By Joanne Bailey-Boorsma
For the summer, the Grand Rapids Public Museum is taking a look at some of the smallest organisms known to man – microbes.
In May, the Museum opened one of three summer exhibits, the “Zoo in You: Microbes.” The exhibit was put together by the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the same group behind last summer’s Mindbenders exhibit. So visitors can expect the “Zoo in You” to be just as interactive, said Grand Rapids Public Museum Marketing Director Christie Bender, adding there is lots to do for all ages
“Kids from 6 to 15 will get a lot out of this exhibit and really understand the concepts,” Bender said.
The “Zoo in You” has visitors explore these microbial companions in three thematic areas: Meet the Microbes, Our Complex Ecosystems, and Exploring Our Microbiome.
“There are trillions of microbes all over every person and this exhibit lets you get hands on and interactive to explore more about them,” Bender said. “This exhibit takes you all the way down to our microscopic level of our microbes that are actually all over our body.”
Activities include a race-the-clock game to complete a DNA strand to a marble maze game that shows how a newborn baby is colonized by microbes. There is a touch-screen video game along with green screen technology all designed to allow visitors to explore the world of microbes from bacteria to archaea.
“There is a hand washing station that teaches us how important it is to wash our hands correctly as well as how long we are doing it and I think most people will be surprised to learn that they probably aren’t washing their hands long enough,” Bender said. “Everything is in game form like puzzles. Very interactive and its makes this exhibit special. You don’t even realize you’re learning while you’re in there.”
This exhibit is free with general admission which means those from Kent County who are 17 and under are always free. The exhibit is here through Sept. 2 and it is bilingual which means there are Spanish and English texts throughout the exhibit.
On June 16, the Grand Rapids Public Museum will open “Be the Astronaut,” which teaches about the concepts, challenges and excitement of spaceflight, and on July 21, the Museum opens “Hauenstein: A Life of Leadership,” which explores the life of former Grand Rapids resident Ralph W. Hauenstein.
For more on activities and exhibits, visit www.grpm.org.
WKTV’s Joshua Kennedy contributed to this story.
