COAT ROOMFor your convenience /• S1The Coat Room is conveniently located on the first floor and costs only $1 per item. Strollers are allowed throughout the museum but can also be stored.

FRANKLIN THEATERformally Stearns ScienceAuditorium /• ALL AGESFranklin Theater has cinema-style seating, a new surround sound system, acoustical treatment, and a state-of-the-art high definition digital 3D projection system. We present digital 3D films and live events with 3D content!

KIDS SCIENCEISLAND OF the ELEMENTS /• AGES 5-8Your mission is to save the planet in the name of science while having a great time. A permanent exhibit and a Franklin Institute original, Kids Science takes children through a fiction al story where they uncover the foundations of science pertaining to Light, Water, Earth, and Air.

LUNCHROOMSROOM A AND B /•Lunch Room A and B are both located near the coat room on the first floor. Lunch Room A is typically reserved for students visiting Monday through Friday.

PLANETARIUMview the stars /• all agesThe Planetarium, a historic cornerstone to The Franklin Institute, is the nation’s second oldest planetarium. This state-of-the-art planetarium offers cutting edge astronomical views and presentations.

RESTROOMSMEN AND WOMEN /•There are handicap accessible bathrooms located on both ends of the first floor for men and women. The restrooms located near the Coat Room contain diaper changing tables.

SPACE COMMANDTHE UNIVERSE /• AGES 6-9Climb into this futuristic, low Earth-orbit research station and take an unforgettable journey of discovery. Our goal is to help you understand the purposeand appreciate the importance of space exploration

THE TRAIN STATIONALL ABOARD /• AGES 5-9It’s your turn to be the engineer of a working 350-ton locomotive at our authentic train factory. This new, interactive exhibit will enlighten you to the science and technology behind trainsT. The Massive Baldwin 60000 Locomotive is Blowing Its Steam and is Ready to Rumble through Philadelphia Once Again.

MAP

ISLAND OF THE ELEMENTS /• ages 5-8 About the exhibit The Island of the Elements is a special experience at The Franklin Institute designed for children ages 5-8 (with their adult caregivers and families). It offers them a chance to explore the natural world through a unique environment created just for them. Here they can discover properties of the world around them by playing and experimenting in a storybook setting. As they explore the Ship, Cave, Lighthouse, and Pond on the Island, children will observe, interact with, and learn about some

the National Science Education StandardsKids Science activities have been created to align with the National Science Education Standards. These science guidelines were developed by the National Research Council, and detail what is most important for children to learn about science.

The standards urge educators to replace teaching methods that rely on memorization with stimulating experiences that mirror the excitement of the scientific process itself. Kid Science provides experiences that foster curiosity, experimentation, and investigation, while addressing standards that children ages 5-8 are developmentally ready to understand.

The processes that scientists use to understand the world are the ones that children will experience in Kid Science. They include asking questions, predicting, making models, measuring, observing, and describing those observations. You can help by encouraging these actions in the exhibit—and every day, anywhere!

Each of the stations in the exhibit has a panel explaining what to do there. Along with background information, you will find an example of how one National Science Education Standard applies to the activity. In fact, many Standards tie in to each activity.

About This Guide This Guide will help you and your children get the most out of your visit. The Guide includes:

• Pre-visit suggestions for building interest and excitement about the upcoming trip

• A map to familiarize yourself with the exhibit

• Suggestions for specific ways to interact with children in the exhibit

• Additional activities about Air, Earth , Light, and Water that you can do together before or after your visit

• A list of further resources to seek out in the library or bookstore, and on the Web

The activities in Kid Science encourage

children to ask answer questions like:

• How can water make things move?

• How can we describe solids?

• How does light behave?

• What creates sound?

kids science

We hope your visit will be fun and filled with valuable science experiences. Get ready for your trip to the Island of the Elements, and be prepared for an adventure of exploration!

/•

aBOVE: Mother and Daughter aboard the S.S. Franklin

PREVIS IT ACTIV ITY /•

THINGS YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOWYour children may enjoy their experience more if they are given a taste ahead of time of what they will see when they visit. They will be better equipped to participate if you have already explained the story, the four sections of the island, and the points they are trying to accumulate to earn the title of Power Keeper.

before your visit:Some questions you might want to ask to prepare them are:

• How are Air, Earth, Light, and Water different from one another?

• What are some objects found in the Air, in the Earth, and in the Water?

• What do people do with Air, Water, and Earth? How do they use Light?

