Maggots, Slime and Stars All
Part of Girl Scouts Robotics Expo
(GSSEM Blog, March 2, 2016)
Bloomfield Hills, MI – GSSEM Junior FIRST LEGO League (JFLL) and FIRST LEGO League Teams (FLL) got a chance to present trash in a whole new way this weekend at the Cranbrook Institute of Science’s Kaleidoscope of Science Fun and GSSEM FIRST Robotics Expo! The teams showed everyone what throwing something in the trash really means with this year’s challenge called, Waste Wise.
More than 1,400 people including 33 JFLL and 10 FLL Teams enjoyed the afternoon of featured programs, interactive activities, science workshops for Grades K-5, and of course, the FIRST Robotics Expo. “The Expo went really well!” said Sara Sanders, GSSEM Program Specialist. GSSEM FIRST Robotic Expo is the largest FIRST expo in the state! “It’s about teamwork and showing off things that they’ve learned in the process.” The teams have been working on their answer to this year’s Waste Wise challenge since August and had to present their model, posters, and each girl had to present information. The teams were assisted by nearly 100 volunteers this weekend.
One of the activities at the Expo included MAGGOTS. That’s right, the girls engaged in Maggot Painting and carefully dipped them in paint and watched them crawl across paper to create “art.” If that wasn’t extreme enough, the girls also learned how to make slime, and the bat exhibit at the museum was a big hit. At the end of the day, the girls got a chance to view “Michigan Sky Tonight” at the Planetarium—and it was a pretty clear night!
GSSEM partnered with FIRST in Michigan, an organization dedicated to advancing the field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) to students in Michigan. Focused on building an interest in science and engineering in children FIRST teams are a hands-on program series designed to capture children’s curiosity and direct it toward discovering the possibilities of improving the world around them.
GSSEM Lego teams are funded by grants from DTE Energy Foundation, Lear Corporation, and PNC Foundation. Learn more about GSSEM at www.gssem.org.