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Ninth Grade, Environmental Engineering Projects, Lessons, Activities (15 results)

The human population on Earth is now more than 7.5 billion, and growing quickly. With more and more of us living an energy-intensive, modern lifestyle, the environmental stresses from human activity continue to increase. Greenhouse gases leading to global warming and fertilizer runoff resulting in marine "dead zones" are just two examples of large-scale environmental impacts from human activity. See how science, engineering and technology can help us take good care of our environment while still enjoying the comforts of a modern lifestyle.

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Solar-Powered Water Desalination
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
How can seawater from the oceans be turned into fresh water that is suitable for people to drink? Through a process called solar desalination! In this science project, you will make a solar desalination apparatus using readily available materials, and a power source that is free. How much water can the device produce, and is it still salty at all? What factors affect how effectively saltwater is turned into fresh water? Read more
Predict Air Quality with Machine Learning
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Air pollution is a growing issue, especially in cities, due to the rise of industrial activities, increased fossil fuel consumption from things like car use, and natural events like wildfires. This pollution is measured by the Air Quality Index (AQI), which shows how clean or polluted the air is. But what if we could predict changes in AQI to help communities plan ahead to protect people who are at risk from air pollution? That’s where machine learning comes in. In this project, you will… Read more
Fish + Food = Science of Aquaponics
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
How are we going to feed the more than 9 billion people that will live on Earth by 2050? This is a major question for farmers, ranchers, and food scientists around the globe. It's a big problem, considering that from 2017 to 2050 we will be adding 1.5 billion people and need 20% more food. Linked to this problem of producing enough food is having enough land, water, and other natural resources to make that happen. The final solution will surely be made up of many different approaches working… Read more
Make an Automatic Evaporative Cooling System
Science Fair Project Idea
Engineering Design Process
You probably know that sweat helps cool your skin on a hot day because of evaporation. But do you think you can use evaporation to cool a building? Evaporative cooling systems could provide a more environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional air conditioning. In this engineering project you will build and try to optimize your own model evaporative cooling system. Read more
Clean Up The Water with a Trash-Skimming Robot
Science Fair Project Idea
Engineering Design Process
Engineers are trying to tackle the world's ocean pollution problem using robots. Some robots, like Mr. Trash Wheel and the ship featured in this Mark Rober video, are stationary and collect trash as it flows out of rivers before it gets into the ocean. Others, like the Jellyfishbot, are mobile and can squeeze into narrower spaces to collect trash: Can you build and test your own trash-skimming robot? If you do not have access to a natural body of water to test it in, you can use a bathtub or a… Read more
Do Your Storm Drains Keep the Ocean Trash Free?
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Did you know that there is plastic in the ocean? It probably isn't too hard to imagine that some of the plastic that litters roadways, sidewalks, and parks finds its way into the ocean. So, how much do you think is in there? Hundreds of pounds of plastic? How about thousands of pounds? No one knows for sure, but estimates, based on scientific surveys, suggest the amount is in the range of millions of pounds of plastic! Of course, the ocean is big, over 300 million square kilometers, so… Read more
How Flocculation Cleans Up Drinking Water
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Your drinking water probably started out brown and muddy. Are you surprised? Maybe you were picturing it flowing from a clean mountain spring instead? All over the world, including in 68% of American homes, people get their drinking water from rivers, lakes, and other surface waters. This water is filled with dirt, debris, and other contaminants as it travels hundreds of miles. So, how does your drinking water go from brown and muddy to crystal clear? Often, flocculants—substances that… Read more
Zero-Energy Housing
Lesson Plan Grade: 9th-12th
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Students investigate passive solar building design with a focus solely on heating. They learn how insulation, window placement, thermal mass, surface colors, and site orientation play important roles in passive solar heating. They use this information to design and build their own model houses, and test them for thermal gains and losses during a simulated day and night. Teams compare designs and make suggestions for improvements.Engineering Connection Passive solar heating… Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.
  • HS-ETS1-3. Evaluate a solution to a complex real-world problem based on prioritized criteria and trade-offs that account for a range of constraints, including cost, safety, reliability, and aesthetics, as well as possible social, cultural, and environmental impacts.
Do Plants Promote Pesticide Breakdown?
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
When pesticides are applied to protect crops, run-off of potentially harmful pesticides is a major problem. Can water plants such as hardstem bulrush, common cattail, parrotfeather and smooth scouring rush promote pesticide breakdown? If so, diversion of irrigation run-off into plant-filled ponds could help reduce pesticide pollution. Mix malathion at 12.5% of the recommended application strength (to simulate dilution by rain or irrigation water). Use 5-gallon buckets for testing various… Read more
Fighting Litter in Your Neighborhood
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Is there a public park, playground, or beach near you that suffers from a litter problem? Here is a way that you can do something about it! First, get a measure of the size of the problem by conducting a litter survey. Select a fraction of the area to survey at regular intervals (e.g., every two or three days, or maybe once a week). The area should be large enough so that you can get a representative sample of litter, but not so large that you can't clean it up. Each time you conduct your… Read more
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