Little researchers on a great discovery tour: children from the “element-i Kinderhaus Steppkes” visit SynTrac
Ten curious children from the “element-i Kinderhaus Steppkes” visited the Institute of Aerospace Thermodynamics (ITLR) at the University of Stuttgart and spent a morning immersed in the fascinating world of aeronautical engineering. For many of the young guests, it was their second visit to SynTrac – and the memories were still vivid.
After arriving at the teaching lab and a brief welcome, the day began with a round of introductions: What is my name? Was I there last time? And have I ever flown before? The children reported enthusiastically and full of anticipation for the day ahead.
To get them in the right mood, the first visit was recalled. With the help of photos and illustrative objects such as a polystyrene airplane and a rubber motor plane, the children quickly remembered the terms they had learned back then, such as “wing” and “engine”. Dr. Kathrin Schulte from ITLR led through the day and began with an interactive question and answer session in which the children once again demonstrated their astonishing prior knowledge.
Photo: SynTrac
The next block of topics was then dedicated to the focus of the day, the airplane wing and its special properties. The children learned that weight plays a particularly important role. An airplane and especially the long wings must be as light as possible and yet stable. They thought about this together: Which materials are suitable for wings? Terms such as fuselage and wings were explained in a clear and child-friendly way, supported by a model airplane, which was of course passed around and examined closely.
Photo: element-i Kinderhaus Steppkes
Then it got practical: under the motto “If you can build a stable bridge, you can also build stable wings”, the children constructed their own bridge with paper, help and creativity. Using paper folds such as the accordion, they were able to create amazingly stable structures. The big moment came when small cars were tested – how many would the paper bridge withstand? Each new record was celebrated with enthusiasm.
Photo: element-i Kinderhaus Steppkes
After this highlight, the children made a short flying visit to the Institute of Aircraft Design (IFB), where they were able to see a cross-section of an aerofoil up close and experience lift for themselves in a playful way. They were delighted when they were able to climb into the cockpit of a research aircraft and fly above the clouds as pilots in their imagination.
Finally, the children were allowed to experiment with a thermal imaging camera – an experience that caused great amazement. In addition to the pictures with funny faces and poses, the young researchers also discovered which materials the camera can see through. There were no limits to their imagination as to what they could try out here.
Photo: SynTrac
In the final round, the children once again showed themselves to be little scientists: with lots of questions and comments about the day, they showed how much they had already understood and thought about. A successful visit to SynTrac full of a spirit of discovery, enthusiasm and a real thirst for research!
