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The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum complex and
research organization composed of 19 museums, 9 research centers, and the
National Zoo. Many of these museums are located on the National Mall in
Washington D.C. You will have a chance to visit one or two of these museums. You
are going to explore the websites of these museums so you can choose the ones
that will most interest you. There is no charge to go into any of these museums,
but there are charges for some of the activities.
What can you see at the Smithsonian Museum? Here is just a small selection
of things you can see.
 | The 1903 Wright Flyer, the first successful airplane
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| Or these varied objects: |
 Owney, the Postal Dog
 1401
Steam Locomotive
 Game Fish sculpture
 Serpent
Mask from Burkina
Faso
 Oglala
Lakota Dolls
 Peacock Room
 Monkeys
Grasping for the Moon sculpture
Images
from:
"10
Tips for Visiting Smithsonian Museums with Children." Smithsonian
Institution. Smithsonian Institution.
22 Apr. 2009 <http://www.si.edu/visit/SmithsonianKidsTips.pdf>.
What can you do at the Smithsonian Museum? Here is a small selection
of things you can do at some of the different museums.
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Touch a lunar rock
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Operate
a cotton gin
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Peek
through a stereoscope
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| Experience
what it felt like to wear a corset
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Use
a press to print a card, and copying a letter the way Jefferson
did
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Take a 5 minute ride
on one of these four Ride Simulators: Experience the thrill of
careening through an action-packed roller-coaster course or racing in
futuristic high-speed hovercars. Choose your adventure: Cosmic
Race, Bermuda Triangle, Solar
Coaster, Grand Prix Raceway, Astro
Canyon,
or Glacier Run.
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Ride a carousel
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Enter a paper airplane
contest: Explore the concept of "stability" by using paper clips
to balance a paper airplane and compete against other participants.
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Go on an art scavenger
hunt
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Feed a tarantula
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Ride an interactive flight simulator alone or with a friend: Try to become a
jet combat "ace" -- in an F-4 Phantom II -- as you pilot the
simulator into 360-degree barrel rolls. Choose either pilot or gunner
responsibilities since it accommodates one or two riders.
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Ride a space simulator
with friends: Choose to ride aboard the Space Shuttle to the
International Space Station or experience the thrill of a flight in both
vintage and jet-age aircraft. Ride Simulators accommodate up to 8 people per
ride.
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Assignment
Your
task is to visit the websites of the museums in the National Mall area to
discover which ones would be of most interest to you.
You need to identify specific reasons for your choices. These reasons should
include information on specific exhibits of interest. Are there hands-on
activities or interactive computers available that you would want to engage in?
Is there an IMAX movie showing that you would want to watch? You may also want
to explore what kind of items can be found at the different gift shops at each
of the museums. Use the following sheet to take notes on the different museums.
Museum Notes
There is a list of
links to all of the museums on the right hand side of the page. Be careful to
only visit museums that are on located in the National Mall area. Make sure it
is visible on the National Mall map and/or listed on the note sheet.
Do you like to
engage in hands on activities when you visit a museum? This link will let you
explore specific activities that will occur during the week you are visiting.
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