Exhibit Halls
Knowledge Hunt
Dinosaurs! (1st Floor)
Crocodile
What do you think this crocodile ate? What leads you to this conclusion?
Struthiomimus
“Obviously built to travel at high speeds…” Give two characteristics that support this statement.
1.
2.
Tyrannosaurus Rex
What evidence from “Stan’s” remains indicates that he fought with his own kind?
Dining with a Dinosaur
A carnivore’s teeth are sharp because they are used to slice into the meat they are eating. Why do you think an herbivore’s teeth are dull and blunt?
Hall of Earth Science
Copper
Using the context clues, define the word “disseminate”.
For what purpose did the Papago Indians use the native copper-rich minerals?
Find the wulfenite and choose one facet to draw. Estimate its length and width in centimeters to find its area. Show your work. (a = lw)
Gypsum
As opposed to beryl and topaz, gypsum is one of the ______of all minerals.
If the gypsum cavern in Mexico were shaped like a large regular 3D rectangle, what would its volume be? Express your answer in feet assuming that 1 yard = 3 feet exactly. (v = bh)
Younger students should convert 10 feet to yards. Show your work below.
What did early carpenters use gypsum for? Why?
Amethyst
Why is the amethyst purple?
Beryl
Why was the name aquamarine chosen for this gem variety?
Topaz
When was topaz named Texas’ official gemstone?
Mineral Mine
There are several ways that minerals can emit light in addition to the light that is emitted from exposure to daylight or the light from normal light bulbs. Some of these ways involve special lamps that emit non-visible ultraviolet light (at least not visible to humans).Light from these ultraviolet lamps reacts with the chemicals of a mineral and causes the mineral to glow; this is called “fluorescence”. If the mineral continues to glow after the light has been removed, this is called “phosphorescence”.®(Property of Amethyst Galleries, Inc., )
Based on the above information, what type of minerals are on display in this exhibit?
Choose a partner. One person will wait outside of the room while the other goes in.
Partner 1: Choose a rock to describe. Write a detailed description of the rock when the black light is on. Use as many physical characteristics of your chosen rock as you can;however, you may not list its location, what case it is in, or what it is next to. You will have two minutes to complete your task.
Description:
After two minutes, hand your description to yourpartner waiting outside and time how long it takesthem to find your rock. Partner 2 must describe the location, what case it is in, and what it is next to.
Time: ______Answer:
Switch jobs.
The Zerbst Trackway
List the dinosaurs whose footprints were preserved in this trackway.
Leonardo: Dino Mummy
Leonardo Mummy Fossil (Cast)
Look at the photo on the text panel, how did the artist know which position to place Leonardo?
Brachylophosaurus Fleshed Out Model
Why was Brachylophosaurus an excellent geological time indicator?
How do scientists know that Brachylophosaurus was warm blooded?
How can paleontologists discover a Brachylophosaurus’ age from their shinbone?
Cranial Cuisinart
What was the cranial cuisinart theory?
Was the theory correct? Explain. (*Hint: Read the Inner Mummy text panel.)
The Inner Mummy
Read the text panel and look at the large mural to the right. How do you think the artist knew which plants and trees to paint in the picture?
Leonardo Family Scene
List four types of plants that existed in Leonardo’s time.
1.
2.
3.
4.
How did the Brachylophosaurus use the crest at the top if its head?
How do scientists know T-Rex was the main predator of the duckbill dinosaurs?
Look at the Brachylophosaurus in the mural, why do you think they are called duckbill dinosaurs? Draw a picture to prove your answer.
Hall of Life Science
Petrified Wood
Complete the information in the chart below to help you compare the different petrified wood specimens.
Name / Color / Size / State of OriginWhite Oak
Spruce
Hard Pine
Palm
Cycad
Tempskya Fern
Sweetgum
Look at the spruce to the left and explain why it has two cavities.
What is unique about the Palm family?
Preservation of Petrified Wood and the Origin of Color
How does petrified wood form?
Why does some petrified wood look green?
Skulls
List three animals under each title below.
Terrestrial / Semi Aquatic1. / 1.
2. / 2.
3. / 3.
Giraffe Vertebrae
How is a giraffe’s neck similar to yours?
Mandrill Baboon
What does the male mandrill baboon use for display?
Nile Crocodile vs. Indian Gavial
Use the Venn diagram below to compare and contrast the Nile Crocodile and the Indian Gavial.
Alligator Snapping Turtle and the Loggerhead Sea Turtle
Look at the two different skulls of these animals. Draw a picture of their skulls paying special attention to their mouths.
Alligator Snapping TurtleLoggerhead Sea Turtle
Killer Whale
What does a killer whale have in common with a bottlenose dolphin?
Frogs and Toads
SolomonIsland Leaf Frog
What part of the Solomon Island Leaf Frog is worth noting? (*Hint: tadpoles)
Fire-bellied Toad
How does a Fired-Bellied Toad defend itself?