• What have they themselves used Air, Earth, Light, and Water for?

kids science

On your way to the Franklin Institute

use the following suggestions to focus your children on the four areas they are going to be experimenting with:

• Before leaving, have them look for mirrors on the car or bus they’ll be taking. How many can they find? What can they see when they look in those mirrors? What’s useful about them?

• Ask them to find a part of the car/bus that contains Air.

• If it’s a sunny day, have the children find a shadow. What does it look like? Can they make it bigger or smaller? Can they make it change shape?

• You may travel over or along a river on your trip. Have the children describe what they see on the river. What other things are sometimes found on rivers? At the edge of rivers? Where does the river go? How are people using it?

• Look for moving tree limbs or leaves blowing in the wind. Can the children tell you what is moving them? Encourage the children to look for other things in the air as you drive to the museum.

Right: Shape Shifter mirrors found within the Kids Science exhibit.

Left : Student viewing the wind demonstration held inside Kids Science.

/•

SHADOW

PUZZLE

HAND

SHADOWS

FOGHORNS

TANGLE TUBES

SAILBOATS

AIR JACK

AIR STAMP

STATION

BUBBLE

TUBES

ONE WAY

MIRROE

MIRROR

MAZE LASER MAZE

CORNER MIRROR

LIGHT STAMP

STATION

SHAPE

SHIFTER

MAGNET WALL

AGE RINGS

CREATION

STATION

ARCHITECT AND

APPRENTICEEARTH STAMP

STATION

FOSSIL

RUBBINGS

WATTER WHEEL

FLOATERS AND

SINKERS

MAKE YOUR

OWN FOUNTAIN

WATER STAMP

STATION

CHANNELS

FOUNTAIN

PATTERN

PUZZLE

MECHANICS

MAZE

LENSES

STORY

MAP

COLORED

SHADOWSLIGHT

WATER

EARTH

AIR

INTRO

In the ExhibitAt all of the stations, encourage conversation. Ask your children to describe, explain, and predict.

AIR (Fog HornsSound the horns! Push air through pipes of different lengths and listen to the different fog horn sounds you make. Compare the pipes to hear which pipe lengths make certain sounds. Play a game with your children by naming as many musical instruments that you blow into as possible.

Bubble TubesYou’ll be an expert bubble-blower after you have experienced the bubble tubes. Watch air rise through liquid and pop to the surface as you make large and small bubbles. With your children, look into the base of the pump and try to trace the path that the air takes to enter the tube. At the Tangled Tubes encourage them to guess where a ball will go before actually trying the device.

• Does a ball always pop out the same place?

• After they try several pathways, can they predict where the next ball will go?

• Making predictions is an important part of science. Encourage children to explore ways to speed up or trap a ball.

Air JackMake your friends fly, sort of, as you witness and measure the force of air pressure as you use air to lift a friend off the ground. The Air Jack can be tricky for smaller

children. If they can’t pump hard enough to lift you, let them try to raise another child. Be sure the foot pedal is held down, or the air jack will deflate.

Tangled TubesUncover the mystery of air as it moves a foam ball through a tangle of clear plastic tubes. If you think you’re becoming an expert on air, predict where the ball will exit and try to catch it as it leaves the tube.

Sail BoatsLearn to navigate the seas just like a sailor. Discover how the angle of a boat’s sail will catch the wind to move the sailboat in different directions. As the sailboat floats on the surface of a table and is

lifted by air jets, you can steer the boat by adjusting the sail. Explore how air can make a boat move. Challenge children to make the boat move sideways, away from the wind, and diagonally.

WATERWater WheelBe a master of water as you use a sluice to direct the flow of water from a waterfall onto a waterwheel. As you control the passage of water, look at the murals on the walls that illustrate how water performs the work of a stone mill.

SHADOW

PUZZLE

HAND

SHADOWS

FOGHORNS

TANGLE TUBES

SAILBOATS

AIR JACK

AIR STAMP

STATION

BUBBLE

TUBES

ONE WAY

MIRROE

MIRROR

MAZE LASER MAZE

CORNER MIRROR

LIGHT STAMP

STATION

SHAPE

SHIFTER

MAGNET WALL

AGE RINGS

CREATION

STATION

ARCHITECT AND

APPRENTICEEARTH STAMP

STATION

FOSSIL

RUBBINGS

WATTER WHEEL

FLOATERS AND

SINKERS

MAKE YOUR

OWN FOUNTAIN

WATER STAMP

STATION

CHANNELS

FOUNTAIN

PATTERN

PUZZLE

MECHANICS

MAZE

LENSES

STORY

MAP

COLORED

SHADOWSLIGHT

WATER

EARTH

AIR

INTRO

kids science

Make a FountainUse PVC piping to design and create your own unique fountains, and you will even get to watch your own special fountain in action.

