Materials Checklist • Scissors• Glue or Tape What is a trihexaflexagon? The puzzle strip you are about to assemble is called a trihexaflexagon—a hexagon with three faces. A type of folded puzzle, it reveals different faces or designs once assembled. Similar to a Möbius strip, the
Hoosier Resilience Heroes
Let’s meet a few heroes. Hoosier Resilience Heroes are people who care about the environment, especially the plants, animals, and people that call Indiana home. They live in every part of the state. They practice and encourage habits that protect the air, water, and climate. Color these
Motor Neurons Part 2 – Electric Fish Demonstration
Motor Neurons in Electric Fish We typically think that the job of motor neurons is to transmit information from our brain to our body to help us move around and interact with the world. Interestingly, some species of animals also have specialized motor neurons that can help them interact with the
Weather Update for Science Fest – Eclipse Edition
Science Fest is soon, so we went back to our resident meteorologist, Dr. Cody Kirkpatrick, to ask for an update on the weather forecast for Science Fest on Saturday, April 6, and for eclipse day, Monday, April 8. Here is what he said:
Friends Come in All Sizes
Meet Nema the nematode and her friends the bacteria Did you know that all animals depend on bacteria to develop and thrive? Read and color in this short story to learn about the mutually beneficial relationship between small, soil-dwelling worms and their bacterial partners. Download the flat
Experiencing a Total Solar Eclipse
According to a 2017 article from From Wired Magazine -- “During a solar totality, animals usually fall silent. People howl and weep. Flames of nuclear fire visibly erupt like geysers from the sun’s edge. Shimmering dark lines cover the ground.” A Total Solar Eclipse Feels Really, Really Weird
Personality Quiz Sample + Instructions
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Test Activities
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What Happens When a Dam Breaks?
On May 19, 2020 the Edenville Dam in Edenville, MI failed. Fortunately no lives were lost, but 10,000 people were displaced or evacuated, more than 2,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, and tens to hundreds of millions of dollars in damages occurred. This dam failure released floodwaters
Knowledge Quiz Sample + Instructions
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Audiology Puzzles
What Is an Audiologist? au·di·ol·o·gist \ȯ-dē-’ä-lə-jist\ nounThe health-care professional who specializes in evaluating, diagnosing, treating, and managing hearing loss and balance disorders in adults and children. Materials Checklist Printed puzzlesPencil or
Chemistry Magic Show
Indiana University and the ACS present the Chemistry Magic Show!
Honey Bee Development
Bee Development This video contains a description of the development of a honey bee. Grafting Larvae This video features a short excerpt from a day in the life of a bee researcher. Once we remove a frame of brood from a hive box, we use a plastic tool to scoop individual
IU Greenhouse
Tour the Greenhouse Home to nearly 800 species of plants from around the world, the Greenhouse is also a working research facility. Meet the Century Plant Fun facts about the Century Plant… bats, sugar, and thread!
Wear Hearing Protection
How to protect your hearing
Astronomy in Color
Introduction Full color pictures in Astronomy are actually created by taking several images at different wavelengths of light, assigning colors to those images, and then stacking them on top of each other. Play around with the various color combinations and see what you can
Exploring Behavior with Our Feathered Friends – Part 1
Materials Checklist • Pen or pencil Exploring behavior through the eyes of a bird Let’s learn to observe, wonder about, and measure behavior like a real-life behavioral biologist. We’ll do this using videos of a bird that spends every spring right here in Bloomington – the fabulous
Science Libraries Coloring Pages
What color is a book? The sun? A butterfly? That's up to you! Book & Planets Butterfly Share your Creations Send a picture of your favorite coloring page to the Sciences Library using the form below, then enter your creation into the official Science Fest Coloring Contest!
Weathering at McCormick’s Creek State Park
Weathering and Erosion Weathering causes rocks to disintegrate through physical breaking or chemical dissolution. Weathered rock material is then subject to erosion – the process of separating the weathered material from its source. Words that are often used to describe the process of erosion
The Wild Journey of a Bacterial Cell
A Microbial Story Follow a bacterial cell as it alters its physiology to survive diverse environments and encounters with strange and sometimes dangerous microbes. Logarithmic Scale Worksheet Extra Credit
Is it even possible to predict the weather for the Eclipse?
It's time for another check-in Dr. Cody Kirkpatrick about the weather on April 8. Given the fluctuating forecasts we've seen lately, we asked, "Is it even possible to predict the weather for the eclipse?"
EARTHQUAKE! Part 1
Welcome! Geophysics graduate student, Elizabeth Sherrill is here to introduce the Science Fest 2020 seismology series and explain how to earn your Master of Disaster badge. How Seismometers Work Resident IU faculty member and seismologist, Dr. Michael Hamburger explains.
The Drake Equation
Are we alone? The Drake equation is a famous equation for estimating the number of intelligent civilizations in the visible Universe. Give your best guess for the different values in the app below and get your own estimate for the number of advanced civilizations our Universe
Join a Community Science Eclipse Project
Even if the weather threatens to spoil the eclipse for us, it will get dark during the eclipse on April 8. We will notice it and so will animals.
