Anatomy

Archeology & Geology

Architecture

Computer

Cultural
Diversity

Edible

Holiday

Light & Photography

Miscellaneous

Science Experience

Space & Flight

Spring Gardening

Time

Water

Weather

Wisconsin Animals

Programs at CFMIT
The asterisk symbol next to a program indicates that the program is mobile and can be brought to a school or facilities.

** Upon request we can develop new programs to connect with or build upon a topic that your class is currently studying. Contact CFMIT for more information.

Anatomy Programs

Eyeball
Examine optical illusions. Discover how the eye works. Test your vision and create interesting illusion toys including the thumatrope.
Memory Lane
Look inside the human brain and discover how memory works. Compare your memory to a computer’s. Test your own ability to recall information, tastes, and smells.

Archeology and Geology Programs

Can You Dig It?
Play archaeologist with a brush and chisel, and a special block containing ‘artifacts’ that you’ll uncover and identify. Plus learn about real “digs” in Wisconsin that you can visit. Hands-on fun!
Getting Dirty
Explore life underground; learn about different types of soil. Try building your own landscape. Learn about the effects of windbreaks and soil erosion.
* Sedimentary, My Dear Rockston!
Learn how different types of rocks were made and how we use them. Use Mohs scale to test hardness and choose your own ‘pet rock’ to take home!

Architecture Programs

* Bridge Building
Discover the architectural science behind bridge building. Learn the three types of bridges. Look at famous bridges and build your own. Explore what shapes and techniques can form the strongest bridge.
Designing Kids
What does an architect do? We’ll investigate Wisconsin’s famous architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, and create models of our very own building designs.
* The Science of Shapes
Explore the geometry of geodesic domes and the twenty-sided icosahedrons, make your own 3D examples to personalize and take home.

Computer Programs

Dissection Connection
We use disks and cassettes everyday but do we really ‘know’ them? You’ll take a peek inside at their innermost secrets and then try your hand at re-assembly!
Binary Adventures!
Discover how the binary code developed, observe first hand the interiors of several computers, and find out what it takes to be a computer engineer.

Cultural Diversity Programs

Great Pyramids of the World
Check in, get your passport and then begin your ‘travel’ adventure through different pyramids of the world as you learn about ancient civilizations and cultures! Who built pyramids besides the ancient Egyptians? Build your own Pyramid and mummify fruit!
Happy Chinese New Year! (Feb. 1st)
Come celebrate the Chinese New Year, learn about Chinese inventions, plus make your own abacus and give chopsticks a try!
It’s All Greek to Me!
Archimedes’ Screw, Pythagoras’ Theorems, Hippocrates Medicine, come and explore the science of the ancient Greeks.
Walk Like an Egyptian
Look at the geometry of pyramid building, the chemistry of mummification, and the code breaking of hieroglyphics.

Edible Programs

Apple Crisp!
Learn about the history, lore, and geometry of apples while you discover how your sense of taste and smell work. Plus, put your tongue to the test and sample different varieties of apples.
Get Slimed
Get up close and personal with bread mold, slime mold, and yeast! You’ll never look at your sandwich the same way again.
* It’s all Yeast We Can Do
Look at the power packed into a single cell of yeast, bring this substance to ‘life’, feed it, and shape it into something special.
* Sweets for the Sweet
Why does candy taste sweet? Where do taste buds grow? Experiment with your own tongue with a variety of salt, sour, bitter, and sweet substances.
* Tutti Frutti
Who invented ice cream? Make your own ice cream and sample the goods!

Holiday Programs

Deck the Halls!
A morning of carols and cocoa while creating your own old-fashioned Holiday treasures—popcorn strings, paper snowflakes, wooden ornaments, and much, much, more!
Happy New Year!
Make your own personalized calendar! Bring your favorite fan magazine or school pix, original artwork, map, or fancy paper to laminate and turn into you very own planner.
Holiday Toy Factory
Choose from a variety of craft kits and projects-birdhouses, leather crafts, jewelry, and more that you put together for that special someone on your list.
Mask-maker, Mask-maker, Make Me a Mask!
Witch, pirate, or princess, you’ll have a ball creating your own masks and costume props from simple household items.
You Gotta Have Heart!
Let’s get to the heart of the matter! We’ll look at heart tissue under the microscope, listen to our hearts and test our heart rates as we exercise. We’ll also learn about the lore of the heart and make a Valentine for our special sweetheart!