• What is the highest fountain they can make?

• How far can they make water travel? Can they make water go straight up?

• Can they have water come out of more than one opening at the same time?

Channels and DamsYou need to get your boat down the river. Create a channel of water that will help you

get your boat downstream. Change the size and shape of your channels to increase the water flow and get your boat downstream as fast as you possibly can.

There’s more to do at the Boat Channels than building dams with the rocks. Suggest to them that building a channel with the rocks can make boats travel faster.

• Can they speed up the boats?

Children should discover that water will flow faster where the channel is narrow. But watch out, if you build too narrow of a channel and the boat will get stuck

Floaters and SinkersDo you think a feather floats or sinks? What about a rock? Experiment with objects and materials and discover which ones float and which ones sink. Figure how much weight our cargo boats can carry before they sink. Floating and Sinking Boats is a good activity to engage both younger children and older children at their own levels of understanding. Younger children can come to understand that weight makes a boat float lower and lower in the water, while older children may be interested in figuring out how the position

of the weights can tip a boat over if they are not careful. You might point out that an important part of loading an actual ship is making sure the cargo is balanced! Ask children to describe what happens as they play.

LIGHT Shape-ShifterWatch yourself change into all sorts of funny shapes and sizes as you manipulate a mirror’s curves and bend light rays.

Ask them to describe how it changes their body shapes. Can they still identify parts of their bodies? Have them point to where their head, knees, and shoulders are in the mirror. Remember that they are looking from a different angle than you are, and may see things differently than you do!

If possible, lift them up so they see what the mirror looks like from your height. Also have them watch the mirror from the side, so they can see what happens to the mirror that makes the reflection change.

Mirror Maze

In a room, surrounded by mirrors, attempt to navigate your way through the maze and not be fooled by the endless images of yourself. When you reach the lighthouse, you will discover how to alter and bend light by experimenting with a corner mirror, a one-way mirror, and a Fresnel lens.

Laser MazeAs you enter this laser filled tunnel, you will need to nimbly navigate your way through a maze of lasers. Be careful not to break any of the beams as the

laser patterns bounce off the mirrored walls that surround you. You can point out that mirrors reflect light, and that light beams travel in straight lines. Remind children that they are trying to walk down the corridor without breaking the laser beams.

The laser turns off the instant anything enters the path of the beam, so there is no danger to anyone’s eyes.

Shadow PuzzleArrange the pieces of the puzzle together until they become one picture. Slide images into grooves at increasing distances from a light source and watch their projection on a screen. You can change the size of the images by varying their position.

Challenge children to make the Sun as big as possible, then as small as possible. You can make shadows bigger by bringing the slides nearer to the light. Try making some hand shadows on the wall—what different shadow shapes can your children make?

Children will be fascinated by the Mirror Maze; be sure to let them go through it several times to orient themselves. Younger children especially may need time to get familiar with it before they are ready to focus on any concrete questions.

Colored ShadowsGet your groove on because it’s time to dance, baby! Dance in front of colored lights and change the color of your shadow, all the while learning how shadows are created. Make sure your children notice the Colored Shadows they cast when near the inside wall of the lighthouse.

Children may want to know why these shadows are different

colors. Have them look up and see what is special about the light. There are three light bulbs shining on them, red, blue, and green. In some places their bodies will only block out one or two of these bulbs, letting some colored light reach the wall. The only places where their shadows will be black are where no light from any bulb can reach the wall.

EARTH (Pattern GameYou know the image you want to create, but you have to figure out how to create it. Move blocks in a puzzle to create a pattern and discover how to manipulate the pieces of the puzzle to create the desired image.

If the Pattern Puzzle proves too hard for younger children, challenge them to put a part of the puzzle together, just four pieces or so. Counting all of the Age Rings is tricky with the tree stump, because there are so many, spaced closely together. The rings on the turtle shell are easier to count once you know what to look for: the brown-and white circles on the shell are its rings. There are many sets of rings all over the shell, but each set has four rings. This means this shell is four years old.

Magnet WallHow do those magnets on your refrigerator stay put? Learn the properties of magnets and understand how they work by testing which objects stick to a magnet wall and which objects fall down.

Only some of the objects at the Magnet Wall will actually stick to the wall. Those are the ones that have iron in them. Have children sort the objects into magnetic

and nonmagnetic piles. Ask them to use one of the magnetic objects to hold up something non-magnetic, like an exhibit map.

