This week the boys and I went to the National Air and Space Museum, Udvar-Hazy center in Dulles, Virginia. (The Udvar-Hazy center is a satellite of the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.) It is essentially a huge hangar with lots of airplanes hanging from the ceiling or sitting on the ground. There is a room on space exploration, where a space shuttle is on display. There is also an observation tower where you can watch planes taking off from and landing at Dulles Airport. They have an IMAX theatre, a gift shop, and a McDonalds. Free guided tours are offered regulary.
This is a great field trip for older students. My 5 year old got bored fairly quickly. His favorite part of the museum was "walking on the cat walks"--the raised walk ways where you can see the planes that are suspended from the ceiling. When someone asks him about his trip to the museum he doesn't even mention the planes. I liked the pre-1920's flight displays. This collection featured the old planes, but also china and collectibles with images of hot air balloons, famous aviators, and planes. My ten year old liked the supersonic jets--the Concorde and the Black Hawk. He was interested in how the planes could go that fast and how much it costs to develop, build, and buy fuel for the planes.
At home we've been discussing the science of flight. At the NoVA Homeschool Conference last weekend I was able to pick-up some free literature from the NASA booth. I also purchased a lap book kit on flight, it includes information on the history and science of flight.
The National Air and Space Museum's website features a lot of great resources for teaching about the history and science of flight. In the Teaching Resources section there are lessons entitled Milestones of Flight, How Things Fly, Embracing the Impossible (using primary resources to understand the way attitudes changed about flight in the early 1900's), and From Airmail to Airlines (exploring different careers in commercial aviation). There were more lessons, many of which were related to space exploration. The great thing is most of the lessons reference displays at the museums in the introduction for teachers, but can be used without going to the museum. There is an Online Activities section with games and videos. There are also two Electronic Field Trip options.
If you are interested in planning a trip to either the museum in DC or the Udvar-Hazy center or want to learn more about their teaching resources, visit their website at http://www.nasm.si.edu.
Showing posts with label field trips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label field trips. Show all posts
Friday, July 16, 2010
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Last week we went on a field trip to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing in Washington, D.C. This was a really interesting trip. You get to tour the facilities where they are actually making paper money. We saw them printing $50 and $100 bills. We saw workers loading "paper" into the machines to be printed and the printed sheets into the machines that inspect the money. We saw other workers repairing one of the machines that prints final details onto the bills. We also saw them inspecting the money under special lamps with magnifying glasses.
The tour begins with a video on the entire process of making money, from printing the background color to the money being monetized by the Federal Reserve. You are then joined by your tour guide who takes you along a special corridor that has been constructed for you to walk through and be able to view a portion of the printing and inspection process. Your tour guide explains the process to you and tells you lots of interesting facts, like that they print over $900,000,000 a day at the facility and that most of that money goes toward replacing old, worn money. The tour takes only about 45 minutes. The tour ends at the gift shop. After our tour, we ate lunch at the Department of Agriculture's cafeteria, about two blocks from the BEP tour entrance.
This was an informative and fun field trip. Even the younger children, who might not really understand the concept of money, were interested in watching the machines and the BEP employees. The older children (and adults) learned that making money is a very complicated process. They also learned about the security features that are designed to discourage counterfeiting. (Actually my kids didn't know what counterfeiting was until we went on this trip.) I felt that the tour was a little rushed. At each of the 4 "stops" on the tour you only had a couple of minutes to watch what was going on in the manufacturing process. There were also wall displays along the tour that you didn't have time to look at because you were being rushed along because the next tour was right behind you. Our tour guide was very nice and tried to take time to answer our questions and accomodate us, but the overall tour schedule didn't allow for her to take very much time at any stop along the tour.
We went with our field trip group and reserved a group tour space, but they do have public tours throughout the day. The tour is free. If you are interested in more information visit www.moneyfactory.gov.
The tour begins with a video on the entire process of making money, from printing the background color to the money being monetized by the Federal Reserve. You are then joined by your tour guide who takes you along a special corridor that has been constructed for you to walk through and be able to view a portion of the printing and inspection process. Your tour guide explains the process to you and tells you lots of interesting facts, like that they print over $900,000,000 a day at the facility and that most of that money goes toward replacing old, worn money. The tour takes only about 45 minutes. The tour ends at the gift shop. After our tour, we ate lunch at the Department of Agriculture's cafeteria, about two blocks from the BEP tour entrance.
