Middle School

Come explore how your amazing brain and cognition helps you to perceive, remember and navigate your world. Can you trust your perceptions? What do illusions teach us about brain processes? How much information can you hold in your short term memory? If you are fascinated by people, are interested in how we think and why we act the way we do, these activities will inroduce you to the exciting field of Psychological Science.

At our booth we will have two of our GLO Base 2 computers. One of them will be set up and showcasing how our computer runs, while the other will be there to demonstrate how to take apart and assemble our computer.

The research group at the UC San Diego Eating Disorders Center conducts neurocognitive and neuroimaging research studies on adolescents and young adults to better understand eating disorders. We are looking to recruit healthy control volunteers ages 11-17 to participate in a computerized, skill-based learning study. We will be sharing information about our current studies, results from past research studies, and providing informative and fun activities for kids of all ages.

The students of Mr. Rogalski's art & science classes have designed and created an interactive installation called, "The Atomic Dance". It uses dance as a metaphor for chemical reactions and the cycling of elements through our environment. Lipson Lab from SDSU worked with the JCS San Diego Academy to study chemistry through field trips, guest lectures and even brought our atomic experiment to the Arctic Circle to study how elements like carbon and chlorine cycle through the tundra ecosystem.

The San Diego Chapter of AALAS is a non-profit benefit professional organization, not organized for the private gain of any person; and comprised of laboratory research industry professionals including Technicians, Research Scientists, Managers, Directors and commercial colleagues. Branch leadership is committed to educating and promoting the laboratory animal science community and we strive to represent the membership to the fullest extent, including appropriate public outreach efforts.

Our booth will feature the use of polyurethane foam ingredients. Two liquids will be mixed in small cups, and kids will watch as the polymer foam grows and expands before their eyes! Once the foam hardens, kids will be able to decorate their “polymer pals” using googly eyes, pipe cleaners, markers, and more! Our focus is on educating the general public about chemistry by featuring a simple example of a chemical reaction between two liquids to form a polymer foam.

Wildlife education featuring live, local raptor species including Hawks, Falcons, and Owls.

Our booth will include banners, pictures, demonstration items, handouts and giveaways. We have a "Down the Drain" spinning wheel that will draw people toward/into our booth. The "Down the Drain" game allows us to interact with people and present our message. We want the public to be good stewards of the environment and dispose of items properly (trash, sewer or compost). We will also answer any questions people ask regarding wastewater treatment and food waste.

We will be displaying thermochromic slime; it is slime that changes color depending on the temperature. This is mainly geared towards younger students, however, will be interesting for people of all ages. We will have the slime prepared as well as different materials that can alter its temperature, although playing around with it with your hands will be enough. We will be teaching the concepts behind thermochromism and its applications in the real world.

Neurosciences graduate students founded and organized the Neuroscience Outreach Program to share our knowledge of the brain and neuroscience research with San Diego students and community members. This year at the EXPO our student volunteers present several teaching modules, including sheep brain dissection, comparative neuroanatomy, and demonstrations of electrical signaling in the nervous system, including making a cockroach leg "dance" to music played through an iPhone.