Location:
California

Description:
NASA Ames Research Center hosts fourth, fifth, and six grade classes in an interactive, hands-on program, entitled the Ames Aerospace Encounter. Located in a renovated supersonic wind tunnel, the Aerospace Encounter involves students in activities focused around four topics: aeronautics, space science, living and working in space, and Earth system science.

In the Earth science section, children work with a variety of scientific information collected by aircraft and spacecraft. The Earth system science tutorial features images of Earth taken from aircraft and satellites. The students find their way from space to Moffett Field, California by identifying specific geographic features in these remotely-sensed images. In Aeronautics, students learn about the principles of flight, wind tunnels, and use computers to design airplanes. In the Space Sciences section youngsters experience some of the basics of physics in fun physical ways. Young people become astronauts on a simulated space station with different experiments to complete.

The Ames Aerospace Encounter is free; groups are accepted on a space-available basis for this popular program.

URL:
http://encounter.arc.nasa.gov

Organization:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)  Ames Research Center (ARC)

Cost:
Free

Contact:
Ames Aerospace Encounter, Mail Stop 226-1, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000; Phone: (650) 604-1110

Education Level:
Kindergarten-Grade 4
Grades 5-8

Subject:
Earth System Science
Remote Sensing

Program type:
Field Trip
Student Enrichment
  Date Added to teachearth.com:
5/1/00