Program:	Under the Weather (Grades 3-5)
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Find out how the weather affects our everyday lives and why we try to predict what Mother Nature will do next. How do high and low air pressure systems affect the weather? What causes major weather phenomena like tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms, and lightning? How do meteorologists forecast the weather? Learn how to read weather maps, experiment with different types of weather instruments, discuss the water cycle, and find out how difficult it is to predict the weather. Match this program with the IMAX film Stormchasers and the exhibit Wild, Wild Weather. Program Length: 1 hour
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Program:	Scream Machines (Grades 3-5)
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Students will explore how engineers use math and science to build their favorite roller coasters. Find out what it takes to make scream machines when we investigate the kinds of energy and forces at work in our everyday lives. Explore force, motion, and energy through interactive demonstrations of push and pull, potential and kinetic energy, and gravity and friction. Then use your physics know-how to design and construct a roller coaster, complete with bumps, rolls, and loop-the-loops. Team this program with the IMAX film Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun and the demonstration Master Machines. Program Length: 1 hour
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Program:	Balls, Ramps and Rolling Things
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Students will explore the world of force, motion and energy, and investigate gravity, magnets and friction. They will use their senses to identify rough and smooth surfaces and heavy and light objects. Students will predict how gravity will make these objects move, then conduct experiments with ramps to check their prediction. They will also experiment with magnets and learn how they can move objects. 1 hour program
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Program:	Space Cadets
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Students will observe models of the sun, Earth and moon, then identify the color, shape and relative size of the objects. Using an astronaut puppet, students will identify what living things need to survive (food, water, air and shelter), and how to provide those needs in space. They will learn that animals, including people, cannot survive in space unless their needs are met, and that they depend on the surroundings to meet their needs.
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Program:	The Facts of Life
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Using a terrarium, students will classify and identify living organisms and non-living surrounding materials that support life. They will interpret the simple habitat that supports life within the terrarium. Life needs for both plants and animals will be compared and contrasted. Students will identify useful products from plants such as oxygen and food that benefit other living things. Using a heat lamp and temperature sensor, students will learn how light affects the temperature of an object, and model how the sun delivers energy to the Earth. 30 min. demonstration
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Program:	Structures
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Students will identify two dimension (plane) figures, and differentiate between two and three dimension figures. Using pictures and models, students will identify three dimensional figures used in the architecture of ancient civilizations including pyramids (Egypt), columns and arches. They will also identify the use of these basic structures in modern construction. Conducting an experiment, students will first predict the ability of structures to support increased weights, and then observe the result of the experiment.
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Program:	Under the Weather
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Using an appropriately-sized barbell weight, students will be introduced to standard atmospheric pressure, and 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.
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Program:	Mad Scientist
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	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 collect data through observations and use scientific reasoning to draw a conclusion.
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Program:	Jr. Space Colony – Walking on the Moon!
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Students will model the difference between rotation and revolution to discover why there are phases of the moon and why the same side of the moon always faces the Earth. Students will discover why the moon has longer periods of light and darkness than the Earth. Comparing and contrasting surface conditions of the moon and Earth, students will 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.
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Program:	Space Freeze II: A Cryogenics Demonstration
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	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. Students will predict and observe the results as air-filled balloons are submerged in a container of liquid nitrogen. They will learn the temperature for nitrogen phase change between liquid and gaseous states using both Fahrenheit and Celsius scales.
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Program:	Bring on the Noise
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Students will listen to (and even 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. Students will learn how to transform other forms of energy into acoustic energy, and how we use sound every day.
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Program:	Master Machines
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	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.
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Program:	Laser Beams and Light Sabers
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	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. Students will learn whether an object is transparent, translucent or opaque by observing whether or not light and image passes through the object.