African Bullfrog
How is the African Bullfrog like a caterpillar?
Define “aestivates”.
Smokey Jungle Frog
What is interesting about the Smokey Jungle Frog’s tadpoles?
Milk Frog
How does the Milk Frog get its name?
Vietnamese Mossy Frog
How does the Vietnamese Mossy Frog camouflage itself?
Surinam Horned Frog
What type of prey will the Surinam Horned Frog eat?
Marine Toads
How are the Marine Toads’ habitats unique?
See Them. Hear Them. Save Them.
Name two things you can do to help frogs in your area.
1.
2.
Mantellas
How does the frog’s diet affect his defense?
Discovery Works (2nd floor)
Hand Crank Generator
Chose a set of light bulbs by pressing the “on” button, and then turn the crank to light up the bulbs. Try this for each set of bulbs. Next, read the text panel and explain in your own words why extra bulbs in a set are more difficult to light up.
First Class Lever (Push down)
Which is easier, when the block is closest or furthest away from the fulcrum? Why?
Second Class Lever
Which block is harder to lift? In your own words, explain how a second class lever works.
Levitating Magnets
Why do you think some magnets seem to be “floating”?
Centripetal Force
Why do the disks move to the middle of the ring when the crank is turned quickly?
Magnetic Pendulum
Why is the motion of this pendulum called “chaotic”?
Whisper Dish
What do you think a parabolic shape looks like? Draw it below.
Spinning Wheels
Spin all three wheels before you read the text panel and answer the following questions.
Which wheel spins the longest?
Why do you think the wheel took so long to stop?
Which wheel is easiest to stop with your hands? Why?
Read the text panel about the spinning wheels. Were your answers above correct? Why or why not?
Torsional Waves
Define torsional wave.
Induction Ring
What causes the ring to rise to the top of the iron core?
Bernoulli Blower
What did Bernoulli discover? What is keeping the ball in mid-air?
Seeing Sounds
How do the wave patterns in the pellets change when the pitch is changed?
Sound Vibrations
How does the pattern in the sand change when the pitch is changed from high to low? Draw a picture to explain your answer.
Fiber Optics
How does the light reach the sign?
Disappearing Rods
Why do the rods on the left seem to disappear in the oil?
Dancing Laser
Fill in the boxes below to label the steps needed to create a dancing laser.
Hall of Paleontology
Denversaurus
Name two physical feature of this dinosaur to prove it was an herbivore.
Gorgosaurus
How do we know that Gorgosaurus was faster than Tyrannosaurus Rex?
What do scientists believe Gorgosaurus used his fingers for?
Tyrannosaurus Rex
What is the gastralia basket and why is it helpful to scientists?
Acrocanthosaurus
What does Acrocanthosaurus translate to?
Compare and contrast Tyrannosaurs Rex and Acrocanthosaurus’ arms and hands. Based on what you have discovered, which dinosaur was more powerful?
Triceratops
What type of motion did triceratops’ back legs use to walk? Why?
Hesperosaurus
Compare and contrast Hesperosaurus with the Stegosaurus using the pictures on the text panel.
Compare / ContrastHesperosaurus / Stegosaurus
Hall of Space Science
The Allende Meteorite
How much older is this meteorite than the Earth?
The First Meteorite Discovered by Ground Penetrating Radar
Look at the meteorite in the case. Estimate how heavy you think it might be. Read the text panel to discover if you guessed correctly. Why do you think it weighs this much?
Who might have observed this meteorite falling to Earth? What evidence leads you to this conclusion?
Iron Meteorites
What causes this iron meteorites’ rounded “thumbprints”?
Older Than Earth
Where did the meteorite hit the Earth?
What is special about this particular meteorite?
What was the size of the original meteorite?
If the meteorite originally hit the Earth traveling 50,000 kilometers per hour, convert that speed into miles per hour if 1mi/h = 1.6 km/h. Please show your work below.
Touching a Rock from Mars
How did scientists know this rock is from Mars?
On what continent is Zagami, Nigeria?
What fraction of meteorites discovered are from Mars? Express it in its simplest form.
The Crab Nebula
What emits the blue light at the center of the nebula?
The Butterfly Nebula
Why can’t we see the central star of the Butterfly Nebula?
The Carina Nebula
What is happening to Eta Carinae?
What does each color, listed below, signify in each nebula?
Blue:
Red:
Green:
The Nearest Stars
1 light year = ~6 trillion miles
How far away are the Alpha Centauri, Sirius, and Vegastars in miles? Use the formula above and show your work.
Alpha Centauri:
Sirius:
Vega:
The Orion Spur
What type of galaxy does the Milky Way belong to?
The Satellite Galaxies
What is happening to the dwarf galaxies close to the Milky Way?
The Visible Universe
How do we detect objects at the edge of the visible universe?
110/19/2018
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