This was an informative and fun field trip. Even the younger children, who might not really understand the concept of money, were interested in watching the machines and the BEP employees. The older children (and adults) learned that making money is a very complicated process. They also learned about the security features that are designed to discourage counterfeiting. (Actually my kids didn't know what counterfeiting was until we went on this trip.) I felt that the tour was a little rushed. At each of the 4 "stops" on the tour you only had a couple of minutes to watch what was going on in the manufacturing process. There were also wall displays along the tour that you didn't have time to look at because you were being rushed along because the next tour was right behind you. Our tour guide was very nice and tried to take time to answer our questions and accomodate us, but the overall tour schedule didn't allow for her to take very much time at any stop along the tour.
We went with our field trip group and reserved a group tour space, but they do have public tours throughout the day. The tour is free. If you are interested in more information visit www.moneyfactory.gov.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Bug Box
This week we went to the Bug Box, a small insect museum, in Fredericksburg with our field trip group. The field trip was a hit with the kids and adults.
The museum is pretty small. It consists of about 1 1/2 rooms of displays organized into three sections--desert, forest, and aquatic habitats. Since our group was small (just 6 children this time) the kids got to help feed the lizards and turtles that are part of the exhibits.
As part of our educational program the kids got to touch a tarantula and hold Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches. Now my oldest is saving his allowance to buy cockroaches and supplies for their terrarium. (At least he's not asking to get a bird for the moment. I'm super scared of birds!) The program focused on insects being an integral part of ecosystems that humans need to respect.
After our museum visit, we went to Loriella Park just outside of Fredericksburg. That was great. There was a play structure, but the real highlight was the paths through the woods. They boys started off searching for cockroaches. They found centipedes, beetles, a turtle, a salamander, mushrooms, lichens--no cockroaches, though. A small stream runs across the path we took and the paths were steep. Some of our party didn't have very good shoes for hiking through the mud and loose dirt (something to keep in mind for next time). There is also a path through a meadow, but we didn't have time to explore that option.
My boys and I enjoyed the trip. The only problem was the lack of follow through in our group. The cost to just tour the exhibits at the Bug Box is $2 per person or you can pay a flat fee to have an educational program for up to 25 people. I arranged for the educational program because all but one family in our group originally said they liked the idea of going. In the end only three families attended the field trip; there were only 10 of us in the entire group. The presentation was good, but with so few of the field trip group families participating it ended up being rather costly for those of us who did attend.
www.bugbox.net
The museum is pretty small. It consists of about 1 1/2 rooms of displays organized into three sections--desert, forest, and aquatic habitats. Since our group was small (just 6 children this time) the kids got to help feed the lizards and turtles that are part of the exhibits.
As part of our educational program the kids got to touch a tarantula and hold Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches. Now my oldest is saving his allowance to buy cockroaches and supplies for their terrarium. (At least he's not asking to get a bird for the moment. I'm super scared of birds!) The program focused on insects being an integral part of ecosystems that humans need to respect.
After our museum visit, we went to Loriella Park just outside of Fredericksburg. That was great. There was a play structure, but the real highlight was the paths through the woods. They boys started off searching for cockroaches. They found centipedes, beetles, a turtle, a salamander, mushrooms, lichens--no cockroaches, though. A small stream runs across the path we took and the paths were steep. Some of our party didn't have very good shoes for hiking through the mud and loose dirt (something to keep in mind for next time). There is also a path through a meadow, but we didn't have time to explore that option.
My boys and I enjoyed the trip. The only problem was the lack of follow through in our group. The cost to just tour the exhibits at the Bug Box is $2 per person or you can pay a flat fee to have an educational program for up to 25 people. I arranged for the educational program because all but one family in our group originally said they liked the idea of going. In the end only three families attended the field trip; there were only 10 of us in the entire group. The presentation was good, but with so few of the field trip group families participating it ended up being rather costly for those of us who did attend.
www.bugbox.net
Thursday, April 30, 2009
National Museum of the American Indian
Our field trip group went to the National Museum of the American Indian yesterday. Opened in 2004, this museum "features the lifeways, history, and art of Native Americans throughout the Western Hemisphere." (I took that description from the museum's "General Information" brochure.) They have a "Family Guide" available at the Welcome Desk, that is pretty good. It includes some activities and "blurbs" for parents to read to the children to get them engaged with some of the displays in the three main exhibit areas. (We didn't actually acquire the "Family Guide" until we were preparing to leave the museum, but I was still able to use it as a discussion starter to reflect on the things we had seen and learned during our visit to the museum.)
