Eighth Grade Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 37)

Growing Great Gardens: Using Human Urine as a Fertilizer

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Every day farmers around the world apply commercial fertilizer to their fruits and vegetables to improve plant health and yield. But applying commercial fertilizer is expensive and not economically possible for some farmers in developing countries. What if they could find a way to fertilize plants cheaply? It turns out that human urine is rich in the nutrients that plants need to grow. Could urine serve as a fertilizer substitute? Find out for yourself in this plant growth science project. Read more

Have a Cricket Tell You the Temperature!

STEM Activity

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Do you love to hear the pulsing chirp of crickets as you fall asleep? It is an unmistakable sound. Some people find the sound pleasing and peaceful, but other people find the sound loud and annoying, especially if a cricket happens to get inside a home to escape the cold. However you feel about crickets, their chirps hold a surprising message — they can be used to predict the temperature! In this science activity, you will investigate how the chirps of these tiny creatures can be used… Read more

Homemade Rice Paper

STEM Activity

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Have you ever encountered "paper" on your plate—perhaps in the form of thin paper for spring rolls, or cake decorating? Did it make you wonder how this paper relates to the paper you write on? You will find out in this activity! In addition, you can discover the recipe to make the edible paper you like best. Read more

How Do Cats Respond to Bird Sound Recordings?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Cats are great house pets, but as every cat observer knows, they are also instinctive hunters. This experiment provides an interesting way to learn about cat behavior. You'll play bird call recordings for pet cats, and watch to see if the cat pays attention to the sound (by turning towards it) or ignores it. Will a pet cat distinguish between the calls of local birds vs. non-local birds? Read more

How Do Viruses React To Soap?

STEM Activity

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Have you ever wondered why we wash our hands with water and soap to get rid of bacteria and viruses? Good hand hygiene becomes especially important during viral outbreaks such as the COVID-19 pandemic! The CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommendations for handwashing say to scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds with water and soap. But how does soap kill viruses such as SARS-COV-2? In this activity, you will find out by experimenting with models of different virus types to see how they… Read more

How Do You Get Heat from a Supercooled Solution? Explore the Chemistry Within Hand Warmers

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You're at the high school football game and it's getting pretty chilly as the sun goes down. You're determined to keep cheering for your team, but your hands are freezing—have you ever tried hand warmers? The chemistry within these little packets is pretty cool. Hand warmers provide a unique and fun way to study the chemistry of crystal formation and heat generation. By pressing a button in a pouch, which contains a supercooled solution, you start a rapid exothermic (heat-producing)… Read more

How Do You Protect Spacecraft from Space Debris?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You might not think a chip of paint could cause a lot of damage, but what if it is traveling 18,000 miles per hour? That is the reality astronauts face on the International Space Station (ISS). Learn how engineers protect the ISS from space debris in this fun science project as you build your own model spacecraft shield and conduct your own impact tests! Read more

How Does Solar Cell Output Vary with Incident Light Intensity?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Solar cells are an alternative method for generating electricity directly from sunlight. With this project, you can get down to the atomic level and learn about the world of solid-state electronics as you investigate how solar cells work. Your experiment will measure the effect of changing light intensity on power output from the solar cell. A possible variation would be to investigate the effect of changing the color of the light. Read more

How Does Speed Affect Orbiting Altitude of Satellites?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The movement of satellites is intriguing, but how do they orbit the way they do? Aerospace engineers run calculations and set up computer models to help them predict how satellites move in space, but in this astronomy science project, you will create a physical model with marbles, clay, and a cookie sheet to help you study how satellites move in space and learn from your observations. Read more

How Does the Number of Parachutes Affect Terminal Velocity?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wondered how astronauts land safely back on Earth? Many spaceships use a small crew capsule with multiple large parachutes to bring the astronauts down to a gentle landing either on the ground or in the ocean. What happens if one or more of the parachutes fails to deploy? Can the astronauts still land safely? Find out as you explore the physics of falling with parachutes in this project. Read more

Eighth Grade Projects, Lessons, Activities (1,099 results)

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