World of Plants

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

Rewild and reconnect with nature with the Beal Botanical Garden! Take a peek into the tiny world of pollinators using our microscopes and discover how pollinators help plants thrive. Then mix and match unexpected plants to create a your own custom tea bag, bringing a dose of nature home with you!

Learn more about Beal: Rewilding and Reconnecting

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

Every living thing has a genome—DNA consisting of the letters A, T, G, and C—with instructions for how to grow and develop. Decoding these instructions is fun and requires good investigation skills. We invite you to put on your detective hat and solve the mystery of why “identical twin” plants that differ by only a single DNA letter have completely different appearances. As a plant genome investigator, you will learn how scientists use both computers and experiments to decode the information hidden in genomes.

Learn more about Become a Plant Genome Investigator!

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

This interactive program showcases how plants defend themselves and adapt to their environments. Participants will explore physical and chemical defenses, observe insects interacting with protected and unprotected plants, and link plant defense chemicals to everyday items like coffee and disinfectants. A Lego challenge lets participants design tomato plants to survive stressors like drought or herbivory. Through hands-on activities, demonstrations, and real-world connections, the program highlights the importance of plant defenses, their ecological roles, and the need for sustainable practices. Fun, accessible, and relevant, it’s perfect for all ages.

Learn more about Botanical Battlegrounds: Adapt, Survive, and Thrive!

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

Create your own forest using Legos and see how the temperature changes under your trees in different weather conditions. Can you make your forest cooler or warmer? What has the biggest impact: wind, sunlight, or rain? The temperature inside a forest is crucial for the animals and plants that live there, but climate models usually only predict the temperature above the trees, not underneath them. To improve predictions about climate change, we need to better understand this often overlooked area between the ground and the treetops.

Learn more about Build Your Own Forest!

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

Crops can’t run from danger, so how do they survive scorching heat, dry soil, or hungry insects? Step up to the C-SPIRIT booth and become a Crop Defender! Explore real crop samples, pick up colorful defense cards, and decide which protection each crop uses to stay healthy. Then check your answers to discover the secret: Crops make special natural helpers, tiny compounds that keep them healthy during heat, drought, and pest attacks. See how these natural defenses help farmers grow strong crops and support a more sustainable future for agriculture.

Learn more about Crop Defenders

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

Soil judging takes students into soil pits across diverse landscapes where they learn to identify different soil layers, to describe their properties including color and texture, and to make land-use recommendations based on what they find. Students who study soil judging learn many scientific skills necessary to succeed in careers in agriculture, forestry, environmental science, and related disciplines. Soil scientists work to ensure that we can keep growing food, fiber, and fuel while protecting water and other natural resources. Come see soil samples and profiles that reveal some of what's hidden just beneath Michigan's surface!

Learn more about Digging Deeper: Learn to Manage Land Through Soil Judging

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

Discover how corn plants grow and “recycle” themselves as they develop. Explore the life cycle of this incredible plant, learn how low nutrition affects its growth, how corn cells are organized, and about their natural repair processes.
But that’s not all . . . grab a jar with colorful glass-gem Indian corn kernels for planting at home, and enjoy some yummy popcorn while you're here! It’s science, snacks, and fun all in one place!

Learn more about Exploring Growth and Self-Recycling with Corn!

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

Learn about how plants interact with their environment, including different climates and their insect mutualists. We will bring plant specimens from the Plant Biology Conservancy to illustrate how plants can be adapted to different environments. We will also bring plants that will help illustrate plant-insect interactions, such as carnivorous plants, flowering plants, and ant plants. Kids can participate in a matching game to determine which plants go with which insects. We will also provide coloring pages with information on native Michigan plants that people can take with them.

Learn more about Grow Your Botanical Knowledge

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

Step into the world of plant scientists and explore how plants live, grow, and thrive! Our booth brings the cellular world of plants to life through exciting hands-on activities for all ages. You can look inside a leaf under the microscope, walk through a giant model of a plant cell, and watch flowers “drink” colored water to reveal how plants transport nutrients. Learn about the tools we use as plant biologists and discover how much goes on inside every green leaf around you!

