STEMday 2023 (Science at the MN State Fair)
As you hopefully are aware from our other social media, the first day of the Minnesota State Fair always offers something special for visitors in the form of STEMday, organized by the awesome SciMathMN, an event which takes over the area around the Dan Patch Stage with science outreach organizations from across the state. We were proud to be part of this event again for our 5th time and ran an activity booth all day (photos below) and gave our stage show in late afternoon. This year was the biggest ever STEMday with more organizations than any past year participating and the Science Academy team took shifts running our density activities and engaging visitors as part of the theme of ‘You Belong in Science’
Our main booth activity was one of our classics – the Sugar Rainbow where participants of all ages could layer different colored and different density solutions to make rainbows. While many of the surrounding booths demonstrated technological marvels such as robotics, models and the like, we chose to do something simple with common materials to illustrate that you can also do cool science with simple materials from around the home and it also showcased in a cool and colorful way, a scientific concept that many of our students would recognize from the classroom. It’s an activity which is also simple enough that most younger kids can get it and also helps them see themselves as scientists as they are mixing colored liquids in test-tubes (have to love that chemist stereotype) And it wasn’t just the younger kids who got engaged as participants of all ages stopped by as you can see in the gallery below. The Science Academy team (Cole, Hannah, Grace, Seema, and Bella) along with Dr. Graeme and a visiting Dr. Mike (who really tried to make it about lakes and limnology) from the Concordia biology department also had a great time and we are grateful to Dr. Jenn (also Concordia biology for photos)
Afternoon at 3:15 after the official proclamation of the day as STEMday saw us take the stage joined by Bailey, one of the Science Academy Alums who helped with Dr. Graeme’s big book of science as we ran through experiments from physics, biology, chemistry and tried to coordinate a 21 rocket balloon finale. We are very grateful to our ASL interpreter who hopefully did not have to struggle too much with the inevitable use of the word Shoogle and again to Dr. Jenn for photos in the gallery below. FInally, thanks also to Concordia for letting us skip class to do this, ScimathMN for having us back and all those who stopped by