We took the Metro, which is an exciting adventure itself, especially for the little ones, to the Smithsonian stop. We ate lunch in the museum's cafe. Most of the group had packed lunches, but the weather wasn't very nice, so we had to eat indoors. A couple of members of the group got native cuisine from the cafe.
My kids and I like the exhibits on the fourth floor the best. This is where you find the "Our Universe" exhibit with displays on Native American myth and belief systems. Everyone liked the story screens, where they could listen to native myths, see the illustrations on the screen and speculate which stars in the sky (on the ceiling) were the ones from the story. They also liked the short film that featured two of the artists that had created pieces for that exhibit. Also on the fourth floor you find the "Our Peoples" exhibit. This features displays on Native American history. The boys seem drawn to the exhibit on the role of guns in Native American history. They also like the display of gold objects. I noticed the corn included among the gold artifacts, and tried to point out to the older kids that corn was just as important as gold to the lives of the indigenous peoples.
We also visited the "Our Lives" exhibit on the third floor. I liked the display areas for each of the ethnic groups or tribes. We spent a little time checking out the Pamunkey display, since that is a reservation in Virginia. Of course the kids liked the Bombadier, the ice fishing vehicle. Once we had wandered around the "Our Lives" exhibit, it was time to start back to the Metro. (We did stop by the Roanoke Museum Store on the second floor. Where my younger son had a melt down over a toy flute.)
The children seem to like the displays with the screens and pull out drawers in the landing area of the third and fourth floors. I think they like that they can pick their favorite piece in the display and then inspect it more closely by choosing it on the screen. They also seem to like all the television screens in the "Our Lives" exhibit that show Native Americans talking about their way of life or Native Americans participating in dances or festivals.
We had alot of fun and will probably try to go back when we have more time to spend at the museum. We spent about 2 1/2 hours at the museum, which includes the time we spent eating lunch at the cafe. I wish we'd been able to stay at least one more hour.
Visit www.AmericanIndian.si.edu for more information about the National Museum of the American Indian.
We took the Metro, which is an exciting adventure itself, especially for the little ones, to the Smithsonian stop. We ate lunch in the museum's cafe. Most of the group had packed lunches, but the weather wasn't very nice, so we had to eat indoors. A couple of members of the group got native cuisine from the cafe.
My kids and I like the exhibits on the fourth floor the best. This is where you find the "Our Universe" exhibit with displays on Native American myth and belief systems. Everyone liked the story screens, where they could listen to native myths, see the illustrations on the screen and speculate which stars in the sky (on the ceiling) were the ones from the story. They also liked the short film that featured two of the artists that had created pieces for that exhibit. Also on the fourth floor you find the "Our Peoples" exhibit. This features displays on Native American history. The boys seem drawn to the exhibit on the role of guns in Native American history. They also like the display of gold objects. I noticed the corn included among the gold artifacts, and tried to point out to the older kids that corn was just as important as gold to the lives of the indigenous peoples.
We also visited the "Our Lives" exhibit on the third floor. I liked the display areas for each of the ethnic groups or tribes. We spent a little time checking out the Pamunkey display, since that is a reservation in Virginia. Of course the kids liked the Bombadier, the ice fishing vehicle. Once we had wandered around the "Our Lives" exhibit, it was time to start back to the Metro. (We did stop by the Roanoke Museum Store on the second floor. Where my younger son had a melt down over a toy flute.)
The children seem to like the displays with the screens and pull out drawers in the landing area of the third and fourth floors. I think they like that they can pick their favorite piece in the display and then inspect it more closely by choosing it on the screen. They also seem to like all the television screens in the "Our Lives" exhibit that show Native Americans talking about their way of life or Native Americans participating in dances or festivals.
We had alot of fun and will probably try to go back when we have more time to spend at the museum. We spent about 2 1/2 hours at the museum, which includes the time we spent eating lunch at the cafe. I wish we'd been able to stay at least one more hour.
Visit www.AmericanIndian.si.edu for more information about the National Museum of the American Indian.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Great Country Farms
Last week we took a field trip to Great Country Farms in Bluemont (western Loudoun County), Virginia. This was such a fun day. If you live in Northern Virginia or Northwestern Virginia I highly suggest go here!
We started out with a wagon ride. The farmer told us about the farm and about growing peaches and strawberries. The kids got to break open a peach blossom to inspect the baby peach inside.
Then another farmer talked to us about greenhouses and planting. The children planted sunflower seeds. We then proceeded to the petting farm where they had neat posters/displays about the different animals, like cows, sheep, goats, chickens, and ponies. You could see baby chicks.