Geologic Time and Paleontology Game
Ancient Life Matching Game You spent all day yesterday using a brand-new time machine to study prehistoric organisms which are plants, animals, or single-celled life forms that are now extinct. You went to bed dreaming of these creatures when you woke up to some strange noises. Oh no! You left
Geology Coloring Pages
Materials Checklist Printed coloring pagesCrayons or other coloring medium
Forensics Frenzy – Detective Simulation
Hello, Detectives! A valuable shell was stolen from the Biology Building and we need YOUR help to find the culprit and track it down! Follow along with the video and the clues presented here to determine which suspect is responsible. Make sure to think about potential motives and each of the four
Keep Your Eyes Safe During the Eclipse
We all know that we should never look directly at the Sun. It's tempting to look directly at an eclipse during the partial phases because, well, there's not as much Sun showing. But a partial eclipse is just as damaging to your eyes as looking at the unobstructed Sun.
A Visit with the Giants
Our Magnificent Trees Michael Chitwood, IU's Research and Teaching Preserve property manager, will introduce Science Fest visitors of all ages to our magnificent trees, sharing their history and cultural uses and attributes.
Eclipse Activities to Look for at Science Fest this Year
To find the eclipse activities, to go the Activities page on the Science Fest web site. Click on the Department filter button and then select "Eclipse-specific" from the menu.
Biology Coloring Pages
Materials Checklist Printed Coloring PagesCrayons, colored pencils etc. Animal Cell Darwin's Finches Wear a Mask Photosynthesis Created by Service Through ART Students
Illuminating Science: Quorum Sensing
Can bacteria talk? A graduate student from the van Kessel lab at IU talks about how bacteria communicate with each other to accomplish group behaviors. This process is called quorum sensing! Quorum Sensing Activities Extra Credit Read more background information
Coloring Our Feathered Friends
Coloring Pages What does it take to be a successful tree swallow? Color in these pictures of tree swallows doing what they do best: competing for nest sites, fending off intruders, and taking care of their chicks. Extra Credit
Health Academy Part 1: Physical Activity and your Health
Before you begin While you watch our student nurses, make sure you also have your corresponding Spell Your Name worksheet ready for use during the video. Additional resources are available along with more activities to complete once you’ve finished! Why physical activity? It is so
Ectopic Eyes on Fruit Flies
How does a cell decide to be an eye? Ever wondered how development works? Ever wondered how a cell determines what kind of cell it will be? In this video Allie explains this using the fruit fly and generation of ectopic eyes as a tool. Color By Number Materials
Astronomy at IU
The Astronomy department's activities at Science Fest are always popular. This year, the IU Astronomy department has been extra busy preparing for the eclipse with everything from community workshops to preparing the solar telescope for livestreaming. Meet the scientist behind it all, Dr. Caty
Bacterial Viruses
Viruses that make bacteria sick Did you know that all living things on earth can be infected by viruses? Covid-19 is caused by a virus that now infects humans. There are many viruses in the world, and they infect all living things: animals, plants, fungi, and even microorganisms such as
Health Academy Part 3: COVID-19, Vaccines, and your Health
Healthy Practices and COVID-19 During the pandemic, there are certain things you should do to stay healthy! 1. Wear a face mask. Putting a face covering over your mouth and nose isn't all that comfortable, but it is important because it helps prevent the spread of infection. When an
Virtual Escape Room
Wait, what was that sound!? Oh, no! The door's locked! You're trapped in the library! If you want to get out, you have to follow the clues and solve the puzzles in this text based virtual escape room.
Countdown to Science Fest – Eclipse Edition!
It’s not often that a natural phenomenon as awesome as a total solar eclipse passes through Indiana. But this year, on April 8, 2024, that is exactly what will happen. And Bloomington is right in the middle of the eclipse path!
The Secret Language of Mice: Choose your own Adventure
Choose your own Mouse Communication Adventure Coloring Pages Look for the page that matched your Communication Adventure ending! Materials Checklist Printed coloring pagesCrayons or other coloring medium Mouse Vocalizations Mouse Love Mouse Friendship Mouse Conflict
Exploring Behavior with Our Feathered Friends – Part 2
Before you Begin Make sure you complete Exploring Behavior with Our Feathered Friends Part 1 before continuing! Materials Checklist • Pen or pencil How exactly do we measure a bird's aggressiveness? Research in the Rosvall Lab has shown that more aggressive tree swallows -
Motor Neuron Coloring Page
Color a Neuron For an extra challenge, label the parts of the neuron. Check the Build a Neuron with Playdough activity for clues. Materials Checklist • Crayons, colored pencils etc.
My Eye Exam
Let's get an eye exam with Maiwenn! Have you ever wondered what it’s like to get an eye exam or what an Optometrist does? Check out this video to see what it’s like to get an eye exam at the Atwater Eye Care Center. Extra Credit
Lilly Library Science Fest Coloring Book
Color our Collections Materials Checklist • A printer and paper• Crayons or colored pencils
School of Nursing Health Academy
Nurses use several instruments to track the health of their patients. Want to learn more about why these are important for assessing health? Let's examine each tool. Blood pressure cuff: this is used to measure the force of the blood rushing against the walls of blood vessels. Most of this
The Secret Language of Mice: How a Mouse Hears High Frequencies
Restoring Biodiversity with the BUWP
Restoring Biodiversity Biodiversity Quiz