Hands-on Science
Explore STEAM up close with hands-on activities!
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Radioactive!
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 3202
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 3202
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Explore the awesome world of radioactivity with the Gaiser Group and the FRIB to make the world a cleaner, greener, better place!
Join us to explore some of the rarest elements on the periodic table! We'll guide you through the beneficial uses of radioactive materials and their historical impact on your day-to-day life. Engage in hands-on activities at our booth to enhance your understanding of these fascinating elements.
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Ramp and Roll
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1202
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1202
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age
Playing with ramps and things that roll helps children learn simple principles of physical science and engineering! In this activity, families will learn how to make their own ramps using commonly found household objects and help children explore gravity, speed, and distance.
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Rolling the Dice: Unveiling Normal Distributions
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Third Floor, West Wing
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Embark on an exhilarating dice adventure at our event, "Rolling the Dice: Unveiling Normal Distributions." In Level 1, chase the elusive sums of 3, 4, 17, or 18 to claim enticing rewards. Level 2 offers a daring choice between three or four dice, challenging you to outmatch the host's roll for grander prizes. Our meticulous recorder diligently tracks participants' dice rolls, unveiling intriguing insights through an evolving histogram display. Witness the captivating patterns emerge as you follow the live updates on our website using the QR code, delving into the mystique of the dice's whims and fancies.
Learn more about Rolling the Dice: Unveiling Normal Distributions
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See Plants Grow in Real Time!
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2202
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2202
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Attendees can manipulate carbon dioxide and light levels to witness real-time effects on photosynthesis. Young participants enjoy hands-on activities, like blocking light temporarily to observe rapid photosynthesis restarts. Older attendees experiment with adjusting light and carbon dioxide levels to observe broader impacts. Special features include "space wheat" and microtom tomatoes, unique root-view boxes, and peanuts that grow underground.
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Spine Model
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Learn about our spinal cord and how it is protected by the spinal column while making your own spinal cord to take home!
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Stop the Reef Thief!
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 3202
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 3202
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Did you know that you don't have to travel to the ocean to see a reef? Join conservation staff from The Nature Conservancy to learn about reefs that are found in the Great Lakes! At our booth, you get to be the ecosystem engineer for the day. Design your own reef to provide habitat for some of Michigan's common native fish species, then take on the role of predator or prey to put your design to the test. We’ll have hands-on examples to teach you about some of the common native and non-native invasive species found in the Great Lakes.
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Supercomputing in 360 Degrees: Explore the Nuts and Bolts!
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Third Floor, North Wing
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
MSU’s supercomputer performs four quadrillion math operations per second, an accomplishment that would take a human over 128 million years. This immense speed is crucial for researchers across disciplines. Join ICER on a virtual 360-degree tour of the supercomputing center, exploring hardware, cooling systems, application processes, and more. Don't miss the introductory video led by Eniac, ICER’s animated computer node!
Learn more about Supercomputing in 360 Degrees: Explore the Nuts and Bolts!
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Take an Up-Close Look at a Cow Eye!
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
See the different parts of an eye up close and learn more about the science behind vision.
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Testing the Electrical Conductivity of Minerals
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 3202
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 3202
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Let's explore the electrical conductivity of various minerals. Electrical conductivity, a key property indicating how well a substance conducts electricity, varies among minerals—some being highly conductive, while others act as insulators. Through this experiment, we aim to gain insights into the electrical properties of minerals and their practical applications in our daily lives.
Learn more about Testing the Electrical Conductivity of Minerals
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The Age of Salt in Michigan
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2202
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2202
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Salt, scientifically identified as sodium chloride (NaCl), holds a crucial presence in our world, influencing oceans, Earth's interior, our food, and our bodies. In winter, the sight of salt-covered roadways is familiar, rooted in science, as salt lowers water's freezing point, transforming ice into liquid. Michigan's history is intertwined with salt, harboring a concealed subterranean realm beneath Detroit—the salt mines, formed approximately 400 million years ago.
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The Amazing World of Polymers
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Third Floor, West Wing
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Polymers are fascinating materials that play a significant role in our daily lives, and it's important for school kids to understand their basics. This introduction to polymers provides a simple and engaging overview for young learners. Polymers are like long chains made of tiny building blocks called monomers, and they are found everywhere, from the plastic in your toys to the rubber on your shoes. Understanding polymers is the first step to appreciating the incredible science that shapes the world around us.
