4.7, 4.8

Students will demonstrate the rotation and revolution of the Earth and understand why we have the seasons. Students will identify phases of the moon and see a demonstration of how they occur. Using a time line, the class will learn about the Space Race and the Apollo missions that sent man to the moon. Students will see a model of the solar system and identify the planets. Using common objects, they will construct a large scale model based on relative sizes and distances between planets.

 
30-Minute Demonstrations


Space Freeze II: A Cryogenics Demo
SOL: 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 5.4
Check with education department as an outreach)

Students will learn that two different elements which comprise the largest components of the Earth’s atmosphere are gases at normal ambient temperature. They will learn that matter changes state as temperature decreases or increases, and how NASA engineers use this information to determine which materials can go into space. Students will predict and observe the results as air-filled balloons are submerged in a container of liquid
nitrogen.

 

Scheduling Tip! Goes well with the IMAX film Space Station 3D & Hubble 3D, the program Jr. Space Colony and the Space Quest gallery.

 

Bring on the Noise
SOL: 5.1, 5.2

Students will listen to and “see” sound waves pass through different materials. They will experiment with sound waves and explore how to change their frequency and wavelength. Students will make predictions and observe how the pitch of a sound changes with different musical instruments. They will discover how to transform other forms of energy into acoustic energy, and how we use sound every day.

 

LIGHTen Up
SOL: 5.3

Students will name the colors of the visible spectrum of light. Using a chart, they will identify the relationship between wavelength and color. By observing how the path of a laser beam is altered experimentally by a mirror, a prism and while passing through water, students will discover the principles of reflection and refraction. They will identify whether an object is transparent, translucent or opaque by observing whether or not light and image passes through the object.

 

Full-FORCE!
Science SOL - 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2, 5.1d, i, k

Students will identify simple machines which compose complex machines, like airplanes. They will discover how aircraft use energy to overcome the force of gravity and how they are made to adjust from the effect of heat from friction. They will explore the forces and principles of flight and how aircraft are similar to natural flying machines like birds and bats.

Scheduling Tip! Goes well with the IMAX film Legends of Flight 3D and a tour of the Adventures in Flight gallery.

 

Master Machines
SOL: 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 4.2

Students will be introduced to the six simple machines (levers, pulleys, screws, wheels and axles, inclined planes and wedges) and how they can be combined to make complex machines. They will study ordinary tools and vehicles to find out which simple machines they contain. Students will use a simple machine to apply a force and move an object, and learn how NASA uses these simple machines to get spacecraft ready to launch.

Scheduling Tip! Goes well with the program Scream Machines.

 

Magic of Electricity
SOL: 4.3

Modeling an atom, students will learn about insulators and conductors by observing the flow of electrons between atoms. Using an energy ball, students will learn about open and closed circuits. By experimentally removing bulbs from series and parallel circuits, students will differentiate between the circuits. To study static electricity, students will observe how a Van de Graaff generator delivers electrical charge to develop an electrostatic force, and how such force attracts or repels objects.