Educational Focus Areas

Science, Math, Technology, and Engineering, critical thinking

Description

See colorful scarves rocket through the air maze and learn more about the magic of air. Explore the magic of air with this interactive, sky high, exhibit. Children of all ages and developmental levels can play alongside each other to experiment with placing different colored scarves or balls into one of four openings where they are propelled through pneumatic tubes before exiting high above. Which way will the scarf go this time? Does the longer or shorter tube take longer to shoot out a scarf?  Children will love watching the different colors go through the maze and float back to the ground again and again. This exhibit gives children exposure to the patterns of weather as they act upon this beautiful and suspense-filled maze!

Age Level

2 and above

Adaptations

Older children can pose various questions and then experiment to determine the answers, young learners work on grasp and release as well as visual skills to follow the scarves through the tubes.

PBS Connection

Windy City! | PLUM LANDING (video)

https://wqed.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/plumrx-sci-windycity/windy-city/#.XhOfg1VKi70

Explore how structures like buildings affect the speed and direction of wind flow in this media gallery from PLUM LANDING. This media gallery pairs a PLUM LANDING animation and a related hands-on activity to provide about one hour of programming. Start by having kids watch The Manta Ray Mystery, a short animated video about swirling city winds that create an unexpected sight. Then, head outdoors to explore today’s wind with the hands-on outdoor activity Wild Wind.

Extensions Activities

1. Explore various aircrafts and how they fly through the air
2. Make predictions and learn how distance impacts speed

Special thanks to Nursing ABC/Portage Learning for their generous support and fabrication of this amazing exhibit!