Age RingsDiscover the age of living things by counting the number of their rings. Count tree rings and see how the lines tell the age and experience of living things.

Architect and ApprenticeGet out your hardhats, it’s time to build. Use various materials to build structures, then describe them in detail so someone on the other side of the wall can build the same structure.

One person arranges some of their blocks in any pattern he or she likes. Then by describing how the blocks are arranged, he or she tries to get the person on the other side to create exactly the same pattern. The second person cannot look at the first person’s blocks. This will give children practice with observing carefully, describing, listening, and following directions. Afterwards, switch roles. A variation to try after becoming expert at it: use only color words, not shape, size, or texture, to describe what you built.

Mechanics MazeYou’ve got to keep on rolling. As balls roll through a complex obstacle course, use various tools to solve problems and keep the balls rolling along.

In the middle of the cave brings together many tools for pulling, pushing, and moving objects. Help your children move the balls all the way through to the end. In the center of the maze is a chute that can direct the balls onward only if it’s turned to the correct position—ask your children to figure out which position it needs to be in. The muscle control needed to lift the magnetic elevator near the end may be more than small children are capable of; be ready to assist them if it’s necessary.

FOSSIL RUBBINGFossil rubbing gives kids a chance to experience something they might really discover in a cave. Ask if they can name something else that gets fossilized. Dinosaur bones are a likely answer, but leaves, eggs, and even footprints can leave remnants or impressions in rock.

ABOVE: The S.S. Franklin docked in the Air section.

kids science

At-Home Air Activity /• bottle blowers

Science Concepts Sound is made by moving air. A wind instrument can

make lower or higher notes when you increase or decrease the amount of air in it.

SkillsObserving, Drawing conclusions

Suggested Time10-15 minutes

MATERIALSA Narrow-mouthed plastic soda bottle and water.

Procedure• Make sure the bottle is well cleaned.

• Fill it about halfway with water. Have your child blow horizontally over the top of the bottle, like they were blowing out a candle on the other side. Can they hear the bottle making a musical note? Blowing in a steady stream may take some practice, so be ready to help show them how.

• Add more water to the bottle so it’s three-quarters full, and have your child blow again. Ask them what is different about the note. (It will be higher in pitch.)

• Can they predict what will happen if most of the water is poured out and they try blowing again? Test their prediction, and keep experimenting to see what else they can find out.

Students May NoticeAn empty bottle will make the lowest note, and the more water you add, the higher the note will become. A very full bottle may not make any note at all. It’s the air inside thebottle that makes the music. A tall column of air will make a lower note, and a shorter one will make a higher note. A full bottle doesn’t have any air inside, so no note is made at all!

ExtensionGet several bottles and try to put the right amounts of water in each to play a series of notes, a scale, or “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”

Connection to the KidS science ExhibitThe Fog Horns make noise when you push air into them. The shortest one makes the highest-pitch note, and the tallest one makes the deepest note. If your child has alreadydone this Bottle Blowers activity, ask if he or she can predict ahead of time which horn will make the highest note.

At-Home Air Activity /• pouring air

the National Science Education Standards

Kid Science activities have been created to align with the National Science Education Standards. These science

guidelines were developed by the National Research Council, and detail what is most important for children to

learn about science.

Science Concepts Air is a substance. It can be moved, it takes up space, and

water cannot enter a container unless the air leaves.

SkillsObserving, Motor coordination, Predicting

Suggested Time15 to 30 minutes

MATERIALSFish tank or dishpan filled with water, clear plastic cups,

and a paper towel.

Procedure• Hold up a cup and ask your child if there is anything inside it.

• Turn the cup upside down and lower it into the water. Keep the cup underwater and slowly turn it right-side-up and see what comes out.

• Do the same thing, but this time have the child try to catch the air. Have them lower a cup of their own into the water, right-side-up so it fills with water.Then have them turn it upside down, still filled with water. If they hold their cup over yours, you can “pour” the air from your cup into theirs. Play pouring it back and forth for a while.

Students May NoticeYour child should notice that there is air in the upside-down cup. Air fills up part of the cup and keeps water from flowing into that part. Air keeps rising upwards in the water, so you can only “pour” air up, not down.

ExtensionTake a dry cup and crumple up a big piece of paper towel in the bottom. Wedge the paper towel in, so it stays there when you turn the cup upside down. Lower the upside-down cup into the water and ask whether the paper is getting wet. Lift the cup back out (keeping it upside down so the air does not leave it), and check the towel. It will still be dry, because the air stayed in the cup, so the water could not get in.

