STEAM Expo Days

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

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.

Learn more about See Plants Grow in Real Time!

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!

Learn more about Spine Model

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

Join Abrams Planetarium to explore the Michigan night sky with short sky talks throughout the day. Shows will run every 30 minutes from 10am - 4pm.

Learn more about Spring Skies Over Michigan

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.

Learn more about Stop the Reef Thief!

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!

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.

Learn more about Take an Up-Close Look at a Cow Eye!

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

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

How are a rocket engine and birthday candle related? We'll go above and beyond to understand the science that links the physics of candles to what makes rocket engines go, while demonstrating why fire looks and behaves the way that it does. Take a look into the science and engineering of rocket engine design to explain how simple flames are used to generate huge thrust forces to launch mankind into space.

Learn more about Rocket Science 101: Inside a Rocket Engine

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