Airport Inspection

Alex, who gave us tours of our local airport came in to visit our program this week.

He checked out our plane,

security,

brought us baggage tags,

and got a demo of how to signal the plane where to land.

We learned a lot from visiting our airport.

We thank Alex for sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm for his job.

Ready to Fly

While the children were busy buying their tickets and checking their luggage

they wondered where the plane was.

Here it is.

A control panel that we have used for several years.

Lots of buttons and switches to push and move.

This is the beginning of our airplane.

Cardboard panels define the body of the plane.

Classroom chairs fill it up.

The windows are photos printed from the internet.

We've since added front window photos for the pilot.

They are images of our airport.

Watch for future photos.

The seats have bags on the back to hold the safety cards.

Each chair has it's own seat belt.

We are ready to fly!

Airport Renovations

Our airport has been up and running a couple of days and a few changes were made.

The last I posted I was concerned how well the x-ray machine

would stay on the rollers.

How could it be attached?

 The more I thought about it (that night) the more I worried that by placing the box in the middle

it would hinder the play and possibly encourage a child to climb inside.

The next morning I tried something new.

I found two different bins to place the end of the roller conveyor on, 

one for each end.

The yellow box in the middle is for support in case it falls off,

it won't hit the floor.

The box at one end is big enough for the x-ray box to sit on, giving the suitcase a 

long run, and allowing the children to walk beside it.

(Although it didn't stop one child from climbing inside)

At the other end of the rollers

I placed an old bathroom scale for weighing.

Above it is a digital clock that we pretend

are the scale numbers.

The check in counter now contains tickets, baggage tags, and rubber stamp.

Set to go 

Ticket bought, baggage tagged.

Send it over to security.

Into the x-ray machine.

Next we build our airplane.

Printing with Colours

So much, fun, colour and children making art.

We used thin sheets of styrofoam to draw a design then painted it.

The design was then covered with a piece of paper.

Next the brayers were rolled over the paper (rolling is so fun).

Lift the paper to see your print.

Building Our Airport

The beginning of our airport started
with a bench and a clipboard.

There was one other piece of equipment that I was excited to share.

A four foot length of roller conveyor.

The children were fascinated with it too.

They spent the first morning sending the suitcases across it.

 We used this opportunity to talk about packing for a trip.  

Where are we going?  What would we need?  What would we like to take?

Using the suitcase worked their problem solving skills and
fine motor skills, trying to close the latches.

 But the excitement grew as the children discovered that the cases travel across the rollers very fast.

We ended up with a box on the floor at the end to catch the cases.

  Day two, after our first tour of the airport we set up the luggage x-ray machine.

I found photos on line of suitcase being xrayed and attached it to 

the side of our machine.

At the end of the morning after the children left, I added a few more pieces of equipment.

A computer, tickets, baggage tags and
a scale was include to weigh the suitcases.

It's ready for the children to use tomorrow.

Although I'm concerned how well the x-ray machine (box) will hold up.

Discovering An Airport

Yesterday and today we visited the local airport to learn

what happens there.

 

We met our tour guides Alex and Lesley.

 

We put on our official visitors badge and we're on our way.

 After watching the WestJet plane land

we went downstairs to the check in counter.

 We met Denise, she weighed and tagged our suitcases.

Then sent them into the back to be x-rayed.

Sorry we couldn't take any pictures but we saw the big machine

that each suitcase goes through and the pictures of what was inside.

It takes a lot of skill to read xrays.

 Off our cases went on a conveyor belt to the luggage handlers.

Their carts were stacked with the suitcases ready

for the next flight.

 But Steve had a minutes to show us some of the directions he gives

the pilot when they are parking the plane.

X means STOP!

 We were so lucky to be able to walk around the plane to see where 

they load the luggage.

We even heard some dogs, they were in crates being loaded too.

We stopped on parking spot #1 to wave at the pilot.

 

Back inside we learned that for some doors Alex needs to use 

his fingerprint to unlock them.

The children added their fingerprint to their badge.

 To end our tour I gave the children a little book.  It's made by folding a lunch bag.

I found the idea at Inner Child Fun.

I changed the inside to match our needs.

I wanted an opportunity for the children to reflect on our tour

and to see what stood out for them.

Now we have some ideas of what to include in our airport 

back at school.