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Program:	Space Colony (Grades 6-12)
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Take a trip to the future as we colonize a planet in a far away galaxy. What obstacles do we have to overcome? Students will work in teams to solve where to get energy, food, oxygen and water, and then create a hands-on model of their colony. They will also design vehicles, develop communications systems, build robots, and even invent new sports to be played in microgravity. Schedule this program with the demonstration Space Freeze II and the IMAX film Destiny in Space. Program Length: 1 hour
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Program:	Magnetic Universe (Grades 6-12)
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	How does the sun affect life here on Earth and the other planets in our solar system? Explore the basic principles of the universe through electricity and magnetism. Investigate the structure of atoms and how they relate to each other and to the fourth state of matter, plasma! Observe the gases that make up this solar system through the use of color spectroscopes. Learn how the Sun and other celestial bodies affect our weather. Combine this program with the IMAX film SolarMax. Program Length: 1 hour
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Program:	Kitchen Chemistry (Grades 6-8)
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Watch out Chef Boyardee, we are taking over the kitchen! Discover why elements are the basic building blocks for all matter in the universe, including the ingredients for baking a cake. Learn why compounds form mixtures and help define chemical reactions. Find out about five basic chemical reactions and then see them in action! Watch as we demonstrate the fundamental principals of chemistry using compounds found in almost every kitchen. Program Length: 1 hour
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Program:	Back to the Future (Grades 6-12)
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Tour the Center’s flight and space technology exhibits to understand the history and future of air & space exploration. Then tour the space gallery to view our present-day technological triumphs and future challenges in space. Hear a weather report from a futuristic Mars Colony and view rock fragments from the moon and a meteorite from mars. Learn about the latest Mars probes and how NASA developed its current program.
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Program:	AeroZone: Aeronautics Education Laboratory (Grades 6-12)
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	One or Two Hour Laboratory Experience. AeroZone is a hands-on laboratory experience where students prepare for a cross-country flight that will take them on a tour of various NASA research centers. Students research weather conditions using the Center’s weather station, gather information for visits along the way, and work with a global positioning system and amateur radio sty. They can also design aircraft and conduct wind tunnel research, testing various aero shapes in a real wind tunnel. There is also an interactive segment on working in microgravity aboard the International Space Station. Students conduct experiments, receive information on careers in space or take a virtual trip to the International Space Station to study spatial orientation and the Station’s Modules.
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Program:	Planet Earth
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Students will study examples and determine the method of heat transfer and relate the methods to the Earth’s energy budget. They will observe the transformation of light energy into mechanical energy. Using a water cycle chamber, students will learn how heating and cooling drive the Earth’s water cycle. With a steam-driven generator, they will observe energy transformation from stored chemical energy to heat, mechanical and electrical energy. Renewable and nonrenewable energy sources will be compared with emphasis on the Greenhouse Effect of carbon dioxide.
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Program:	Energy U
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Students will compare and contrast potential and kinetic energy through demonstrations and from examples taken from nature. Using ramps and balls, students will conduct experiments to convert potential energy into kinetic energy. Students will also compare and contrast transfers of the same form of energy between objects, and transformation of energy into new forms. Observing common tools and equipment, students will identify the energy transformations that take place, including the transformation of light into other forms of energy.
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Program:	Destination Exploration
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Who, what, when, where, why and how do we explore? By exploring the world around us, mankind has expanded our horizons. Investigate the technologies developed throughout the centuries to explore the challenging environments of sea, air and space. Discover the explorers in all of us.
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Program:	May the Force Be With You (Grades 6-12)
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Accelerate a mass with a force. Newton did it, and so can you! Force, motion, and energy – find out how energy is used and transformed, but never created or destroyed. Study the sources and applications of energy and learn how to make things move while you do work. Design, build and operate a roller coaster to demonstrate your understanding of energy, friction, inertia, acceleration and gravity. Combine this program with the IMAX film Thrill Ride: The Science of Fun. Program Length: 1 hour
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Program:	Wizard’s Kitchen (6-8)
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Watch out Chef Boyardee, we are taking over the kitchen! Discover why elements are the basic building blocks for all matter in the universe. Learn why compounds form mixtures and help define chemical reactions. Find out about different chemical reactions and then see them in action! Watch as we demonstrate the fundamental principals of chemistry using compounds found in almost every kitchen.
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Program:	Spock’s World (Grades Pre-K-2)
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Help Mr. Arthur, our astronaut puppet, prepare for his trip to the moon. Explore the basics necessary to live, work and play in space. Discover what spaceship materials and foods work best in space. Discover how math can help you colonize the moon through ordered sets, shapes, and colors. Collect “moon rocks” from our simulated moon surface. Schedule this program with the IMAX films L5: First City in Space or Space Station, and the demonstration Space Freeze I or Measure the Moon. Program Length: 1 hour
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Program:	Wee Weather (Grades Pre-K-2)
	Virginia Air & Space Center
Description:	Explore the wonderful world of weather, from precipitation and wind, to sunshine and storms. See how the sun is the source of all our weather. Use weather symbols on a map to illustrate the weather outside and learn about weather safety. Observe how a thermometer measures temperature, and then choose clothing and pictures from our grab bag that match the seasons. Discover how clouds form and then match clouds to different weather conditions. Be sure to plan a visit to our exhibit Wild, Wild Weather. Program Length: 1 hour
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