Light and Photography Programs

Bright Idea
Thomas Edison’s invention changed our world; make your very own light bulb.
I Am the Camera
Bring an empty tube-type potato chip canister and put together your own pinhole camera!
Lights, Camera, Action!
Do you know how a camera works? Have you used a thumatrope? A praxinoscope? Join us as we look at the amazing development of still photography and the movies. Plus we’ll experiment with pinhole cameras and make our own prints.

Miscellaneous Programs

101 Things to do with a Straw
Come and enjoy a huge variety of experiment and crafts you can make a drinking straw. Slurp up the fun!
Annual Big Bubble Bash!
Re-discover the joys of ‘surface tension’ and experience a bubble from the inside out! A series-end summer extravaganza.
Bookworms!
Look at the history of books through the ages, and using old discards, you’ll dissect examples for a first-hand look at how a book is put together.
Catapult
Design and build your own catapult, learn about the scientific principles behind the medieval “machine of mass destruction” and test your aim!
Great Explorers!
Test your knowledge of the world’s great explorers-famous or obscure-in this dynamic program. Pick a path, follow the sight, sound, or taste clues and see if you can identify the explorer and the ultimate destination. Plus, we’ll look at early maps and how these explorers changed the world!
No Foolin
We fool our senses everyday with Op art, moving pictures, and mirrors. Come unravel the mystery behind a praxinoscope, 3D pictures, and what the French call ‘Tromp-l; oeil.’
Paper, Paper, Everywhere!
Look at the history of paper while we make our very own samples. Experiment with different methods of writing used by earlier civilizations.
Piggy Bank Savings
Learn the history of money and how to save money for the future. Use a real cash register, construct your own piggy bank, and learn how to write out checks. The savings start here!
The Great Egg-Drop Eggs-travaganza!
Design your own ‘egg-crate.’ Can it survive a 10 ft. drop? The Catapult? Will your package be all it’s ‘cracked’ up to be?
* The Sound of Music
Here’s your chance to create your own unique music-maker from simplistic, everyday items. From rain sticks to synthesizers, learn about the science behind the music we hear.
Triple Play
Learn a new board game, or play an old favorite, and then try your hand at designing a game of your very own. Experience the classics: marbles, jacks, and pick-ups sticks.
* Where in the World are You?
From explorers to pirates, maps have played an intriguing role in history and legend! Learn about the beginning of map making and the different types of maps we use. Learn how to read a map and try plotting your own “Cookie Island” map. Plus, complete our museum scavenger hunt!
Who Done It?
Join us for a trilogy of mysterious trials, from easy to complex, that you unravel as you go. Sharpen your skills of observation and intuition, and use clever science to solve the mysteries.

Science Experiments Programs

All The Stuff Your Mom Won’t Let You Do At Home!
CFMIT has assembled a variety of safe experiments that use common kitchen ingredients for a great but messy good time. Don’t miss this chance to mix up your own chemical reactions.
Calling All Inventors
Bring your creativity, you’ll be asked to tackle a given problem and find your own unique solution.
Gearhead
Levers, gears, and pulleys were man’s earliest machines, and we’re still using them everyday. Explore the not-so-simple machines.
How Dense Can You Get?
Pounds, tons, kilos, litres? In this fun program we’ll look at mass and weight and the variety of scales used to measure it. Plus, we’ll learn about the mechanics of “simple machines” and how they are able to move mountains! Don’t miss!
One Gyro To Go, Please!
What does an old LP record, a bicycle wheel, and a Greek sandwich have in common? Explore the mysterious force that keeps planes on course and tops spinning.
* Opposites Attract
We’ll learn how electricity can produce a magnet and make our very own compass.
Phew U.
Red Cabbage, a surprising substance that will help you determine the PH balance of common foods and household substances.
Phootball Physics
We’ll explore trajectory as it relates to throwing and kicking a football, the importance of leverage in tackling, and delve into the many uses of mathematics in the game, from coin toss to the last time our! Wear your favorite colors and become one of CFMIT’s MVPs.
The Mad Scientist’s Laboratory Party
Using simple kitchen ingredients, we’ll make bubbling chemical reactions, buckets of ‘Amazing Ooze’, and disgusting snacks from the “Gross Grub” cookbook.
Under the Microscope
From observing microscopic life around us to making miniatures, we’ll take at look at all things small.