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The Art and Science of Coffee
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility North Lobby
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility North Lobby
Appropriate for: High school age, 18 years and above
Discover the alchemy of turning fresh beans and water into a spectacular cup of coffee and learn all about the journey the bean took to get there. The Strange Matter team will teach you the science of pour-over brewing in order to achieve the perfect cup, as well as the extraction principles and variables of brewing involved in the process.
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The Magic of Migration
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2202
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2202
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Discover the enchantment of bird migration and delve into long-term migration studies with MSBO. Explore exquisite feathers, uncover the art of banding migratory birds by MSU scientists, and marvel at the incredible adaptations observed at our banding stations. Join us to witness the wonders of avian migration!
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The Magic of Mineral-Based Paint
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2202
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2202
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Across history, mineral-based pigments have been pivotal in art and cultural practices. Sourced from a myriad of minerals and rocks, these pigments have adorned paintings, frescoes, manuscripts, and various artistic expressions with vibrant hues. Join us in this demo as we collectively explore different mineral species and their role in pigment creation. Together, we'll craft a community mural, delving into the rich artistic heritage of mineral pigments.
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The Michigan Vaccine Project
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2202
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2202
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
The Michigan Vaccine Project (MVP) grant is a partnership between Michigan State University Extension and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that aims to leverage MSU Extension's statewide network of county offices and community partnerships to provide people with trusted, evidence-based vaccination information. MVP has implemented a statewide outreach campaign using digital, radio and print materials—as well as in-person and virtual education programming—to inform Michiganders’ vaccination decision-making.
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The Next Generation of Wireless Communication
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility First Floor, South Wing
Appropriate for: High school age, Over 21 years only, 18 years and above
New advances in distributed 5G/6G networks have been made possible by improvements in the networking and communication of discrete wireless systems. A distributed antenna array, which consists of several spatially dispersed antenna systems that cooperate to synchronize their signals in time, frequency, and phase to enable coherent operation and mimic a sizable single-platform antenna array, is a promising antenna technology for these applications. We will go over current methods for synchronizing a distributed antenna array and show how well they work with software-defined radio systems.
Learn more about The Next Generation of Wireless Communication
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The Story of Supercomputing
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Third Floor, North Wing
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Scientists utilize supercomputers to expedite research, solving questions much faster than on personal laptops. Join ICER for a journey through our graphic novel, "The Story of Supercomputing," exploring how a scientist tackles complex questions. Visit our Silicon Petting Zoo booth to explore typically unseen computer parts, with a supercomputing expert ready to answer your questions!
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Slick Science: From Lotus Leaves to Non-Stick Pans
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at Engineering Building Room 2570
Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Many natural plants have unique surface properties, such as the water repellence and self-cleaning properties of lotus leaves. Through biomimicry, we can fabricate engineered surfaces to replicate the surface properties in natural plants. These bio-inspired surfaces have inspired numerous important applications, such as non-stick pans, raincoats, etc. This activity will introduce the unique properties of lotus leaves and pitcher plans, how to mimic their unique properties in engineering surfaces, and the practical applications of these bio-inspired surfaces in our daily life.
Learn more about Slick Science: From Lotus Leaves to Non-Stick Pans
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The Phantastic Voyage
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1202
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Physics drives technological advancements, creating everyday items like light bulbs and televisions. Join this event for an electrifying exploration of basic and applied (nuclear) physics. Experience particle acceleration with electrostatic wands and witness a nerf gun demonstration showing the use of particles in medical imaging and disease treatment. It's a dynamic journey into the world of physics and its practical applications!
This is an FRIB affiliated event.
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The Role of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Identity in the College Experience
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1202
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Explore the role of social networks in why women and racial minorities graduate from STEM majors at lower rates among college students. If women and underrepresented students of color experience greater exclusion from social networks since they are the minority, they operate at a severe disadvantage in forming study groups for their STEM classes. They are also more likely to miss out on key social information passed between peers, such as informal tips about scheduling classes or effective study strategies. Lower levels of social support and access to social information may discourage interested students from persisting in STEM majors.
Learn more about The Role of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender Identity in the College Experience