There were a bunch of fun mazes and slides. There were rope swings and play sets. They have a huge air pillow bouncer. J's (age 9) favorite part was feeding the animals. E (age 3) wasn't too enthused about getting animal slobber on his hands. He said his favorite was "the big slides." The boys learned about farming and they had a great time!
The farm also has a gem mining activity (extra charge) and a stocked fish pond (bring your own equipment). They also have pick-your-own fruits and vegetables, once they're in-season. We didn't do all of the activities, and we were there over 4 fun hours. We will definitely go back again (and take Dad).
Admission is $8-10 and they are open 7-days a week. Visit www.greatcountryfarms.com to learn more.
We started out with a wagon ride. The farmer told us about the farm and about growing peaches and strawberries. The kids got to break open a peach blossom to inspect the baby peach inside.
Then another farmer talked to us about greenhouses and planting. The children planted sunflower seeds. We then proceeded to the petting farm where they had neat posters/displays about the different animals, like cows, sheep, goats, chickens, and ponies. You could see baby chicks.
There were a bunch of fun mazes and slides. There were rope swings and play sets. They have a huge air pillow bouncer. J's (age 9) favorite part was feeding the animals. E (age 3) wasn't too enthused about getting animal slobber on his hands. He said his favorite was "the big slides." The boys learned about farming and they had a great time!
The farm also has a gem mining activity (extra charge) and a stocked fish pond (bring your own equipment). They also have pick-your-own fruits and vegetables, once they're in-season. We didn't do all of the activities, and we were there over 4 fun hours. We will definitely go back again (and take Dad).
Admission is $8-10 and they are open 7-days a week. Visit www.greatcountryfarms.com to learn more.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Field Trip Friends
Midway through the year, we were asked to be part of another group. This is a new field trip group. As a group we take a field trip every other week. Each parent takes turns making the field trip arrangements. So far the group has taken field trips to a local grocery store, a local pet store, the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum, Skyline Caverns, the Warren Heritage Society museum, and Blandy Farm State Arboretum.
I've been happy with this group too. The boys favorite trip so far has been Skyline Caverns. Our guide was a lot of fun. He joked with the kids and showed them tons of really neat stuff. They were all pretty enthralled by the anthracites, which have only been found in Skyline Caverns and one other cave in Germany. We have trips planned to the Bug Box and Herr's Snack Factory in the near future.
Having different people do the planning for each trip not only means less work for each individual parent, it also means that each parent brings new ideas for field trips. (I find that I get stuck in a mental rut--what is the nearest museum--when I am planning trips.) We also get group or educational rates for admission to most of our trips.
Some of the parents are a little more serious about this group than others. It is often difficult to give an exact number of attendees because many parents don't RSVP or even worse just don't show up the day of the field trip! But, the boys enjoy the field trips. I feel the trips help the boys to see that the stuff we learn about at home applies to places outside of our house and our family. This is also a new group, so I think it will evolve and stabilize.
I'll provide some links to the field trip locations below and I hope to provide more information about each of our trips in the future.
Giant Foods, Petco Pet Stores, A. C. Moore Craft Stores - www.fieldtripfactory.com
Blandy Farm State Arboretum - www.virginia.edu/blandy
Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum - www.discoverymuseum.net
Skyline Caverns - www.skylinecaverns.com
Warren Heritage Society - www.warrenheritagesociety.org
I've been happy with this group too. The boys favorite trip so far has been Skyline Caverns. Our guide was a lot of fun. He joked with the kids and showed them tons of really neat stuff. They were all pretty enthralled by the anthracites, which have only been found in Skyline Caverns and one other cave in Germany. We have trips planned to the Bug Box and Herr's Snack Factory in the near future.
Having different people do the planning for each trip not only means less work for each individual parent, it also means that each parent brings new ideas for field trips. (I find that I get stuck in a mental rut--what is the nearest museum--when I am planning trips.) We also get group or educational rates for admission to most of our trips.
Some of the parents are a little more serious about this group than others. It is often difficult to give an exact number of attendees because many parents don't RSVP or even worse just don't show up the day of the field trip! But, the boys enjoy the field trips. I feel the trips help the boys to see that the stuff we learn about at home applies to places outside of our house and our family. This is also a new group, so I think it will evolve and stabilize.
I'll provide some links to the field trip locations below and I hope to provide more information about each of our trips in the future.