Space and Flight Programs

* Go Fly a Kite!
From simple and easy to cleverly complex, come build a kite at CFMIT! Learn about the history and symbolism of the kites of many cultures and explore the scientific principles that make them soar.
* Jet Propulsion
It helps a Giant Squid move underwater and rockets soar past earth’s atmosphere. Learn all about jet propulsion and test your own jet propulsion balloon rockets.
* Moon Craters
What’s the moon really made of? Learn about meteorites and using the scientific process test your own craters.
Mystic Solar Pizza
We’ll look at solar radiation and sunspots. Make your own snack using only the power of the sun.
* Rockets Red Glare
What makes rockets rise and fireworks flash? Make your own miniature in-door rockets.
Solar Power and Sunspots
Use solar power to create lift off! Learn about the sun and the awesome potential of solar power. A day filled with activities that revolve around the sun!
* Star Light, Star Bright
Take a look at the constellations that fill the night sky, make a constellation viewer and find your way home, all using the stars.
* The Sky’s the Limit
Learn about the groundbreaking work of the Wright Brothers. Discover the scientific principles that make flight possible. Make boomerangs, planes, and flying contraptions.

Spring Gardening Programs

* Pointillism and Seed Mosaics
Discover the art of George Seurot, and try your hand at painting in the style of Pointillism. Make your own mosaics from huge variety of seeds.
Spring Has Sprung
Learn about the term phenology and what is means to scientists, and plant some seeds for summer.
How Does Your Garden Grow?
Examine what happens to seeds as they germinate and observe the mysterious hidden life in the soil. Plus, plant some seeds of your own to add to your home garden.

Time Programs

* It’s about Time
From hourglasses to water-clocks to the atomic clocks, you’ll be intrigued by the mysterious subject “that never stands still.”
Time in a Bottle: The Family Album Project
Bring some small artifacts from home and we’ll make our own time capsule, and you get to decide how long it stays buried.

Water Programs

Chillin’
Look at the mechanics of freezing, experiment with dry ice, observe the beauty of frost, and recreate the geometry of snowflakes. Learn cold weather tips for a safe winter and make an emergency candle for home or car.
Flotation Station
Come investigate why some ships sink and some rocks float! Plus, experiment with your own Descartes’ Driver!
Water, Water Everywhere!
We are 70% water, and we live on the “water planet.” Learn about waters remarkable properties and how important clean, safe drinking water is to our daily lives. Explore water in its many forms from salt water to glaciers.

Weather Programs

Expecting the Unexpected!
Are you prepared for a flood? A tornado? What about a civil disaster? Join us for this important program that will help you plan what your family should do in a sudden, unexpected emergency. Make a fire escape plan and a tornado in a tube!
It’s Not My Fault
Learn about earthquakes, plate tectonics, and volcanoes. See how the Richter Scale works and build your own volcano!
Weather or Not!
Baffled by barometric pressure? Hazy about fog? Foggy about Isobars? Learn the language of weather as you discover how natures sever storms develop. Experiment with tornadoes in a tube and try your hand at predicting tomorrow’s weather.

Wisconsin Animals Programs

Duck, Duck, Goose!
How do ducks float? Why do geese migrate thousands of miles? Don’t miss this chance to learn about these fantastic fowl and their fabulous feathers! Plus we’ll study their flyways, make authentic quill pens, laugh with Daffy, and much more.
Flutterbys!
View live caterpillars and butterflies. Learn about the beautiful diversity of butterflies and their lifecycle. Chart the monarch’s migration and make your own butterfly mobile.
Frogs and Toads and Warts
Do toads give you warts? Can you tell the difference between a frog and a toad? Race your own origami-hopping frogs and learn all about the lifecycles of these amazing creatures.
Go Buggy
Do you know the difference between insects and spiders? Observe live specimens under the microscope and design your very own bug to take home. Make a “bug box” and become your own entomologist at home!
Something’s Fishy!
How do fish breath oxygen in water? How do they swim with such ease? We’ll explore these and other scaly questions while observing live fish in CFMIT’s aquariums. Test your fish IQ, and design your very own creature from the deep.
Wisconsin Critters
We’ll investigate the many wild animals of West Central Wisconsin. Learn to identify and make your own animal tracks.