Current Exhibits
 My Size Gallery

Programs

Resources

Virginia
Standards of
 Learning
(S.O.L.s)

Reservations

Transition (11)
Visitors pass through an extended walkway creating the illusion that they are in the process of growing from microscopic to human size.

Forensics laboratory (12)
Visitors collect information from at least 10 other exhibits to solve a crime.

Bones in Motion (13)
Visitors directly interact with a human skeleton to see how differed joints in their bones operate.
S.O.L.s:   K.1,  1.1,  1.5,  2.1,  3.1,  3.3,  4.1,  5.5,  6.2,  6.8, BIO.5

Down the Hatch (14)
Visitors take an endoscopic tour of the digestive system and the processes that occur in each part.
S.O.L.s:   6.8,  LS.3,  LS.4,  BIO.3,  BIO.5

Pyramid Café (15)
Visitors complete a personal diet for one day and has it analyzed based on his/her personal physiology/needs.
SOLs: 6.9,  LS.4,  BIO.5

Toxic Lunch (16)
Visitors look through a Wentzscope (modified microscope). They rotate a wheel beneath the scope to observe samples illustrating progressive stages of food spoilage. Visitors learn how to avoid letting foods spoil via a series of graphics synchronized with the Wentzscope images.
SOLs: 

Mystery Meat (17)
Visitors use a computer touchscreen to combine ingredients to make a number of off-the-shelf food items. In the process they reveal short descriptions of a number of less well known ingredients (such as compound chemical preservatives and softeners, etc.).
SOLs: 6.9,  BIO.5

Nutrition Facts (18)
Visitors use an interactive nutrition facts panel with scrolling led explaining more about the information on the nutrition facts label.
SOLs: 6.8,  BIO.5

From Egg to Infant (19)
Visitors observe a series of seven fetal models at progressive stages of development and corresponding photographs of actual fetuses.
S.O.L.s:  3.3,  5.5,  6.8,  LS.2,  LS.3,  BIO.5,  BIO.6,  BIO.7

Nerve Center (20)
Visitors interact to determine their reaction time and see a fiber optic path of the workings of their nervous system.
S.O.L.s:   5.5,  6.2,  6.8,  LS.3,  LS.4,  BIO.4,  BIO.5

Rush Delivery (21)
Visitors mechanically manipulate 3-D models of the heart and lungs to see how they operate and function. Fiber optic graphical panels illuminate flow of blood through circulatory system and the movement of the diaphragm and ribs and expansion/deflation of lungs.
SOLs: 6.2,  6.8,  LS.3,  LS.4,  BIO.5

Bioethics - Organ Donation (22)
Questions about ethical issues in medical issues and related issues are posed to visitors who respond with their own ethical viewpoints and compare their viewpoints with those of other museum visitors
SOLs:  BIO.2,  BIO.5

Fooling the Eyes (23)
Visitors explore their sense of vision by looking through a series of viewers that do the following: reveal your blind spot; alternate the views seen from your two eyes; and create various 3-D illusions using different stereo image parts.
SOLs: K.1,  K.2,  1.1,  2.1,  3.1,  4.1,  6.2,  BIO.5

Balancing Act (24)
Visitors test their sense of balance on a tipping platform.  A model of the inner ear shows how the flow of fluid through three tubes tells your body when and in what direction it is tipping.
SOLs: 3.1,  4.1,  6.2,  BIO.4,  BIO.5

The Pressure's On (25)
Visitors measure their pulse rate and use their pulse to activate a kinetic sculpture, and monitor their blood pressure.
SOLs: LS.3,  LS.4,  BIO.2,  BIO.5

Funny Feeling (26)
Visitors attempt to recognize different items hidden from the visitor.  Each item relies heavily on just one of the five touch nerve endings.
SOLs: K.1,  K.2,  1.1,  2.1,  3.1,  4.1,  6.2,  BIO.5

Automatic Pilot (27)
In a mirror, visitors watch their pupil s expand and contract in response to a variable light source. 
SOLs: BIO.5

Body Probe (28)
Visitor presses a button to select one of several body systems (e.g. digestive, skeletal, muscular, circulatory, nervous, reproductive). A target appears representing each system on a body image.  Visitors use a joy stick to align the image and a target to se a video explanation, operation, slide show.
S.O.L.s:  K.6,  1.5,  3.1,  3.3,  4.1,  5.5,  6.2,  6.8,  LS.3,  BIO.3,  BIO.5

Nose Knows Not (29)
Visitors take an olfactory tour of a farmers market.  Visitors are challenged to identify smells, using a scent dispensing device. A related taste test may be docent administered.
SOLs: K.1,  K.2,  1.1,  2.1,  3.1,  4.1,  5.2,  6.2,  BIO.5

Hear or There? (30)
Visitors listen to a series of sounds and try to determine the sources by pressing correlated buttons.
SOLs: K.1,  K.2,  1.1,  1.2,  3.1,  4.1,  5.2,  6.2,  BIO.5