This program connects to the curriculum of Social Studies and Language.
Students will learn how flight supports life in remote locations.
Canada is a huge country and includes some areas that are very hard to reach, like the mountainous regions of the west and the often cold, barren landscape of the far north. Air travel plays a significant role in serving all parts of Canada, sometimes offering critical services to remote locations.
The National Air Force Museum of Canada offers an educational program that introduces children to the unique transportation challenges of the country and provides strong links to the Grade 4 Social Studies curriculum. This three-part program also has connections to the Language curriculum and gives students a variety of experiences that allow them to enjoy all the excitement of the NAFMC.
Canadian Forces Base Trenton is not only home to the NAFMC, but also 424 Squadron, which specializes in transport and Search and Rescue work. This unit is responsible for serving a vast expanse of the country and plays a vital role in the safety of Canadians in all corners of this vast land.
Thanks to our Airpark and real-life aircraft displays, your class will be able to get up close to some of the equipment that has served our transport, and Search and Rescue requirements. Weather permitting; the students may tour one of the current mainstays of 424 Squadron’s fleet, the mighty Hercules CC130.
Your class will get a further taste of the diverse nature of air travel in Canada by reading ‘Violet the Pilot in Canada,’ in which the eager female flier takes a trip in her float plane to Kenora, ON.
The formal portion of your class’s visit is capped by a Scavenger Hunt through the museum’s grounds, which provides your class with a fun and engaging opportunity to explore and learn more about the aircraft on display at the NAFMC.
Program Description
Pre-Activity
The National Air Force Museum of Canada has created a Student Activity Kit. This kit provides educators and parents with multi-age activities that can be easily modified to suit student needs. Download our Activity Kit and consider implementing the suggested activities below.
Pages 6-8: The Main Parts of an Airplane
Page 14: Airplane Word Search
Page 23: All about Aircraft Memory Game
Our Memory Game is a great activity that will provide students with a sneak peek of various aircraft in the museum’s collection. Instructions for the game are at the beginning of the document. As well, a brief historical description of each is provided.
Museum Activity
The program begins with a briefing by NAFMC staff.
Following the briefing, the students will alternate through 3 learning stations. All stations are animated by volunteers. The majority of our volunteers are retired and/or serving members of Canada’s Air Force.
1. Covering our country
Your Grade 4 students will get a very special look at the work of Trenton’s 424 Squadron thanks to this visit to the NAFMC’s Air Park. Your class will learn about the special work that our transport and search and rescue teams do from one of the museum’s volunteers and get a look at some of the aircraft that have played a role in this important work, including the Bell Iroquois CH-118 helicopter and Boeing Vertol Labrador CH113 helicopter. Weather permitting, the tour of the Air Park is capped off by a look inside the Lockheed Hercules CC130, an aircraft that still plays a critical role in the work of 424 Squadron.
(Alternative Indoor Activity)
If weather concerns prevent the group from going outside, students will instead be able to experience the flight simulators in the Main Exhibition Hall. These simulators include the Hercules CC130, which will give your class an impression of what it is like inside the cockpit of one of Canada’s most important transport aircraft and learn about its role with 424 Squadron.
2. Violet the Pilot in Canada
Your Grade 4 class will get another perspective on travel into the small and sometimes remote communities of Canada with a reading of this book by Canadian children’s author Bettina Jenkins Bathe. This Calgary-based writer is a pilot herself and draws on her own experiences to introduce children to the thrill of flying. The book also features vibrant illustrations by another Albertan, Barbara Fortin.
3. Scavenger Hunt
The final portion of the program takes students on a tour of the indoor and/or outdoor exhibits by means of a Scavenger Hunt. Students explore, observe, and discuss their findings. While participating, students will discover various aircraft and get an eye-catching introduction to the world of powered flight.
Post Activity
Violet the Pilot author Bettina Jenkins Bathe offers a contest through her website (violetthepilot.com) for children to submit stories about their own flying adventures to her for prizes. This could make an engaging post-visit activity for your class. The NAFMC Education Programmer can provide more details at the time of your visit.
For more information, contact Gina Heinbockel-Bolik, the education programmer via email at education@airforcemuseum.ca or by phone at 613-965-3874.