STEAM Expo Days

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Use photosynthesis to make plants grow. Manipulate light and carbon dioxide and see, in real time, how this affects photosynthesis. Young festival-goers enjoy blocking the light with their hand and seeing photosynthesis fall, then removing their hand and watching photosynthesis resume instantaneously. Older festival-goers can change light or carbon dioxide concentration in steps to see how this affects photosynthesis. We will have plants that have been used in the space program such as “space wheat” and "microtom" tomatoes.

Learn more about A Hands-On Look at How Climate Change Affects Plants

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age

Seeing is believing. That is why this program will allow pre-K to elementary school-aged children to experiment hands-on with magnifying lens and microscopes so that they can explore the unseen microscopic world of cells and tissues. The program will introduce young children to fun (but powerful) technologies that can reveal the tiny parts that make up us and our surroundings. Children will get to look at prepared microscope slides of animal, insect, fungi, and plant cells/tissues. They can also prepare their own samples of plants, soil, and sand for microscopic viewing. There will also be coloring print-outs and fun sticker handouts for the children.

Learn more about A Kid's-Eye View of the Microscopic World

Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Use magnetic marbles representing protons and neutrons to model a nucleus, then smash it to pieces just like scientists at MSU’s Facility for Rare Isotope Beams! FRIB is a world-leading laboratory for creating and studying rare isotopes that don’t exist on Earth. This is your chance to create exotic nuclei and discover more about FRIB research!

Learn more about A Smashing Time with Nuclei at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Kids can experiment to send their ship rocketing into the air with science!  Alka-Seltzer Rockets celebrates our current traveling exhibit at Impression 5 Science Center, From Here to There. 

Learn more about Alka-Seltzer Rockets

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Every day we turn on our faucets, showers, dishwashers, laundry machines, and countless other water-dependent conveniences without stopping to consider: Where does all that water come from? For the tri-county region of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties, 100% of our water comes from below ground. Through a private well or a public utility, we all rely heavily on groundwater. Stop by and learn all about groundwater as we build the region’s Saginaw aquifer in a cup!

Learn more about All About Groundwater: Saginaw's Aquifer in a Cup

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

There is a lot of water in the world but very little of it is safe to drink. Stop by our booth and find out how you can protect Michigan's drinking water as well as water resources immediately around you, in your watershed, in aquatic ecosystems, and beyond! We will have a water trivia game, crafts, and a dazzling groundwater model that shows how the water cycle connects the water above ground that we can see to the water below ground that we cannot see. We will use dyes to show how pollution moves through the water cycle and offer tips on how you can be a water steward. 

Learn more about All Water is Connected and Ours to Protect

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Animals are amazing! From spots to stripes and horns to teeth, animals are equipped with a wonderful array of adaptations to help them survive in the wild. Join Potter Park Zoo as we explore skulls, pelts, antlers, horns, and teeth and learn about some of the fascinating, cool, and sometimes weird physical and behavioral adaptations found in the animal kingdom.

Learn more about Amazing Animal Adaptations

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

It’s time for the toys to get a check-up! Join the Neuroscience Fair for a hands-on stuffed animal brain scan. 

Learn more about Animal Brain Scanner

Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

Compare brain structures across various species.

Learn more about Animal Brains

Appropriate for: Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above

What is machine learning? This presentation will introduce fundamental concepts of machine learning, a study that has created a "fourth industrial revolution" in the world. Participants will be guided through the main ideas of machine learning and participate in a machine learning activity. The presentation also will include an overview of the strengths/advantages and challenges of machine learning. 

Learn more about AI School: An Introduction to Machine Learning