When kids in North Texas dream of being an airplane pilot, it’s usually all in their head. But this summer, they can go beyond their imaginations and learn some of the STEM concepts that go into flight—thanks to the new exhibition “Measurement Rules” at the American Airlines CR Smith Museum, located at the southern end of DFW Airport.
Young visitors will discover things about height, distance, volume, and more at quirky learning stations that turn the science of measurement into hands-on fun. Kid-friendly tools will help them learn about STEM concepts, from a giant measuring tape to rulers, cubes, and even chickens.
Yep—chickens. The bilingual STEM exhibition features a special scale labeled “How Many Chickens Do You Weigh?” that renders your weight in cluckers. It’s just one of the fun attractions that will help kids learn abstract STEM concepts in ways that can be measured in laughs, oohs, and ahhs.
Exploring measurement in aviation
Part of the “Measurement Rules” exhibition showing this summer at the American Airlines CR Smith Museum. [Photo: AA CR Smith Museum]
So why is measurement so important in aviation? Ask your pilot the next time you board a plane for the flight of 1,386 miles and 2,640 feet from DFW Airport to LaGuardia Airport in New York. Without knowing that distance, you wouldn’t know how much fuel to put in the plane for the trip.
Kids visiting the exhibition can find answers to questions about how measurement is used in the day-to-day operation of an airline. Like, “How long, how wide, and how tall is an airplane?” “Does runway length matter?” and “How is weight accounted for when loading an aircraft?”
The exhibition was originally created by the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh.
“Measurement Rules” hours and location
Part of the “Measurement Rules” exhibition showing this summer at the American Airlines CR Smith Museum. [Photo: AA CR Smith Museum]
The exhibition is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays through September 9. Exhibition hours are Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Fridays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum is located on the campus of the American Airlines Flight Academy, situated at the southern end of DFW Airport in Fort Worth at 4601 Highway 360.
For more info including ticket prices, go here.
About the museum
Part of the “Measurement Rules” exhibition showing this summer at the American Airlines CR Smith Museum. [Photo: AA CR Smith Museum]
Close to the world headquarters of American Airlines, the CR Smith museum opened in 1993 and is named for aviation pioneer and former President of American Airlines, Cyrus Rowlett Smith (1899-1990).
The museum’s mission is to preserve the history of American Airlines and explains what it takes to run the airline, as told through the perspective of the team members who work there. Committed to education, with a focus on hands-on, interactive learning, the museum serves schools, the general public, and American Airlines team members.
The museum’s signature attraction is a retired 1940 Douglas DC-3, the aircraft that was developed based on C.R. Smith’s vision and that revolutionized commercial air travel. The “Flagship Knoxville” was purchased by The Grey Eagles, an American Airlines retired pilots group, and restored by retired and active American Airlines team members before being presented to the Museum.
The museum offers various educational programs for kids grades K-12 in Dallas-Fort Worth, with formats including both in-person and virtual. The museum also collaborates with teachers to bring sessions to the classroom.
Part of the “Measurement Rules” exhibition showing this summer at the American Airlines CR Smith Museum. [Photo: AA CR Smith Museum]
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