Special Exhibitions

Sustainable Choices & Expedition Earth

The McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center lets families explore the concept of sustainability with a brand new interactive exhibition called "Sustainable Choices". The exhibition touches themes such as electricity, water, transportation and shopping, presenting an opportunity to learn through hands-on activities. As a special bonus, a second exhibition, "Expedition Earth", with recreations of climate zones and wildlife habit to tie together the fact that we all share one living planet.

The first interactive exhibit explores the concept of sustainability and the choices that each of us makes as consumers. Through the question, "From where did I come and where will I go?" families are challenged to think about key topics that are the basis for identifying sustainable choices: life cycle assessment, production, consumption, and waste. And, we see the benefits and the consequences of making choices.

Through hands-on activities and thought-provoking content, this exhibition shows some of the decision individuals and families can make everyday to live in a sustainable manner. The exhibition poses a different and fun way to help families reflect and learn more about their habits towards electricity, water, transportation, shopping, and the yard, and think how their choices have a lasting effect in the world.

Families can play the role of field scientists in "Expedition Earth", which immerses them in two of Earth's biomes: the grassland and the tundra, where they will learn about habitats, ecosystems, and wildlife diversity.

The exhibition features keystone animals from each biome, an American bison and a polar bear, as well as hands-on activities. Families can collect weather data, use binoculars and a microscope, build a food chain, identify seal species, take measurements and try on snowshoes.

"Sustainable Choices" runs through September 15 and "Expedition Earth" runs through January 5, 2014.

For more information please visit:
http://www.sustainablechoicesexhibit.com/
http://www.expeditionexhibit.com/
http://www.nrg-exhibits.com/

Sci-Fi Toys

Science fiction has inspired many generations of astronauts, scientists, and engineers. While the Discovery Center focuses on aviation and Earth and space science, we also understand that science fiction gets kids interested in real science, and sets the imagination soaring.

We want to borrow your science fiction toys to put on display as part of a new science fiction exhibit at the Discovery Center, if you are interested please contact Scott at sdupee@starhop.com.