Building on STEM Module 1, this module introduces the basic physics of flight to students. Adhering to Colorado Academic Standards for 4th-6th grades, STEM Module 2 teaches students about the physics of flight and how an airplane’s control surfaces interact with the Four Forces of Flight to lift and guide an airplane through the air. STEM Module 2 culminates in a visit to the museum where students interact with actual World War II airplanes in a unique capstone activity that reinforces their understanding of the Forces of Flight and how an airplane flies through the air.

Building on STEM Module 2, this module is a further exploration of how an airplane flies.  Through lesson plans that adhere to Colorado Academic Standards for 7th-9th grades, students learn how a pilot interacts with the controls in the cockpit of an aircraft to move the control surfaces that make the aircraft climb, descend and turn.  In the visit to the museum, students engage in STEM activities that reinforce their understanding of the interaction between pilots and their aircraft and get an up-close look at the control surfaces and cockpit of a Word War II aircraft.

This module teaches our youngest adventurers about how American children contributed to the war effort during World War II via their “Salvage for Victory” efforts.  Through lesson plans that adhere to Colorado Academic Standards for K-3rd grades, Social Studies Module 1 focuses on the “home front” experience of U.S. families during the war, with a specific emphasis on salvage drives—especially those conducted by American schoolchildren. Culminating with a visit to the museum, students get up close to WWII aircraft in a unique capstone activity that reinforces the lessons learned in the classroom and celebrates America’s accomplishments on the Homefront during World War II.

Blending civics, economics and geography, Social Studies Module 2 explores how the American public and private sectors worked in close collaboration to design and produce more than 300,000 airplanes during World War II. Students will learn how this was accomplished through extensive planning and allocation of limited material and human resources.  They will explore how the U.S. produced, salvaged and rationed materials, and developed mass production processes to keep up with demand throughout the war.  At the museum, students will explore further by creating their own assembly lines and examining World War II artifacts and exhibits involved in the production process.

Social Studies Module 3 students explore the history of World War II aviation with an emphasis on the technological and socio-economic changes that occurred during the war.  Using critical analysis, the students are challenged to question what they do and don’t know about the war, and then to build on that to develop a deeper understanding of the long-term impacts that led to America’s emergence as a superpower in the post-war years.  At the museum, students will be given a special tour of the museum’s aircraft and exhibits with a focus on the historical legacy of the World War II era.

As a follow-on to both the Social Studies and STEM curricula, students explore the emergence of aviation as a career field in the years that followed World War II and learn about modern career paths within the field of aviation. At the museum, students will have the opportunity to interact with an array of aviation professionals who will share their thoughts on a career in aviation, whether as a pilot, aircraft mechanic, air traffic controller, aerospace engineer, or any of the other exciting career choices in aviation.