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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Exploring Plant Cells
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: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
The Plant Cell Atlas is a community of researchers working to understand and map plant cells and inspire the next generation of students. At the Plant Cell Atlas booth, you can use microscopes to explore plant cells and enter a raffle to win a digital microscope. While visiting our booth, learn about Dr. Marie Clark Taylor, the first Black woman to earn a Ph.D. in botany from Fordham University. Dr. Taylor was also a pioneering science educator and popularized the study of live plant cells under microscopes in classrooms.
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Fantastic Plant Diseases & Where to Find Them – Exploring Plant Pathology with S.P.O.R.E.
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
Dive into the world of plant pathogens with S.P.O.R.E. (Student Phytopathological Organization for Research and Education) at Michigan State University. Our plant pathology graduate student organization welcomes all ages to explore various plant pathogenic microorganisms and their symptomatic host plants. Discover the historical and agricultural significance of plant diseases in Michigan. The first 100 participants aged 18 and under will receive free magnifying specimen jars!
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Fish You Well: Using Zebrafish to Study Development and Disease
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 exhibition highlights the zebrafish as a captivating animal model for basic and translational research purposes. Zebrafish possess distinctive characteristics such as transparent embryos and rapid external development, which contributes to their usefulness in various research inquiries, particularly the progression of an organism from an egg to an adult. We will present interactive activities for all ages, including the opportunity to observe zebrafish embryos at different developmental stages, track the movement of food through a live zebrafish's digestive system, select fish with specific traits, and gain knowledge on how we can modify the zebrafish's DNA using a tool called CRISPR.
Learn more about Fish You Well: Using Zebrafish to Study Development and Disease
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Geometrical Shapes and Physics
Saturday, April 13, 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
Problem: How can we obtain the maximum area of a polygon whose edge lengths are fixed? This is a well-known mathematical puzzle were we will demonstrate an experimental solution that takes into account the physics of force balance. This mathematical issue will be demonstrated by using a bike pump and a bike tube that has plastic tubes wrapped around it! Based on the common-sense understanding that water takes up the maximum volume permitted, the desired shape will naturally arise if we visualize a polygonal garden pool with movable sides! The outcome is the "experimental" demonstration of a well-known geometric theorem.
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Get Your Hands Dirty: The Science of Soil Judging
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
Soil judging has long been an essential field technique that many have utilized for interpreting what the land can best be used for. As soil judgers, we enter into soil pits to analyze the vast qualities that our soils have within them and with this delineation we can reach conclusions for uses such as agriculture, construction, and conservation. Soil judging communities exist all throughout the nation in our collegiate teams and throughout the world in our international teams. Being able to read and interpret the land can provide a connection with nature, a network of people who appreciate the science, and a great skill.
Learn more about Get Your Hands Dirty: The Science of Soil Judging
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Go with the Flow: Exploring the Movement of 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: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Explore how Earth’s water systems are connected through the flow of water! In this interactive exhibit, participants will engage with physical models and digital demonstrations to explore how water moves through the environment Participants can pour water onto a 3D printed landscape and watch how it makes its way downstream, digitally place a drop of water somewhere in the U.S. and follow its path to the ocean, and observe how water moves along Earth’s surface as we add water to physical model.
Learn more about Go with the Flow: Exploring the Movement of Water!
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Fire, Water, and Ice: Michigan's Geological Story
Saturday, April 13, 11:30 AM - 12:45 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 1130
Appropriate for: Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Dr. Brandt will lead us on a tour through Michigan’s geologic history, from its fiery beginnings marked by volcanoes in the Upper Peninsula, through eons of inundation by a shallow, tropical sea, to the shaping of our modern landscape by glaciers during the last ice age. Learn what a Petoskey stone tells us about Michigan’s ancient environment, the easiest way to tell a mammoth from a mastodon, and why you are unlikely to find a dinosaur in Michigan.
Learn more about Fire, Water, and Ice: Michigan's Geological Story
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Get Hands-On with Tiny Robots
Presented at the following times:
Saturday, April 13, 1:00 - 1:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2201
Saturday, April 13, 2:00 - 2:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2201
Saturday, April 13, 3:00 - 3:30 PM at STEM Teaching and Learning Facility Room 2201
Appropriate for: Kindergarten and Pre-K, Elementary school age, Middle school age, High school age, 18 years and above
Explore the future of medicine with micro/nanoscale robots! Join us as we observe these tiny wonders through microscopes and provide an interactive experience using a magnetic system. Students will have the opportunity to control microrobots, offering a hands-on glimpse into the potential revolution in medical technology.
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From Door Knobs to Phone Screens: Identifying Microbial Contaminants in Daily Life
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
Michigan State University’s Nano-Biosensors Lab will demonstrate the processes used to isolate and detect microbial contaminants. This will be done through presenting bacterial strains in petri dishes. The color, size, and grouping are different for each species of bacteria. Swabs of everyday objects like phones, doorknobs, or bathroom stalls will also be grown on petri dishes. This will allow people to identify which microbes they encounter daily and the differences in their appearance. Additionally, the demonstration will include the process of using magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and gold nanoparticles (GNPs) to capture and detect the presence of bacterial contaminants present in everyday encounters. The MNPs allow for the capturing of bacteria through its magnetic properties. The colorimetric properties of GNPs allow for detection of target bacteria.
Learn more about From Door Knobs to Phone Screens: Identifying Microbial Contaminants in Daily Life
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From Sticky Hairs to Spines: Exploring the Hidden World of Plants
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
Why do leaves have hairs? How can a carnivorous plant catch its prey? Learn how botanists answer these questions with the MSU Herbarium. Join us as we take a closer look at the diversity of plant adaptations using botanical specimens. Visitors of all ages will have the opportunity to look through microscopes at the hidden world of plants! Learn how to mount and take home your herbarium specimen!
Learn more about From Sticky Hairs to Spines: Exploring the Hidden World of Plants