Grow U
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Welcome to Grow U, an interactive exhibition that celebrates the world of agriculture and farming!
FARM 101: Know It to Grow It
Take your farm knowhow to a whole new level and be the next contestant on FARM 101: Know It to Grow It! This interactive game show takes you on an entertaining and educating journey from field to table. Sit down in the tractor seat and get ready for four rounds of questions about seeds to soil, satellites to sun and everything agriculture in between. Score high and achieve Master Farmer status.
Leading a clever cast of animatronic characters to assist you on your journey is Tork, a blend of man and machine, and Mother Nature, an unpredictable embodiment of all that is earthy. Other cast members include Cornelius D. Cobb, a bag of soil named Clayton, an eager little soybean named Tina Tofu, resident know-it-all Kevin the Pig, Déjeuner, a world-traveling produce cart and Skylar, a blipping and beeping voice from the sky.
Interactive Exhibits
Grow U also includes a group of interactive exhibits that offer an insightful look into the world of agriculture with both a local and global perspective.
Honey Bee Hive
Get a Bee’s Eye View of the inner workings of a functioning beehive. Imagination Station’s tiniest tenants, the honeybees, will have the freedom to explore the downtown Toledo riverfront while calling Grow U their home. The hive teaches the difference between worker bees and drones, why bees behave as they do and how their dancing is viewed as a form of communication.
Spin Browser
The Spin Browser puts the flow of time under your control. Agriculture based events and actions that range from fractions of a second to much longer can be fully traversed forward and backward with a simple motion.
What’s It Made Of?
What’s it made of? Did you know that kitty litter and ethanol are made from corn? Learn about the abundance of everyday products made from corn, one of the area’s largest agriculture commodities.
Soil Drainage
Observe Water Drainage through different types of local soils. See how water passes through the pores in sand, silt and clay and why those differences that cause some plants to grow better than others.
Take a Seed
Take a seed home to plant. This do-at-home activity provides a number of opportunities for empowered learning. Try planting the seeds near the perimeter of a clear cup. You’ll be able to see the root system grow.
Soil Monoliths
Observe soil monoliths, vertical samples of soil that tell scientists the type of soil conditions that exist in an area. The composition of the soil determines what types of plants will grow.
Interactive Videos
Learn about the local agricultural industry through a series of interactive videos that are as educating as they are entertaining.
As with all of Imagination Station’s exhibits, Grow U, which features science and technology content from the OAA (Ohio Achievement Assessments), is aligned to State science academic content standards in both Ohio and Michigan making the exhibition an extension of the classroom. Teachers are able to access Grow U Exhibit guides available at imaginationstationtoledo.org to more effectively help them plan their visit to the science center.