STEAM Expo Days
Explore over one hundred hands-on activities, talks, and demonstrations at the festival's STEAM Expo Weekend on Saturday, April 13 and Sunday, April 14 from 10am - 4pm at the STEM Teaching and Learning Facility on MSU's campus.
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Goofy Goggles
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
Complete tasks while wearing vision-altering goggles and learn more about sight.
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Greater Lansing’s Saginaw Aquifer in a Cup
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
We use water for many conveniences, like laundry machines, dishwashers, showers, and faucets, without ever stopping to think about where all that water comes from. All of the water in the tri-county area of Clinton, Eaton, and Ingham counties is subsurface. We all depend heavily on groundwater, whether it comes from a public utility or a private well. Join us as we construct the Saginaw Aquifer in a cup and discover everything there is to know about groundwater!
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Help Unleash the Hidden Power of Plants
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 - 10:30 AM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1201
Saturday, April 13, 11:00 - 11:30 AM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1201
Saturday, April 13, 12:00 - 12:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1201
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Plants, unable to move, adapt to challenges by altering their internal environment. They create plastoglobules, clusters of waxy molecules, using a protein called fibrillin to rearrange lipids. Our computer simulations explore this process. In this demo, you'll gain insights into simulation techniques and even guide one yourself!
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Hidden Water
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 average American uses more than 2,000 gallons of water per day, and only about 100 of those gallons end up in the drain. What about the remaining 1,900? We use about 95% of our water for "hidden water," or the water needed to make the goods and services we use daily, like our electricity, clothes, and even coffee in the morning. Discover the water footprint of commonplace items and how "hidden water" is vital to all facets of our existence.
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Human Brains!
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
Look at real human brains with neuroscientists from MSU!
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Investigate How Sugary Foods Affect Our Health
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
Our health is impacted by gene-environment interactions in several ways. We must comprehend how this process operates so that we can make wise decisions about our health. People can better understand how genes and environment can impact health by playing the computer game Sand Rat. To plan and conduct an investigation to determine how sand rats can develop diabetes when fed sugary lab food, participants use the online sand-rat simulation.
Learn more about Investigate How Sugary Foods Affect Our Health
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Life Without Water
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
Visit the Water and Life Interface Institute booth to explore the fascinating world of life without water! Enjoy astronaut ice cream samples, create a seed necklace, examine rare resurrection plants, observe water bears under a microscope, and understand the science behind studying organisms that endure extreme dehydration, including plants, animals, and fungi. (Nondairy astronaut foods will also be provided.)
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Lithography: How Chemists Make Tiny Computer Chips
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
Semiconductor chips are becoming increasingly smaller with greater computation capabilities. Lithography, a chemical/physical process, forms intricate patterns on chips by depositing materials through masks. In our daily lives, a parallel concept is found in screen printing graphic artworks on canvases or t-shirts. Engage in a hands-on activity to grasp lithography fundamentals using affordable materials like cardstock stencils and paint. Additionally, observe micropatterns created on chips in the lab using an optical microscope.
Learn more about Lithography: How Chemists Make Tiny Computer Chips
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Make a Neuron
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 the different parts of neurons and use craft supplies to make your own to take home.
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MI Diaries: Tell Your Story for Linguistic Analysis
Saturday, April 13, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 3106 & 3107
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Since April 2020, MI Diaries has been gathering weekly "audio diaries" from Michigan residents through a mobile app. In partnership with Inquiry Arts, we showcase the process of collecting, sharing, and linguistically analyzing these stories. Visitors will explore word choice and pronunciation variations, and they will have the opportunity to contribute their own stories to the project.
Learn more about MI Diaries: Tell Your Story for Linguistic Analysis
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Mi Water Source! Enviroscape Education Demonstration
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
Mi Water Source! Enviroscape Education Demonstration strives to heighten awareness about water importance and health protection. Using an interactive 3D model, the program illustrates how daily activities can lead to water pollution and contamination. Emphasizing the impact on drinking water sources like surface water and groundwater, the demonstration guides students on reducing these effects to safeguard both water quality and public health.
Learn more about Mi Water Source! Enviroscape Education Demonstration
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Mindfulness with Neuroscientists
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
Come learn about the importance of mindfulness for our health and do a short, guided meditation with MSU neuroscientists!
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Mirror Tracing
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
Join neuroscientists to try and trace a shape by looking at only your reflection!
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Nature Speaks if You Listen: Using Your 5 Senses to Uncover the Secrets of the Natural World
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
Ever wondered what nature truly sounds, smells, and looks like? Dive into a world of endless possibilities as you rediscover your sense of wonder. Engage your senses of sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste to explore the myriad secrets that nature eagerly shares—if only we take the time to listen.
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Nervous Breakdown
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
Watch how a neurologist evaluates your nervous system.
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Introduction to Robots and Programming
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 11:00 - 11:30 AM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2201
Sunday, April 14, 12:00 - 12:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2201
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age
Robots have so many uses. We will explore some of these applications. We will then learn the basics of programming robots by using the VEXcode VR (vr.vex/com). We will program a virtual robot to make basic moves. We will end with a chance to drive VEX IQ Robots,
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Kids Verses Machine Learning
Saturday, April 13, 1:00 - 1:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1201
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age
The fundamentals of machine learning, its operation, and its potential for failure are covered in this interactive program. Participants will face off against a machine learning program to execute simple decision-making tasks. Participants will go head-to-head with the machine learning program to group objects and identify written numbers. We will answer the age-old question: Are you smarter than a computer?
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How Science Tackles 'Zombie' Molecules
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 3:00 - 3:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1201
Sunday, April 14, 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1202
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Per and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are man-made chemicals that have been used for more than five decades. They are in our food packages, clothes, water, cars (even new electric vehicles), food, cleaning products, and so much more. It is nearly impossible to not be exposed to PFAS, which lasts a long time in the environment and in our bodies. And, unfortunately, humans and animals can face health problems like cancer from PFAS. We are going to show how science can be used to remove PFAS from humans and the environment.
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Material Science and Medicine: How Optical Fibers Can Inhibit Pain
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
MSU scientists have innovated soft and implantable fibers capable of delivering light to major nerves throughout the body. By genetically manipulating these nerves to respond to light, these fibers can transmit pulses of light to inhibit pain. Notably, the optical fibers exhibit flexibility and can stretch with the body, showcasing a breakthrough in pain management technology.
Learn more about Material Science and Medicine: How Optical Fibers Can Inhibit Pain
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Michigan Bugs and Spiders
Sunday, April 14, 1:00 - 1:45 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1130
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Discover the diversity of insects and spiders in Michigan! Come learn about flying spiders, the latest findings in invasive species research, and how you can get involved.