Petersen Offers Live Streams

As COVID-19 sweeps the nation, many children find themselves looking for things to do during school closures. The Petersen Automotive Museum will now offer engaging educational live streams to help students stay busy. Starting March 17, 2020, the Museum will offer the live streams twice a day. Daily presentations consist of a lecture at 10 a.m. and a hands-on activity at 1 p.m. Downloadable worksheets and coloring sheets are also available. The Petersen will keep its doors closed to the public until March 31, 2020, or until further notice.

“The Petersen Automotive Museum offers students an opportunity to gain an education during school closure and in between their digital course loads,” said Petersen Executive Director Terry L. Karges. “Our special programming will broaden kids’ knowledge and expose them to the world of the automobile.”

While these live streams and lessons are interesting to people of all ages, the subject matter is targeted towards children ages 12 and under. Below is the program schedule, and topics are subject to change.

• Tuesday, March 17, 10 a.m. – Force and Motion
  Cars are about motion. While it may seem simple to press a pedal and move forward, there are dozens of forces interacting that must be balanced to produce motion. From Newton’s laws to different types of energy, students will learn the simple physics behind the automobile.
• Tuesday, March 17, 1 p.m. – Balloon Cars
  For a car to move, a force must be applied. Students will explore propulsion and Newton’s Third Law of Motion by making their own balloon cars.
• Wednesday, March 18, 10 a.m. – History of the Car
  Cars have been in existence for more than a century (or longer, depending on when you start). Join the Petersen as it explores the evolution of the automobile.
• Wednesday, March 18, 1 p.m. – License Plates
  License plates identify vehicles as properly registered with the state but may also serve as a canvas. Students will create their own license plates and decorate them to show off something about their home state.
• Thursday, March 19, 10 a.m. – Storytime Featuring “Go, Dog, Go!” By P.D. Eastman
  Students will read the beloved tale about dogs and their cars.
• Thursday, March 19, 1 p.m. – Animal Cars
  Students will make a car of their favorite animal with materials found around the house.
• Friday, March 20, 10 a.m. – Design Process
  Utilizing the car, students will explore how things go from idea to finished product.
• Friday, March 20, 1 p.m. – Car Models
  A critical part of automotive design is creating a model. Students will create car models to show how the modeling process can help to explore design choices.

Future lessons will cover propulsion, aerodynamics, racing and a host of other topics. To view the live-streams and other educational resources, visit www.petersen.org/online-education.