Eighth Grade, Computer Science Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 3)

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

1

2

3

4

5

6 reviews

Have you or your students ever felt frustrated at not being able to access a favorite website or online game? Did you realize the site might have been a victim of a cyber-attack? If you aren't careful about online security, your own computer could even be used to launch the attack! In this fun lesson plan, you and your students will model one type of attack (a denial-of-service attack) and figure out how to protect the network against it (no computer programming required)! Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.
MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.

Design Your Own Video Game with a Raspberry Pi

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you play video games on a console or smartphone? Have you ever wished you had the power to change how a game worked, or even to create your very own game? This project will show you how to make your very own video game and controller using a Raspberry Pi. Check out the video to see what this simple, but fun, project looks like. Of course, you can design the looks and gameplay of your game any way you like! IMPORTANT: The instructions for this project were originally written using Scratch 2… Read more

Encryption

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Want to send coded messages to your friends? Can you write a simple letter-substitution encryption program in Python or JavaScript? How easy is it to break the simple code? Can you write a second program that "cracks" the letter-substitution code? Investigate other encryption schemes. What types of encryption are least vulnerable to attack? Read more

Game of Life

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The Game of Life is the invention of the mathematician John Conway. It is a cellular automaton, consisting of a grid of squares that turn "on" or "off" depending on simple mathematical rules that involve neighboring squares. Depending on how the grid is first set up (i.e., the initial conditions), various interesting patterns appear. Can you write a Game of Life program in a programming language of your choice? If you are new to programming, check out these resources from the Raspberry Pi… Read more

Happy or Sad? Exploring Bias in Machine Learning

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

1

2

3

4

5

5 reviews

Classifying happy and sad faces is an easy task for most humans, but can we teach a machine to do it? In this fun lesson, students will use machine learning to try this out and see how easy it is for bias to creep in. This experiment requires no computer programming skills! In an optional extension, students will also use their imaginations to explore the potential benefits and dangers of artificial intelligence solutions. This lesson will give students an awareness of how prevalent artificial… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

How Secure Are Your Security Questions?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Many websites ask you to answer "security questions," like "What is your mother's maiden name?," to recover your account if you ever forget your password or login ID. However, sometimes the answers to those questions are easy to find online. Does this pose a risk to the security of important accounts like email and online banking? Are people even aware that this information about them is available online? In this project, you will investigate how secure people think security questions are, and… Read more

Identify Road Signs with Machine Learning

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Driverless cars use machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to identify road signs and other things they encounter on the road, like pedestrians and other vehicles. In this project you will take your own pictures of different types of road signs and use machine learning to identify the signs using a free online tool (no programming is required). You will then attempt to improve your machine learning model so it can identify signs in a variety of environments. Read more

Make a Greeting Card Come to Life!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

A singing monkey? An elderly couple doing the chicken dance? What kind of funny electronic cards do you like to email people? Feel free to dream up your coolest and funniest card ideas, because in this science project, you'll create your own animated greeting card with a simple-to-use programming language called Scratch. Scratch is a programming language that makes it easy to create interactive stories, games, music, and art. When the program you have written is complete, you can even share it… Read more

Make a Motion Sensor Alarm with a Raspberry Pi

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wished you could create an alarm system to guard your stuff? Or what about throwing a surprise party for someone and automatically playing music and flashing lights when they walk in the door? You can do either of these things using a Raspberry Pi. The kit includes a motion sensor, which can detect when people move in front of it. Check out the video to see what this simple, but fun, project looks like. IMPORTANT: The instructions for this project were originally written using… Read more

Pinwheel Magic: Take a Spin with Animation

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you enjoy watching cartoons and animated movies? Do you have fun playing video games? What do all of these things have in common? Fantastic computer animation, that's what! It's a cool job to take an interesting story or game and make it more entertaining by animating it. In this computer science project, you won't animate a full-length feature movie, but you will animate a pinwheel—a project that can go a long way toward creating your own longer animations! You will create an animated… Read more

Eighth Grade, Computer Science Projects, Lessons, Activities (49 results)

Explore Our Science Videos