Connection to the KidS science ExhibitMake a connection with the tall Bubble Tubes near the entrance to Kid Science. Can they remember what was different about the speed of those bubbles? (They moved more slowly through the thicker liquid)

AIR

WATER

kids science

AIR

At-Home EARTH Activity /• pour air

.Science Concepts Rocks vary by size, color, weight, texture, hardness, and

other characteristics.

SkillsObserving, Comparing, Sorting, and Describing

Suggested Time30 minutes to 2 hours

MATERIALSCollecting box for storing rocks in (an empty egg carton

works well), marker, magnifying glass (optional).

Procedure• Go on safari together around the block or in a park to look for different types of stones that your child thinks are “interesting”. They might look for different colors, unusual shapes, patterns in the rock, or other features.

• After you and your child have assembled a collection of a dozen or more, work together to arrange them in some sort of order. What different ways could the stones be arranged? Are there two or more stones that seem to be the same kind of stone? Which are the most different?

• Have your child write, either on the egg carton sections or on small slips of paper, the features that distinguish each stone. Use these as labels.

• Can they predict what will happen if most of the water is poured out and they try blowing again? Test their prediction, and keep experimenting to see what else they can find out.

Students May NoticeYour child may concentrate on one property of stones, such as color, in describing them. Help them to notice other features that differ from stone to stone.

ExtensionBooks and web sites can provide more information about common rocks and minerals that can help identify what you and your child have found.

Connection to the Kids Science ExhibitInside the cave is the Architect and Apprentice Station, where being able to describe the features of different blocks is important. The skills your child practices in making observations of the stones will come in handy.

At-Home Air Activity /• magnet painting

Science Concepts Magnets can attract pieces of iron or steel, even through

other materials.

SkillsUsing magnets, Creativity, Motor coordination

Suggested Time15-30 minutes

MATERIALSOne or more magnets (the stronger the better),

aluminum pan or cardboard box lid, paper cut to fit exactly inside the pan or lid, tape, paint, small iron or

steel objects such as paper clips, washers, etc.

Procedure• Have your child tape the paper in the pan or box lid. Then put a few drops of paint on the paper. Put a few metal objects on the paper.

• Hold the pan or box lid by the ends, or support it between the backs of two chairs. Have your child hold a magnet under the pan or box lid and move the metal objects around through the paint to make a painting. If you haveseveral magnets of different strengths, have your child try each of them.

• Discuss what is happening. Why do the objects move? Can your child move just one at a time, or do all theobjects move together?

Students May NoticeA magnet will pull some types of metal toward it, even through the pan. Once several objects are brought together, the magnet will pull all of them around at once. it will be difficult to separate them using the magnet alone. Fingers will still work, of course!

ExtensionChallenge your child to control the magnet well enough to write his or her name on the paper. You can mix some nonmagnetic objects in with the iron/steel ones, and explore what the magnet will move, and what it won’t. Are there metals that a magnet won’t pull? (Yes, including every US coin.) Put another magnet in the pan, and see if it can be repelled by the magnet underneath.

Connection to the KidScience ExhibitBegin this activity by reminding your child about the wall in the cave where they could stick metal objects. Do they remember what held the objects there? What do they think was behind the wall?

kids science

SMALL STEEL OBJECTS

PAINT

MAGNET

At-Home light Activity /• reflection maze

.Science Concepts Light travels in straight lines, light bounces off shiny

surfaces, and a brief introduction to angles.

SkillsObserving, Motor coordination

Suggested Time15 to 30 minutes

MATERIALSFlashlight, shiny flat object (mirror, lid of a tin, or a similar

flat, reflective surface.)

Procedure• Experiment together with how a shiny object can bounce the flashlight around. It may help to darken the room.

• Hold the flashlight in one direction (or place it on a table so it will not move), and have your child use the shiny object to guide the light’s reflection along a “maze” on the wall. For example, your child could move the spot up one side of a door frame, across the top, and down the other side, or move it from a ceiling lamp to a smoke detector.

Students May NoticeThe light will move based on the direction the shiny object is held. Light bounces off its surface like a ball bouncing off a wall. The direction it bounces is different if it hits the reflective surface straight on or at an angle.

ExtensionPlay a prediction game. Rest the flashlight on a table so it will not move. Then have your child hold the reflective surface in the beam. Switch the flashlight off, and have your child turn the surface to face in a slightly different direction. Ask them to predict where the flashlight’s reflection will shine when you switch the light back on. Then test that prediction (being careful not to move the flashlight while turning it on). Do this several times to see if your child can improve his or her predictions and knowledge of reflections.

