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100th Anniversary Logo with the 100 in large letters and the museum logo
Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week.
FREE Admission & Parking

Classes & Workshops

The museum offers a variety of programs with learning opportunities related to science, technology, engineering and math, as well as history (and other social studies fields).

 

All programs are free and open to group sizes of 15-36 students. Groups larger than 36, please contact the Education Division directly before scheduling at 937-255-8048.

Click HERE to place your Class request. All Class requests must be received at least 4 weeks prior to requested date.

All programs meet Ohio Department of Education Learning Standards academic content standards

Materials for these programs are provided, in part, by the Air Force Museum Foundation, Inc.  (Federal endorsement is not implied). 

Grade 2-12

Note: These programs are restricted to students currently in the grade levels listed below.

Students seated at table designing a sled kite.
Science and Social Studies with a Sled Kite

Class is designed to teach students the historical significance of kites (especially in regards to the Wright brothers) - and for older students, introduce them to the forces that affect flight. 

 

Grade Level: 4-6

Cost: Free

Ohio Learning Standards for Social Studies and Science:


Math with a Sled Kite               
This class is designed to give students practice with certain math skills while building a sled kite (thus including following directions and fine motor skills).

  • Grade Level: 4-7

    Cost: Free

  • Ohio Learning Standards for Mathematics:
  • Students will practice their knowledge of congruency, similarity, parallel lines and perpendicular lines; work as a team to calculate the perimeter and area of the sled kite; and for older students – work as a team to calculate the aspect ratio of the sled kite
  • Each student will also receive a kite kit and be led through the process of building a sled kite and receive instructions on how to fly the kite
  • This class can be in-residence or taught remotely

Force and Motion with Rocketry

 This class is designed to teach students about force and motion through the exciting field of rocketry

  • Grade Level: 5-6

    Cost: Free

  •  
  • Ohio Learning Standards for Science:
  • Students will learn how a force affects motion and how force, mass and acceleration are related. Pairs of forces will be examined as will the relationship of action and reaction.
  • This class can be in-residence or taught remotely
  • Optional addition: a model rocket build (without a launch). Call or email the Education Division to discuss availability of this option.

 

Force and Motion with Flight

 

This class is designed to teach about forces and motion through the study of the scientific principles behind flight

Grade Level: 5-9

Cost: Free

 

  • Ohio Learning Standards for Science:
  • Students will learn the four aerodynamic forces that affect an airplane’s flight; the explanations for lift: Newton’s First and Third Laws of Motion, the Coanda Effect and the Bernoulli Principle; and the three main control surfaces on an airplane and how they affect flight with respect to the three axes of motion
  • Each student will build a balsa glider and attach three 4 cm x 5 cm sticky notes as an elevator and two ailerons; predict how various configurations of the control surfaces will affect flight; and test fly their aircraft and compare their predictions to actual outcome
  • This class can be in-residence or taught remotely

Students work together as a team to design and build cardboard CubeSatsIntroduction to the Engineering Design Process

This class is designed to teach the Engineering Design Process and to allow students to practice this new knowledge by working in teams to design, build and test a cardboard CubeSat using the steps of the EDP

Grade Level: 6-8
Cost: Free
Duration: This version of the Intro to EDP class is about 1.5 hours long and does not include a provision for having the students work within the constraint of costs/weight

Ohio Learning Standards for Technology:
 Society and Technology: 6-8.ST.2.a
 Design and Technology: 6-8.DT.1.c; 6-8.DT.2.d; 6-8.DT.2.e; 6-8.DT.3.a;     6-8.DT.4.a

  • Students will learn about engineering and the individual steps of the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and learn about CubeSats, including the pros and cons of miniature satellites
  • Students will work cooperatively in teams to use the EDP to design, build and test a full-size cardboard CubeSat
  • This class can be in-residence or taught remotely
Introduction to the Engineering Design Process  Extended Version          

 

This class is designed to teach the Engineering Design Process and to allow students to practice this new knowledge by working in teams to design, build and test a cardboard CubeSat using the steps of the EDP

 

Grade Level: 6-8

Duration: This version of the Intro to EDP class is about 3.0 hours long and includes a provision for having the students work within the constraint of costs/weight

Cost: Free 

 

  • Ohio Learning Standards for Technology:
  • Students will learn about engineering and the individual steps of the Engineering Design Process (EDP) and learn about CubeSats, including the pros and cons of miniature satellites
  • Students will work cooperatively in teams to use the EDP to design, build and test a full-size cardboard CubeSat and compete with other student teams to determine which team designed the CubeSat that was the cheapest, lightest and scored the highest on the structural tests
  • This class can be in-residence or taught remotely


Cryptology: Making and Breaking Codes

 

Students will learn about and practice the skills needed to make and break codes while learning about some significant 20th century codebreaking – with emphasis on Elizebeth Smith Friedman and the Dayton Codebreakers.

Grade Level: 6-12

Cost: Free

 

  • Ohio Learning Standards for Mathematics, Computer Science and Social Studies:
  • Includes learning the significance of code breaking in American History from World War I through World War II and careers in cryptology
  • Students will learn about several methods of code breaking and practice making/breaking their own codes
  • This class can be in-residence or taught remotely

The Holocaust: Prejudice and Memory

 Museum only

 

Students will tour the Holocaust exhibit and see photographs and artifacts and hear the memories of local people who personally experienced some aspect of the Holocaust. This program stresses the importance of tolerance.

 

Grade Level: 6-12

Duration: 2 hours

Cost: Free

 

  • In addition to this educational program, the museum also offers a Holocaust Tour Podcast. Click here for more information about this self-guided audio tour.
  • All Holocaust Programs must be scheduled through the Education Division.
  • Note: Limited grant money may be available to defer transportation costs for the Holocaust program. For additional information, call (937) 775-2878 or e-mail erc@daytonholocaust.org.

If you have Education-related questions not addressed here, please contact the Education Division at nationalmuseum.mut@us.af.mil or call (937) 255-8048.