Watching the film change from a streaky gray to an actual image fascinates them. Next we show the students much of our facility. The class is divided into smaller groups, each led by a guide from Polaroid, with a teacher or parent bringing up the rear. Each group sees everything, but in different orders. The employees at the various tourist attractions have previously agreed to participate and are ready to show the students what they do.
People are delighted to participate.
Everything is new to them and there is no way to tell what will catch their interest most. For example, an unexpected favorite was the thin-film vacuum deposition chamber, where you really can't see too much. The students are fascinated by a computer-aided design system, where a complicated image can be rotated and viewed from different angles. They are fascinated by the machine shop. One kid was determined to pick up a handful of metal chips from the lathe pan.