High School Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 15)

Try the Mythbusters' "Phone Book Friction" Experiment at Home

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever heard that two phone books with the pages interleaved are impossible to pull apart? This might seem crazy, right? It is not that hard to slide a sheet of paper off the top of a stack of paper. How much friction can there really be between sheets of paper? In this experiment, you will use pads of sticky notes instead of phone books. How much weight can they support when you interleave the pages? Do you think you will be able to pull them apart by hand? The results might surprise… Read more

Using Green Chemistry to Understand Types of Chemical Reactions

Lesson Plan Grade: 9th-12th

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This lab discusses types of reactions and replaces traditional reaction experiments involving chemicals such as lead (II) nitrate, barium chloride, and silver nitrate with greener alternatives. This lab is designed to challenge students to identify types of chemical reactions and distinguish between those that use safer, less hazardous chemicals and those that are more dangerous. Students will make a choice as to which reaction they will perform using the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry. They… Read more

X-Ray Vision: Seeing Into Space

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen amazing, colored images of objects in space, like stars or even entire galaxies? Some of these images were originally taken with forms of radiation that the human eye cannot actually see, like x-rays. In order to create the beautiful pictures you see in the news or online, scientists have to use an image-editing program to add color to them. In this astronomy science project, you will use raw x-ray data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory telescope to create amazing… Read more

Absorption of Radiant Energy by Different Colors

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Everyone has experienced the warmth provided by a shaft of sunlight through a window. In this physics science fair project, you will determine how the color of an object affects the amount of radiant energy that is absorbed. You will then use the Stefan-Boltzmann equation to determine the amount of energy that is absorbed and re-emitted by the different colors. Read more

Afterimages: The Colorful Tricks Eyes Play

STEM Activity

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Have you ever wondered how visual illusions are made? When we see special effects in movies, or a magic show, we often witness illusions that challenge our ability to correctly perceive things. One way in which our eyes play tricks on us is through afterimages. Afterimages are the images you see after staring at an object for several seconds and then looking away. In this science activity, you will look at afterimages to reveal the secrets of how your eyes see color. Read more

Apparent Motion in Flipbooks

STEM Activity

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Have you ever been tricked by an optical illusion? Optical illusions can be fun, but they are also quite scientific. In this activity you will investigate the phenomenon of apparent motion by making your own flipbook animations. Read more

Build a Model Planetary Lander with Arduino

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Imagine that you need to make sure valuable cargo — like a robot or even human astronauts — can land safely on Mars. How would you do it? In this project, you will build your own model planetary lander using an Arduino. It will use a distance sensor and automatically deploy landing gear before impact. Can you avoid a crash landing? Read more

Can You Create an Unbeatable Tic-Tac-Toe AI Player?

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Do you think you can win tic-tac-toe against an AI player? In this project, you will explore how the Minimax algorithm makes decisions in two-player games such as tic-tac-toe. This project requires little to no coding skill; instead, you will need an open mind and curiosity. Why not give it a try yourself? Read more

Control the Reaction Rate of a Foaming Reaction

Lesson Plan Grade: 9th-12th

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In this lesson, students will employ the enzymatic decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide to investigate how chemical reactions are affected by enzymes and different substrate concentrations. Students will be challenged to control the rate of the reaction by adjusting the amount of substrate and thus changing the catalase activity. Foam production, created by the enzymatic breakdown of hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen, will function as a proxy for the reaction rate. Based on their… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

HS-PS1-5. Apply scientific principles and evidence to provide an explanation about the effects of changing the temperature or concentration of the reacting particles on the rate at which a reaction occurs.

CUT! How Does CRISPR Work?

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-12th

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In this lesson plan, students will take a closer look at the most recent developments in gene editing. Specifically, they will learn about the CRISPR technology using various interactive simulations and other resources. Based on their gained knowledge, students will create a model of the CRISPR-Cas9 components and create a stop-motion animation video of the molecular mechanism of CRISPR-Cas9. Remote learning adaptation: This lesson plan can be conducted remotely. Students can work… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-LS4-5. Gather and synthesize information about technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.
HS-LS1-1. Construct an explanation, based on evidence, for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins, which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells.

High School Projects, Lessons, Activities (847 results)

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