Learn more about Inside the Green World: Peek at Cells and Watch Flowers Drink!

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

Join the MSU Herbarium in an exploration of leaf morphology. Leaves are a type of plant organ, and they provide energy through photosynthesis and help move water and gases. Leaves come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. Discover what tissues make up a leaf, learn about different leaf shapes, and see how we can use leaves to help us identify plants.

Learn more about Leaf Lessons: An Exploration of Leaf Shapes and Sizes

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

Visit the Water and Life Interface Institute booth to discover how life survives without water! Sample astronaut ice cream, explore resurrection plants, and see water bears under a microscope. Make your own seed necklace and chat with researchers about why scientists study plants, animals, and fungi that can withstand extreme dehydration—and how you can join the “Tardigrade Hunting” project. (Nondairy astronaut treats available.)

Learn more about Life Without Water

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

Children (and adults!) of all ages are invited to learn about the pigments that exist in plants/fruits/vegetables and give life color. We will have specific activities that will allow participants to explore the chemical/biological properties of pigments, learn where they came from, paint with pigments, and contribute to a group art piece. Folks can take home their art as well as a handout.

Learn more about Pigment Picassos

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

Explore plant pathogens with S.P.O.R.E.! Michigan State University’s plant pathology graduate student organization (Student Phytopathological Organization for Research and Education) will be hosting a booth during STEAM Expo Weekend at the MSU Science Festival. All ages can observe diverse plant pathogenic microorganisms and their symptomatic host plants, while learning about the historical and agricultural importance of plant diseases in Michigan. Students are encouraged to imagine their own diseased leaves with a coloring activity.

Learn more about S.P.O.R.E. Presents: Spots, Dots, and Rots

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

It’s time to get your hands dirty and make some artwork with soil from around Michigan! Like other materials, soil can be used as paint to make beautiful artwork. Explore the diversity of soil types, colors, and textures through this hands-on activity. Some spectacular soil scientists will guide the activity and answer questions about one of the most important natural resources.

Learn more about Soil: A Medium for Life and Art

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

Discover how the tiny seeds that feed the world work! Explore the life cycle of a seed, from dormancy to germination, and learn what cotyledons are and why they matter. Compare monocots and dicots using real plants, seeds, and foods. See how leaf veins, roots, and nutrition differ between grains like corn and wheat and legumes like peas or soybeans. Try fun hands-on activities, seed dissections, and sorting games to uncover the science behind what we eat. Join us to explore how plant structure shapes our nutrition and everyday meals!

Learn more about The Great Seed Showdown: Monocots vs. Dicots!

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

We are surrounded by a hidden, microbial world that impacts all aspects of our lives. Indeed, our own bodies are homes to trillions of bacterial cells. Our team of microbiologists will demonstrate the magical world of microbes using hands-on examples including motile microbes, the microscopic life in pond waters, antibiotic resistance, and bioluminescent bacteria!

Learn more about The Magical World of Microbes

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

Learn how plants use physical and chemical cues to communicate and interact with other organisms in their environment. Participants will match volatile scent compounds to the plants that produce them, extract pigments from flower petals, and touch leaves covered in sticky glandular trichomes or sharp spines. Changes in understanding of the science of smell, and the influence of personal experiences on what we "like and dislike" will be assessed by asking participants questions about fragrance and food preferences before and after the activity.

Learn more about Why Are Plants so Smelly? They Just Make Scents!

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

Discover the hidden world of plant chemistry at our interactive outreach booth! Did you know that tiny molecules called metabolites help plants fight off pathogens, attract pollinators, and even create the delicious scents and flavors we love? Step into the shoes of a scientist to explore how these fascinating compounds work. Sniff out which scents belong to your favorite fruits, get hands-on experience with 3D models of these fascinating molecules, and put your knowledge to the test by matching metabolites to their roles in plant survival. Don’t miss this fun and engaging experience brought to you by the Plant Metabolic Network!

Learn more about Why do Bananas Smell So Good? How Plants Make Themselves A-peel-ing!