UMD's STEM Discovery Days
Discover or create! Explore online programming or projects.
Informational STEM videos:
- Chemistry Fun - Explosions, colors, fire, you say? The Society of Chemists and Biochemists and the Chemistry Club have you covered
- Safe Roads and Healthy Water- Learn how local materials are tested by civil engineers to achieve both
- Electrical Resistance Tomography - Join Dr. Weiguo Xie for a micro demonstration of how this technology is used in industry and daily life
- Air Force ROTC opportunities at UMN Duluth - Learn how students are earning scholarships and commissions in the US Air Force and US Space Force
- Invasive species and Great Lake water quality - Follow UMN Duluth's Large Lake Observatory scientists as they collect invasive mussels and study water chemistry
- Rocket Launch Competition - Launching a rocket to 30,000 feet? Challenge accepted by this underdog team of UMN Duluth Bulldogs
- Chocolate Lab Learn and Tour - How do you make incredibly delicious chocolate? Mix sustainably-sourced chocolate with chemical engineering
- Understanding Algal Blooms - Join Teso and Issac to investigate climate-related algal blooms in Lake Superior using spectrophotometry
- Energy Revolution in Duluth - Solve world problems in the Duluth area with Dr. Alison Hoxie and her team
- Medical Robots for Dementia - Dr. Arshia Khan's team and robot, Pepper, demonstrate the next step in dementia care support
- Blue Heron Research Ship Tour - Dr. Doug Ricketts guides you on the spaces and science on Lake Superior's Research Vessel
- Antique computer playing a video game - Playing Spacewar! on a PDP-12, a computer from 1972
- Planetarium shows- Join the UMN Duluth Alworth Planetarium for free facebook live events: Wednesdays & Saturday @ 7 pm or visit their video archives
Hands-on STEM activities (do at your own pace):
- Owl pellet dissection: video link, lab manual link - identify small animal bones from a regurgitated owl pellet
- DNA isolation: video link, lab manual link - use household items to isolate your DNA
- Catapult engineering challenge: build video link, design video link, lab manual link - design a themed catapult and maximize its effectiveness
- Pocket solar system: video link, instructions link - construct a scale model of our solar system while learning about our planets
- Astronomy methods: video link - explore how light diffraction is used in astronomy
- Marble engineering run: materials video link, intro video link, lab manual link - engineer a marble course using gravity and friction to slow your marble to complete the course in 30 second
- Snowman calculator link- Got snow? Use measurements and math to create the ideal snowman with this Omni calculator from Dr. Anna Szczepanek
Previous programming:
Career Panel: Saturday 3/27 10:30 am -12 pm
- Visit with experts from Electrical Engineering, Biology, Computer Science, Aerospace studies, Chemical Engineering, Biochemistry, the Planetarium, Mechanical Engineering and more to learn about various careers and fields of study.
- Join us at 10:30 for a quick overview from all of our guests or join anytime for a more in depth look at fields that may interest you. Curiosity and questions welcome!
Pre-college programming:
- Paying for College (Financial Aid, Scholarships, and Grants): Monday 3/29 @ 4-5 pm
- Ask a College Student (Student Panel): Wednesday 3/31 @ 3-4 pm
- Getting Advice on your Classes (Advising): Thursday 4/1 @ 4-5 pm
- Applying to College (Admissions): Friday 4/2 @ 3-4 pm
Catapult Challenge: Monday 3/29 @ 3-4 pm
- Showcase you catapult design or ask questions.
Ethics in Computing and Technology (Computer Science discussion): Tuesday 3/30 @ 4-5 pm
Marble Engineering Challenge: Wednesday 3/31 @ 4-5 pm
- Showcase your marble design or ask questions.