Michelle Epps

Trash to Treasure: Repurposing Objects for Education

16 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment

by Michelle Epps in Exhibit Design, Museums Tags: aviation, Aviation Basics, Bernoulli's Principle, education, exhibit, hands-on exhibits, interactive timeline, learning, Museums, repurposed

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As a museum educator in a small museum with a limited budget I am constantly trying to find  low-tech ways to create hands-on learning experiences for visitors. Not every hands on display needs to be a fancy hi-tech “all bells and whistles” computer program, nor is it always wanted by the visitor. Having a few simple hands-on stations that still requires the visitor’s own imagination can be just as effective, if not more meaningful.

Just remembering back to my museum-going experiences as a youngster, I always veered away from the computer games and consoles finding them cumbersome to figure out and broken half the time any way. I always gravitated to the stations that would allow me to “experience” what I was learning about. And that concept is what I hoped to have achieved with my “Aviation Station.”

The challenge has always been “how do you make the science of aviation tangible for visitors.”  When I teach about the basics of aviation, mainly what keeps a plane in the air, I talk about three fundamental principles of physics: Bernoulli’s Principle, Propulsion (Thrust), and Aerodynamics.  I decided to take this lesson and create stations that would exemplify each principle. I had a problem though, I needed wall space for the stations and there was no free space to be found. Then, during a Spring cleaning session, I found the solution to my problem; an old slat wall gift shop display that was slated for the trash. It was not much to look at, but I knew it had potential.

First things first, my intern and I scrubbed and cleaned it up. Sure it had a few blemishes, but nothing strategically mounted text couldn’t hide. It also had an open top with cruddy edges and I just knew kids were going to toss things into the center not to be found until years later. So, I drafted a few sketches to find solutions to my design issues and create an attack plan to make this piece of trash into something special. What I came up with is now on display in our Joan L. Hrubec Aviation Education Center and the changes I made are as follows:

Cosmetic

To improve the overall appearance of the display I took some fabric, cut a square, and nailed it to the top to create a cover over the open space to prevent any objects being thrown into it. I also took alcohol and an adhesive remover to remove and left over sticky bits and stains.

Content

Theories & Principles in Practice: Bernoulli’s Principle – This side of the slat wall faces the door and therefore is the natural starting point for visitors. At this station visitors learn about Bernoulli’s Principle, who Bernoulli was, why the principle works, and how it is applies in the field of aviation. Visitors also conduct experiments to see Bernoulli’s Principle in action. The first experiment involves a ping pong ball and a straw. The visitor is challenged to levitate the ball by blowing air through the straw (it really works and gets a lot of giggles from the kids, especially if they challenge each other). The second experiment involves blowing air through a stationary pinwheel to see how a propeller catches air to rotate the blade.

Learning Station: Though this has no hands-on components it contains visuals and simple text illustrating the forces of flight; lift, drag, weight, thrust.

Experimentation Station: Referencing the Learning Station visitors learn how lift, drag, weight, and thrust combine to keep a plane in the air. Using a simple foam glider which visitors assemble themselves, they can see these principles in motion…literally. After assembling the foam glider visitors are encouraged to launch them across the room to see the forces demonstrated.

Remembering the Past: Because we are a history museum, specifically a women’s history museum, I always feel it is important to add a bit of remembrance in with my “sciencey” bits. I do this for two reasons; 1.it helps to see where you came from to have an idea of why things are the way they are today and possibly where things are headed in the future, and 2.  it is important for visitors, especially children, to see that since the beginning women have always been involved in aviation. In order to make this timeline a little more interesting and interactive it is set up like a matching game with the visual clues helping them figure the appropriate time for each event.

Materials Used

All of the materials, except for the lamination, I was able to find enough left over pieces around the museum. The below is an estimated cost if I had to buy those materials to create the “Aviation Station.”

2″ x 2″ dark blue fabric $0; left over fabric from home

3″ x 2″ (roughly)white foam core for text panels; $12 at Pat Catans (look for sales)

14 laminated pieces from Staples $36 approximately, it’s roughly $8 per foot

light handle-less basket $0, left over from fundraiser

Hook and Loop Fasteners (i.e. Velcro) $10; varies by brand, also available at Pat Catans

Double Sided Foam Tape $5 (approx.); available at Home Depot

Left over/scrap plastic containers $0; discarded by gift shop

Total Cost to create: $63

The visitor response to the “Aviation Station” was better than I had hoped. Kids immediately gravitated to the stand alone display in the middle of the room and almost intuitively knew what they were expected to do.  From a piece of trash I was able to create a low-tech hands-on station that illustrates scientific concepts in a kid-friendly way.