Antlers 8th Grade GEAR UP students recently toured Tulsa Air and Space Museum. Museum Volunteer Pete Barnosky led the tour and pointed out several highlights of the Museum. Following the tour, students had free time to explore the Museum and experience many of the hands-on exhibits—the Grumman F-14A Tomcat, Rockwell Ranger 2000, Bell 47-K Helicopter, the Aeromet Aura, Space Shuttle Robotic Arm and a Model of the Space Shuttle.
Next, students boarded the Museum’s MD-80, an aircraft that was donated by American Airlines after 26 years of service and 39,968 flights. On board they had the “Flight Experience” which is a video presentation about space exploration and flight.
Students sat in airplanes, worked with robotic arms and launched a model of a space shuttle. They saw many examples of air transportation history and flight both here in Oklahoma as well as the United States.
Students finished their time at the Tulsa Air and Space Museum by visiting the Planetarium and viewing “STARS.” Every star has a story. Some are as old as time, faint and almost forgotten. Others burn bright and end their lives in powerful explosions. New stars are created every day, born of vast clouds of gas and dust. Through every phase of their existence, stars release the energy that powers the Universe. Students journeyed to the furthest reaches of our galaxy and experience both the awesome beauty and destructive power of “STARS.”
“Visiting the Tulsa Air and Space Museum allows students to see and touch history,” said GEAR UP Education Coordinator LaDonna Baldwin.
The field trip was sponsored by Eastern Oklahoma State College GEAR UP. Participating schools take two field trips each academic year—one to tour a college or university and one that is cultural/educational in nature. In 2017, Eastern recently received a $17 million federal GEAR UP grant and will serve over 3,000 students in 39 area schools for seven years.
