Middle School, Environmental Science Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 4)

Modeling Your Local Watershed and Nutrient Pollution

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever been unable to swim in a body of water because it was polluted? Have you ever wondered where the water came from, or what contributed to its pollution? In this science project, you'll learn how water drains to common areas to create bodies of water and how the land surrounding a waterway can contribute to its health and pollution. Read more

Fossil Fuels: Chocolate Chip Mining

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-8th

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11 reviews

NGSS Performance Expectations:

4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and that their uses affect the environment.
MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.

Oil Spills

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

No one can deny the devastating consequences of an oil spill on the local wildlife. Oil affects all levels of the ecosystem, from plants to fish and birds. What happens to water plants if you add motor oil to their pot? What is the effect of motor oil on the health of a goldfish, or water insects? What happens to the barbs of a bird feather if they are dipped in oil? Can you test different types of environmentally-friendly detergents for cleaning the bird feathers? Can you test different… Read more

Predicting How Urban Wildfires Will Spread

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Urban wildfires can cause devastating loss of life and property. Can we save lives by predicting how and where these fires will spread? What protective measures can we take to save buildings from the fires? In this project you will use a computer model to simulate how wildfires spread in populated areas, and experiment with different protective measures to try and save houses from burning. Read more

Smarter Farming with Aerial Photo Analysis

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Wondering what sustainable, high-producing agriculture might look like? This science project explores how analyzing bird's-eye-view pictures of a field can make farmers aware of variations in their fields. Farmers can use this information to optimize their farming practices, or even feed this information to high-tech agricultural equipment so the machines can automatically adjust their actions (like fertilizing or watering) to the needs of a piece of land. Read more

Test and Change the Air Quality of Your Environment

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you ever wonder if the air inside is cleaner or dirtier than the air you breathe outside? In this science experiment, you will test it using an air quality monitor. Have you ever wondered how lighting a candle in your room impacts your air quality? Did you cook and not turn on the fan? How did it affect your breathing, and how did it impact the air quality? In this project, you can see how these environmental factors can improve or worsen the air you breathe every day. Read more

Are There Dangerous Levels of Lead in Local Soil?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The element lead is a neurotoxin that is particularly dangerous to young children. Among other uses, lead compounds were common paint additives until being phased out for safer titanium-based additives beginning in the 1960's. Lead compounds were also added to gasoline to prevent engine knocking, until being phased out beginning in the 1970's. Although paint and gasoline sold today no longer contain lead, soil can have contamination from older sources of lead, such as paint from old buildings.… Read more

Can Machine Learning Forecast Future Sea Levels?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Global sea levels are rising, but modeling and predicting them can be challenging with more and more extreme weather events. Can we use machine learning to track and predict sea level changes? In this science project, you will use previously collected data and machine learning to see if you can predict future relative sea level changes. Read more

Deforestation

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The conversion of forested to unforested areas has been occurring since humans began to impact and change their environments during the agricultural revolution. Recently deforestation has become a global problem, particularly for developing industrial countries and countries with very large populations. You can use satellite mapping resources to investigate the connection between urbanization, population growth and deforestation. You can also investigate the connection between deforestation… Read more

Dust Busters: How No-Plow Farmers Try to Save Our Soil

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you have any great-grandparents who lived through the Great Depression in the United States during the 1930's? If so, they might have stories to tell about terrible dust storms that blackened the skies, from the Midwest to the east coast. Severe drought was a factor in causing this "Dust Bowl" era, but decades of poor farming practices contributed to it, too. In this environmental science fair project, you'll learn about farming methods that help keep dirt from drying up into dust, and help… Read more

Middle School, Environmental Science Projects, Lessons, Activities (68 results)

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