Connection to the Kids Science ExhibitWhen you’re walking through the Mirror Maze, point out how light is reflecting off the shiny walls. Can your child trace how light from, for example, your shoes, bounces off walls before reaching their eyes?

At-Home Air Activity /• make rainbows

Science Concepts Sunlight contains a rainbow of colors mixed together.

Those colors can be separated using water drops.

SkillsObserving, Describing, and Drawing

Suggested time15 to 30 minutes

MATERIALSWarm sunny day, plant mister or spray bottle,

paper and markers.

Procedure• Go outside to a place where the sun is shining. Have your child hold the spray bottle and stand facing his or her shadow.• Have your child spray the bottle into the air in front of and a little above him or her. Together, look into the spray and see if there are any colors in it. If sunlight is striking the water drops, they should create a rainbow, visible at least from where your child is standing.

• Ask what colors they see in the mist. How long do they last? Can they be made brighter? Go back inside and ask your child to draw what he or she saw.

Students May Notice

The rainbow is created from sun lighting the tiny drops of water in the mist. Sunlight contains all the colors of the rainbow mixed together to make white light. The water drops can spread that light out into its separate colors. Once the mist stops, the rainbow disappears. A rainbow in the sky means there are water drops up in the air in that direction, bouncing sunlight around in the same way.

ExtensionGet some bubble solution and blow bubbles, again in direct sunlight. Ask if there are similar patterns of color in the bubble. Soap film also breaks sunlight up into a rainbow of colors.

Connection to the KidScience ExhibitThe Lighthouse has three colored lights which together make white, the same way sunlight has a whole rainbow of colors.When you’re in the exhibit, point out how the three lights make white when they shine together.When you do this activity, refer back to that experience with the lights.

kids science

RAINBOW

MIST

SUN

At-Home water Activity /• MILK CARTON BOATS

.Science Concepts Flotation, Stability, and Wind power

SkillsConstruction and Following directions

Suggested Time30 to 45 minutes

MATERIALSEmpty half-gallon milk carton, marker, scissors, pencil or soda straw, construction paper, hole punch, clay or tape

(the kind that stays sticky when wet), and a few coins.

Procedure• Lay the milk carton with the spout side facing up. Draw a line all the way around the carton, about two inches above the tabletop. Cut the carton in half along this line. The half without the spout will be the boat.

• Make the ship’s sail by cutting a 6” square of construction paper, punching three holes in a line down the center, and weaving a pencil or straw in one hole and out the next, attaching the “sail” to the “mast”. Put some clay in the center and stick the mast into it.

• Float the boat in a tub or basin. If it is unstable and keeps tipping over, experiment together to see how you can make the boat stay upright. Use your breath to blow the boat around.

• Add coins or small rocks to the boat until it starts to sink.

Students May Notice

A ‘tippy’ boat can be fixed by adding more weight—clay, coins, or rocks.The heavier the boat gets, the lower it sits in the water, the slower it moves, and the easier it is for water to get in. However, it will also be harder for a wave to flip over a heavy boat.

ExtensionFind books about different types of boats. Can your child modify your boat so it is more like a catamaran? A clipper ship? Some other type of boat?

Connection to the Kids Science ExhibitBring this boat with you to The Franklin Institute and sail it in our pool. At the Floaters and Sinkers station your child can see how much weight different boats carry.

paper sail

clay

milk carton

CUT LINE

FURTHER RESOURCES /•

Boston Children’s Museum

Activity BooksBy Bernie Zubrowski. Morrow Junior Books

Bubble Monster and Other

Science FunBy John H. Falk Chicago Review Press

An Early Start to ScienceBy Roy Richards and Doug Kincaid Stanley Thornes

Mudpies to MagnetsBy Robert A. Williams Gryphon House

Science Is...By Susan V. Bosak, A. Puppa.

Scholastic CanadaThe Usborne Books of Science Activities series.Usborne Publishing

kids science

Magazines and Periodicals:Science Weeklywww.scienceweekly.com Published 16 times a year, this is designed for elementary classrooms

Scientific American Explorationswww.explorations.org A magazine of family science activities and science museums.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

BELOW: A view from the lighthouse.

GENERAL ORIENTATIONWhen your students visit Space Command, they will imagine that they are tourists visiting a low-orbiting space station where scientists carry out explorations of space.

To help students get in the spirit of the visit, explain to them ahead of time the four areas they will see as described in the letter at the beginning of this guide: Main Promenade of the Space Command Visitor Center (the entrance), Outer Space Outfitters, Remote Command, and Space Academy.

