Harnessing Power: Explore the various ways technologies harness power to propel people and products, on the ground and in the air. The technologies which preceded the Wright Brother's 1903 First Flight at Kitty Hawk, as well as the technologies which directly followed, are explained. The tour presents a Transportation Technology Timeline that begins with the first wheel and culminates with the Apollo Space Missions.
Maine's Transportation Heritage: Learn not only the role transportation played in the history of the state of Maine, but also the role that Maine played in these defining years of transportation history. From the popular and world-renowned Stanley twins and their famous steam car to the less spectacular but equally amazing Domenjoz Sailing Glider, this tour is perfect for any grade pursuing a course of Maine Studies.
Pioneer Women of Flight: Students learn the untold story of the contributions made by women to flight in its pioneer years. The stories of individual pioneers are told in relation to the Museum's aircraft collection. From the first American women to fly in a Curtiss and Wright-style aircraft, to the first African-American woman pilot in her Curtiss Jenny, Pioneer Women of Flight captures a riveting chapter in history.
Success and Failure: The Museum maintains a unique collection of "failures", from the enormous and impossible-to-handle 1913 Scripps-Booth Bi-Autogo (the largest motorcycle ever made) to the Clark Bi-Wing Ornithopter (an attempt to achieve powered flight through the flapping of wooden wings covered with turkey feathers.) Success and Failure explores why certain technologies failed where others succeeded, and how such failures promote insight, understanding and eventual success.
Storybook Transportation History: Through the use of wonderfully illustrated and written children's books and the Transportation Museum's landmark collection of ground vehicles and aircraft, your youngest students are introduced to specific events and vehicles in transportation history. A variety of topics can be investigated including the world's first successful automobile, the first aeroplane flight across the English Channel, pioneer women aviators and one woman's experience in learning to ride a bike in the late 1800's.
The Automobile Trip Then and Now: A look at the preparations for a trip from Owls Head to Portland, Maine in 1908 and in 2000. Social aspects are explored as well as technical considerations.
Pre-tour study topics for The Automobile Trip Then and Now
The Bicycle - Inspiration for Transportation: Bicycles were the inspiration for myriad technologies in transportation, including the differential gear, tension spokes, pneumatic tires, and the drive shaft. The Museum's bicycle collection is the focus of this tour, which also includes cars, motorcycles, airplanes and the technology these forms of transportation borrowed from the bicycle.
The History of Flight: Follow the evolution of manned flight with the museum's collection of landmark aircraft, including our replica 1903 Wright Flyer. Students learn about the pioneer aircraft that paved the way for today's globe-spanning air travel. The physics of flight are discussed and the principles of aerodynamics are demonstrated. The interpretation and comparison of aircraft technologies are central to this tour. The principle challenges of powered, heavier-than-air flight are discussed, and the technologies that were developed to meet those challenges are illustrated using the Museum's collection of antique bi-planes. Competing solutions—the Wright's wing-warping versus the use of ailerons, for instance—are discussed, and students are encouraged to consider the advantages of one solution over another.
The Inventors: A look at some of the most brilliant and innovative individuals of the Pioneer Era and the creative energy responsible for the cars, planes, and bicycles that move us around everyday. Featured inventors include Henry Ford, the Stanley Brothers, George Corliss, Karl Benz, Glenn Curtiss and the Wright Brothers.
The Prime Mover: A fascinating look at the engines that drove everything from factories to automobiles in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Museum's Engine Exhibit, housing a wonderful collection of operating antique engines, provides the setting for a discussion of the three major power sources for engines in the Pioneer Era - steam, gas, and electricity. Fuel sources of the future, including solar power and fuel cell technology, are discussed.
Vehicle Choices in 1909 and Today: Students are invited to compare and contrast the various forms of transportation that were used at the beginning of the 20th century with those in use today. Modes of transportation discussed include the horse and carriage, bicycles, motorcycles, airplanes, trains and boats, and steam, gas and electric automobiles. How and why the inventors of the past made the choices they did are discussed, and students are encouraged to envision how the vehicles of the future will be powered.
Where There's a Wheel There's a Way: Focusing on the Museum's new exhibit "The Wheel", this tour discusses the evolution of the wheel from the first attempts at wheeled transport (BC) to contemporary times.
Pre-tour study topics for Where There's a Wheel There's a Way
