Caleb Watson of Wheaton shoulders a rocket launcher Wednesday as students ages 11 to 14 learned about military rockets and how they were used in the nation's wars during a summer program at the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton.
Scott Sanders/ssanders@dailyherald.com
Middle school students got the chance to handle real, but nonfunctioning, rocket and missile launchers Wednesday during the First Division Museum's Military Science Rocket Class at Cantigny Park in Wheaton.
After learning the history of rockets in the Army, the youngsters, ages 11 through 14, each were given a model rocket to assemble and launch at the end of class.
Although this was the final rocket class, the museum has other classes at 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays through August, museum educator Jessica Wascak said.
The Thursday program is called History Alive and focuses on various wars. This week's class is studying the Civil War.
On Tuesdays, the museum offers History Connection classes that focus on specifics of warfare, such as uniforms.
The classes are free and do not require registration. For details, visit www.firstdivisionmuseum.org.
Sporting a Civil War kepi (cap), Carter Johnson of Crest Hill holds a weapon not available in that war: a World War II-era bazooka. He's assisted by First Division Museum staff member Jessica Wascak.
Scott Sanders/ssanders@dailyherald.com
First Division Museum staff member Dean Kamps, left, helps Aidan Houser of Wheaton hoist a missile launcher that's currently being used by America's soldiers. Kamps explained to students ages 11 to 14 that the difference between missiles and rockets is that missiles can be guided to their targets after firing.
Scott Sanders/ssanders@dailyherald.com
Andy Votava of Warrenville inserts an engine into a model rocket during a class Wednesday at Cantigny Park in Wheaton.
Scott Sanders/ssanders@dailyherald.com
Students ages 11 to 14, including Braden Meiners of Geneva, learned about military rockets Wednesday and got to assemble and launch a model rocket during a summer program at the First Division Museum at Cantigny Park in Wheaton.
Scott Sanders/ssanders@dailyherald.com