After wrapping up a chemistry unit, being in the middle of a physics unit and just beginning of a unit on the Cold War, the eighth grade students took a good look at all three topics when they recently took a field trip to the Titan Missile Museum.
Middle school Science teacher Mrs. Huetter and Social Studies teacher Mr. Kirk took the students to the museum to learn about the history of the long Cold War and how the Titan Missile II was used as a deterrent for war. The field trip incorporated the physics of launching a missile as well as the chemistry of the propellant used to launch it.
As described on the museum’s official website at www.titanmissilemuseum.org, “At the Titan Missile Museum, near Tucson, Arizona, visitors journey through time to stand on the front line of the Cold War. This preserved Titan II missile site, officially known as complex 571-7, is all that remains of the 54 Titan II missile sites that were on alert across the United States from 1963 to 1987.” What a great experience for our eighth grade students!
The following pictures show students in the classroom at the Titan Missile Museum. They are learning about how the Titan rockets were created and propelled through space.
These pictures show students looking inside the underground silo and command center.