Younger children may understand and get more from some stations than others in the exhibit. For example, although the astronaut gloves at the Working in Space station may be too large for small hands to use, children will enjoy trying them on. The lunch box gravity experiments and the cooling suit will intrigue them. They will have fun designing their own planetary rover and seeing how well it works.

The Remote Mission Control computer simulation may be too complex for younger students, but they will be able to use the pin box experiment to see that the more pins there are, the clearer their hand appears (the greater the number of pixels in a picture, the sharper the definition of the picture).

In the Space Academy section, children will be able to follow the phases of the moon, detect constellations, laugh at their funny reflections in the parabolic mirror, and be fascinated by the moon rock.

the universe /• ages 6-9 About The ExhibitThe idea of visiting a space command center will add fun and excitement to your students’ tour of space concepts. The exhibit is divided into four sections and has more than thirty interactive stations. As students walk through the entry and orientation portal, they will pass through a scanner that will help them make the transition from Earth to space. The Main Promenade of the Space Command Visitor Center provides a chronology of milestones in space flight and offers a view of the galaxy, just outside the window and visitors can choose to travel deeper through a star-filled skylight.

Students will then move into the Outer Space Outfitters area where they will learn about the planets in our solar system.

The content emphasis is on what conditions are like on each planet—terrain, atmosphere, and gravitational pull. Travel posters and equipment advertisements as well as real artifacts from space travel are on display.

Visitors can choose a planet to visit and find out what they would need in order to survive there. Students will see a shovel that the astronauts used during lunar training, a geology hammer they used to break off rock samples, and a penetrometer, a stick with lineson it for measuring the depth of the lunar soil.

If you time your visit to Space Command just right, you might be able to enroll in Space Command Boot Camp. In this live program, our drill sergeant will teach recruits some of the basics of space travel.

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mand

Welcome to Space Command! the station has opened a portion of its facility to the public to help visitorsunderstand the purpose, experience the excitement, and appreciate the importance of space exploration, Just come aboard.

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aBOVE: Large telescope found within the Space Command exhibit.

About This Guide This Guide will help you and your children get the most out of your visit. The Guide includes:

• Pre-visit suggestions for building interest and excitement about the upcoming trip

• A map to familiarize yourself with the exhibit

• Suggestions for specific ways to interact with children in the exhibit

• Additional activities about Air, Earth , Light, and Water that you can do together before or after your visit

• A list of further resources to seek out in the library or bookstore, and on the Web

In the ExhibitAt all of the stations, encourage conversation. Ask your children to describe, explain, and predict.

AIR (Fog HornsVisit a research station right here on Earth! Locate your house using a satellite home-tracking device! Travel through time to uncover what our ancestry thought about space! Embark on a mission to discover a lost, unmanned space probe! Check out equipment used by real astronauts to explore space!

Launching into orbit was never so easy—or educational—as with this addition to the museum’s growing array of permanent exhibits. Climb into this futuristic, low Earth-orbit research station and take an unforgettable journey of discovery. Our goal is to help you understand the purpose, experience the excitement, and appreciate the importance of space exploration.

An 8-foot tall telescope symbolizes Space Command’s mission to observe and explore the universe. The Galact-o-scope is a futuristic window allowing visitors to look directly out of the space station to watch Space Command astronauts at work, passing planets, and the edges of the universe.

Once through the portal and beyond the light curtain, head for the visitor-orientation area and on to the telescopes. Take a turn through the “Space Academy”

to discover the history of space research from ancient civilizations to today. Equipped with the knowledge of many cultures over time, you’ll emerge as a skilled observer of the day and night skies.

To prepare for the diverse climates and conditions on your planetary missions, visit “Outer Space Outfitters” for your space expedition equipment. Check out authentic Russian and American spacesuits and devices that help humans acclimate to environments in space. Venture into the restricted access “Remote Command” area, and embark on your own mission to recover a lost unmanned space

probe—using the same techniques scientists employ to manipulate these exploration devices on distant planets.

At “Space Training School,” a satellite tracking device enables you to view your house, neighborhood, and even a five billion year old meteorite from space. Simulate completing a task in space by wearing gloves in a vacuum chamber.

The 30 interactive stations provide an out-of-this-world appreciation for the night

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sky and the possibilities of exploration beyond Earth. Of course, the Space Command experience is not complete without a visit to the Fels Planetarium! Space Command surrounds the Fels Planetarium to provide visitors with an appreciation and understanding for the night sky and the possibility of exploration beyond Earth.

