Overview
Family Science & Astronomy Festival + Makerspace
Saturday, September 30, 2023, 1 pm - 11 pm
Science Building 36, Library Building 9, and Theatre Building 3
CSM's Family Science & Astronomy Festival + Makerspace (formerly Family Science Day) brings the wonders of science to our community! Future scientists-in-the-making are welcomed to campus to participate in fun makerspace activities, watch Chef Ed make comets, visit fascinating biology, chemistry, geology, and math stations for hands-on demos hosted by CSM instructors and staff, attend our live keynote speaker presentation, stargaze with astronomy faculty, and more!
Keynote Lecture
7:30 pm • CSM Th eatre (Building 3)
Reception
8:30 pm • Theatre Lobby (Building 3)
Jazz Under the Stars/Telescopic Observation
9:15 pm • CSM Rooftop Observatory (Building 36)
7:30 pm • CSM Th eatre (Building 3)
Reception
8:30 pm • Theatre Lobby (Building 3)
Jazz Under the Stars/Telescopic Observation
9:15 pm • CSM Rooftop Observatory (Building 36)
“Forward to the Moon” — Greg Schmidt, Director of the Solar System Exploration Research
Virtual Institute (SSERVI) at NASA Ames Research Center, discusses NASA’s historical
journeys to the Moon, from Apollo to upcoming Artemis missions, emphasizing global
collaboration and the broader impact on science, technology, and economy.
| Description | Location | Time | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
3D Printing Theresa Vigilia & Carlos Bugarin Camacho (CSM staff) The 3D printers will be up & running! They’re fascinating & can produce practical things like tools & fun things like your favorite movie characters. All Ages |
Building 9, Library Makerspace |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
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| Fun with Lasers Jason Yap (CSM faculty) Everyone likes lasers! Our machines cut custom images & shapes into wood or acrylic. Age 8+ |
Building 9, Library Makerspace |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
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| Fun with Robotics Jose Gutierrez (CSM faculty) You know those movies where robots take over the world? Well these mostly play songs & have lights, but they’re still really cool! Age 8+ |
Building 9, Library Makerspace |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
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| Fun Stations: Jumbo Jenga, Coloring, Legos, Typewriter CSM Library & Makerspace Team Maybe your brain has worked enough this week & you just want to have fun? If so, come check out our fun stations! All Ages |
Building 9, Library Makerspace |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
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| Make Your Own Buttons Gil Chan (CSM faculty) Want to spice up an outfit, backpack, or bag? It’s quick & easy to make a custom button! All Ages |
Building 9, Library Makerspace |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
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| Make Your Own Light-Up Mini Planets Huda Shuhaiber (CSM staff) Paint your own perfect planet any way you like, install a small light & let it shine! All Ages |
Building 9, Library Makerspace |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
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| Description | Location | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Planetarium Show: Sunstruck Darryl Stanford & Elisha Polomski (CSM faculty) 40-minute shows at the top of every hour. Learn about our own star, the Sun & the upcoming solar eclipse on October 14. All Ages |
Building 36, Planetarium | 1-1:40 pm 2-2:40 pm 3-3:40 pm 4-1:40 pm 5-5:40 pm |
| Comet Chef Ed Pieret of SMCAS (San Mateo County Astronomical Society) Chef Ed will construct the nucleous of a comet using common materials. A fun, safe activity for kids to watch. These demos follow the planetarium shows. All Ages |
Plaza outside the Planetarium |
1:50-2 pm 2:50-3 pm 3:50-4 pm 4:50-5 pm |
| Build Your Own Pulsar Xinnan Du of KIPAC (Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics & Cosmology at Stanford) Build & take home your own pulsar model made of LED lights & play-doh. Learn about how stars live & die. Age 5+ |
Building 36, Room 109 |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
| Color Awesome Catherine Ciesla, Kevin Sibuca & Yen Tran (CSM faculty) Hands-on chemistry activities! Make your own colorful patterns with chromatography & see the rainbow effect with acids & bases. Age 5+ |
Building 36, Room 223 |
Drop-In 2-6 pm |
| Earth Rocks! Let’s explore it. Katryn Wiese (CSM faculty) Explore a variety of maps, rocks, minerals, and fossils and discover what they tell us about Earth's past, present, and future. All Ages |
Building 36, Room 119 |
Drop-In 2-5 pm |
| Get Close to π (Pi) Paulette Callahan (CSM faculty) Fun with math! Complete an estimate of π using string & rulers, then enjoy an actual piece of pie. Ages 5‑18 |
Building 36, Room 125 |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
| Hands-On Biology Museum Kathy Diamond & Huy Tran (CSM faculty) Build & take home a virus model, learn about growing native plants, & see some creepy crawly animals. All Ages |
Building 36, Room 200 |
Drop-In 1-6 pm |
| How a Telescope Works Marion Weiler of SMCAS Get an inside look at how telescopes work using lenses & mirrors. Age 8+ |
Building 36, Hallway |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
| Interactive Anatomy Museum Theresa Martin & Javier Silva (CSM faculty) Hands-on activities as well as displays featuring models & real human organs. All Ages |
Building 36, Room 217 |
Drop-In 1-6 pm |
| Observe the Sun Ken Lum of SMCAS Telescopic observation of the sun using special telecopes. You may observe sun spots, solar flares & prominences. Age 5+ |
Building 36, 2nd Floor Sky Bridge |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
| Phenomenal Physics Alex Wong (CSM faculty) Hair-raising demos of electricity, magnetism, motion & light. Explore some of the surprising ways the physical world around us works. All Ages |
Building 36, Room 114 |
Drop-In 1-6 pm |
| Planispheres Ed Ching of SMCAS Construct your own planisphere to help you navigate the night sky. Age 8+ |
Building 36, Room 112 |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
| Solar Eclipses Ed Pieret, William Lockman, Ravi Kumar of SMCAS Learn about the Ring of Fire eclipse on October 14 & the total solar eclipse in April 2024. All Ages |
Building 36, 2nd Floor Sky Bridge |
Drop-In 1-6 pm |
| What’s Happening on the Sun’s Surface? Ken Lum of SMCAS View the sun through specialized solar telescopes. All Ages |
Building 36, 2nd Floor Sky Bridge |
Drop-In 1-6 pm |
| Upcoming 2023 & 2024 Solar Eclipses Ravi Kumar, William Lockman of SMCAS Watch video demonstrations of previous eclipses and learn what to expect with the upcoming eclipse on October 14. All Ages |
Building 36, Rooom 207 |
Drop-In 1-5 pm |
Veterans Day Holiday
November 10, 2023
November 10, 2023
Thanksgiving Weekend
November 23-26, 2023
Request InformationNovember 23-26, 2023