Giant Foods, Petco Pet Stores, A. C. Moore Craft Stores - www.fieldtripfactory.com
Blandy Farm State Arboretum - www.virginia.edu/blandy
Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum - www.discoverymuseum.net
Skyline Caverns - www.skylinecaverns.com
Warren Heritage Society - www.warrenheritagesociety.org
Monday, March 30, 2009
New Market Battlefield Homeschool Open House
On Saturday we went to the New Market Battlefield State Historical Park for their Homeschool Open House sponsored by Home Educators Association of Virginia. New Market Battlefield is the site of a Confederate victory on May 15, 1864. 257 cadets from the Virginia Military Institute participated in the battle, some of these boys were only 15 years old and 10 of them died in the battle or from wounds received during the battle.
The weather was overcast on Saturday, but it did not rain. It was very muddy due to the previous day's rain, but we decided that was more akin to what the soldiers had experienced during the battle in 1864. The battlefield was nicknamed the Field of Lost Shoes because many of the soldiers lost their shoes in the ankle deep mud, but went on fighting.
I am glad we went for the Homeschool Open House. It was a great experience. They had lots of activities and living history displays. There were scavenger hunt sheets for the museum and the battlefield. I attended with a group that included 3 boys, aged 4, 8, & 9, and one 7 year-old girl. It was a fun day for everyone.
We started our visit with the museum, watching the film, "Field of Lost Shoes." This film was a little dry for the youngest children, but engaging for the older children and adults. I found the boys were looking for things, around the battlefield and farm that had been mentioned in the film. It also gave me something to reference during the rest of our visit.
We then proceeded to the "military camp," which the kids liked alot. They set up their tent, dug out the "sink," and practiced rifle drills. They learned about rations and got to try on uniforms and haversacks.
We then walked the battlefield and checked out the river overlook. The boys liked the replica canons. Afterward we wandered down to the Bushong farm. There were crafts in the barn that kids and adults enjoyed. Outside the house they had games that the kids really liked playing. The girls learned to dance the Virginia Reel. (We couldn't cajole the boys into dancing.) We walked through the house, listened to a re-enactor tell us about cooking in the 1860's. We checked out the cellar where the Bushong family hid with their cow and chickens during the battle.
By the time we finished touring the house and outbuildings, we had been there nearly 5 hours. We'd been having so much fun the time had flown by.
The staff and volunteers at the event were terrific. Everyone was very helpful, knowledgable, and enthusiastic. I'd definitely recommend this activity. This was the first year we attended, but I believe it is an annual event. The battlefield hosts events throughout the year. You can visit www.vmi.edu/newmarket to find out more about the battlefield and museum.
The weather was overcast on Saturday, but it did not rain. It was very muddy due to the previous day's rain, but we decided that was more akin to what the soldiers had experienced during the battle in 1864. The battlefield was nicknamed the Field of Lost Shoes because many of the soldiers lost their shoes in the ankle deep mud, but went on fighting.
I am glad we went for the Homeschool Open House. It was a great experience. They had lots of activities and living history displays. There were scavenger hunt sheets for the museum and the battlefield. I attended with a group that included 3 boys, aged 4, 8, & 9, and one 7 year-old girl. It was a fun day for everyone.
We started our visit with the museum, watching the film, "Field of Lost Shoes." This film was a little dry for the youngest children, but engaging for the older children and adults. I found the boys were looking for things, around the battlefield and farm that had been mentioned in the film. It also gave me something to reference during the rest of our visit.
We then proceeded to the "military camp," which the kids liked alot. They set up their tent, dug out the "sink," and practiced rifle drills. They learned about rations and got to try on uniforms and haversacks.
We then walked the battlefield and checked out the river overlook. The boys liked the replica canons. Afterward we wandered down to the Bushong farm. There were crafts in the barn that kids and adults enjoyed. Outside the house they had games that the kids really liked playing. The girls learned to dance the Virginia Reel. (We couldn't cajole the boys into dancing.) We walked through the house, listened to a re-enactor tell us about cooking in the 1860's. We checked out the cellar where the Bushong family hid with their cow and chickens during the battle.
By the time we finished touring the house and outbuildings, we had been there nearly 5 hours. We'd been having so much fun the time had flown by.
The staff and volunteers at the event were terrific. Everyone was very helpful, knowledgable, and enthusiastic. I'd definitely recommend this activity. This was the first year we attended, but I believe it is an annual event. The battlefield hosts events throughout the year. You can visit www.vmi.edu/newmarket to find out more about the battlefield and museum.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