PREVIS IT exploration /•

before your visit:At the entrance to Space Command, your students will be asked to become tourists visiting Space Command. So they get the most out of the learning opportunities that the exhibit offers, consider doing some of the following activities beforehand:

• Read aloud to the class some of the grade-level appropriate books on the Further Resources list andmake as many as possible available to children for reading on their own in order to become familiar with astronomy and space.• Some of your students may already know something about space and the sun, moon, and stars from picture books they have at home. Invite them to bring in their books to share with the rest of the class.

• To help build interest immediately before the visit, tell children stories of the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper from different cultures. Show a picture of the two constellations or draw them on the board. After you have finished the stories, draw a series of ten dots on the board and ask children what they think the dots represent. The dots should be placed randomly, but with enough definition so that children could discern several different objects, for example, a car, a wagon, a house, or even a flower. Students will work with this idea again at the Constellation Finder station in the exhibit.

• • On the bus, give each child two pieces of paper folded in half so that they have eight surfaces on which to draw. Children should already have a sharpened pencil in order to fill out their In-Exhibit Guides. Ask children to think of an object that could become the name of a constellation and then draw ten dots on a sheet of paper to represent it. Seatmates could exchange their sheets and try to figure out what the name is of each other’s new constellation. Continue until children’s interest flags.

At-Home Air Activity /• magnet painting Science Concepts • The planets have properties, locations, and movements that can be observed and recorded.• The earth is the third planet from the sun in a system that includes the moon, the sun, eight other planets, and numerous smaller objects.• The sun is the central and largest body in the solar system.

SkillsObserving, distinguishing differences, taking measurements, working cooperatively

Suggested Time1 hour

MATERIALS

Optional: substitute sports balls for the larger pieces offruit and use pebbles of two sizes instead of the peas and peppercorns; the sports balls must be in the same size ratio as the fruit listed above.

Procedure• Explain that the solar system has nine planets of which Earth is the third planet from the sun. All the planets are different and one of the most noticeable differences is their size. Use the fruit to explore the different sizes of the planets. The pieces of fruit represent the following planets:

• Use a basketball to represent the sun. Then have children place the planets in their correct order from closest to the sun to farthest away: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto.

• Ask children to make comparisons such as how many times larger or smaller one planet is than another, how many Jupiters it would take to make the sun, and so on. The sun is actually a little more than 8 times the size of Jupiter, the largest planet.

For example, if Jupiter (the grapefruit) is 6 inches in circumference, the sun would be 48 inches or 4 feet around.

(Students should be able to compare relative sizes easily and to make accurate estimates about how many of one planet would be needed to make another.)

IN THE EXHIBITIn Outer Space Outfitters, students will be learning about the planets of the solar system and the conditions that exist on each planet.

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• Copy of Solar System graphic on next page

• 1 grapefruit or small cantaloupe

• 1 large orange, apple, or peach

• 2 plums or apricots

• 2 peas

•3 peppercorns

• 1 basketball

• newsprint

• markers or water based paints

• grapefruit or small cantaloupe: Jupiter

• large orange, apple, or peach: Saturn

• plums or apricots: Uranus and Neptune

• peas: Venus and Earth

• peppercorns: Mars, Mercury, and Pluto

1 pluto

2 neptune

3 unanus

4 jupiter

5 mars

6 sun

7 mercury

8 venus

9 earth

10 saturn

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3 4 5

6 7 89 10

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1 Galact-o-scope

2 mOON rock

3 Parabolic Mirror

4 Moon Phases

5 The Sun’s path

6 gravity well

7 what do you see

8 Academy challenge

9 find your house

10 resolution

11 remote command

12 satellite tracking

13 Probe Rescue

14 build a rover

15 Space suits

16 interplanetary travel

17 cooling arm

18 air pressure

Working in space

Space walk gloves

19 astronaut Lunch boxes

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On your way to the Franklin Institute

use the following suggestions to focus your children on the four areas they are going to be experimenting with:

• Before leaving, have them look for mirrors on the car or bus they’ll be taking. How many can they find? What can they see when they look in those mirrors? What’s useful about them?

• Ask them to find a part of the car/bus that contains Air.

• If it’s a sunny day, have the children find a shadow. What does it look like? Can they make it bigger or smaller? Can they make it change shape?

• You may travel over or along a river on your trip. Have the children describe what they see on the river. What other things are sometimes found on rivers? At the edge of rivers? Where does the river go? How are people using it?

• Look for moving tree limbs or leaves blowing in the wind. Can the children tell you what is moving them? Encourage the children to look for other things in the air as you drive to the museum.

Right: Shape Shifter mirrors found within the Kids Science exhibit.

Left : Student viewing the wind demonstration held inside Kids Science.

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