Sixth Grade, Human Biology & Health Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 4)

Get Energized with Cellular Respiration!

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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In this fun lesson plan, students will measure how the amount of carbon dioxide in their exhaled breath changes with exercise levels. Carbon dioxide is a product of cellular respiration, so the lesson highlights how breathing is connected to cellular respiration and energy production in our body. Students will make the measurements using a simple colorimetric reaction that can easily be assessed visually. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-LS1-7. Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism.

How Far Can Your Sneeze Go?

STEM Activity

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Do you cover your coughs and sneezes? How far do you think the droplets can travel if you do not cover them? Why is this important to help prevent the spread of diseases like COVID-19? Try this activity to find out! Read more

How Fast Is Your Reaction Time?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Many sports skills require quick reaction times: think of hitting a 95-mph fastball, returning a 100-mph tennis serve, or blocking a slapshot at the net in hockey. (The Experimental Procedure section below has one way to measure reaction time.) Is your right hand faster than your left? Can you improve your reaction time with practice? Do both hands improve if you only practice with one hand? Try relating your reaction time to real situations in your favorite sport. For example, calculate… Read more

Measuring Your Taste Threshold

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever been to a buffet and found yourself surrounded by a wide variety of taste sensations? People are generally able to discern five basic tastes: sweet, umami (also known as savory), salty, sour, and bitter. How sensitive is a person's tongue for these basic tastes? Is it easier to detect some flavors at low concentrations compared to others? In this human biology science project, you will find out by exploring your taste thresholds for sweetness, saltiness, and sourness. Get ready to… Read more

Program a Sound Level Meter to Help Protect Your Hearing

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you ever said, "That hurt my ears!" when someone yelled loudly right next to you? Do you cover your ears when a fire truck drives by with the sirens blaring? It is good to protect your ears—even sounds that do not "hurt" can cause hearing damage if you are exposed to them for too long. In this project, you will program a device that alerts you when sounds have exceeded safe levels long enough to cause hearing damage. Read more

Smelly Science: A Sniff Test

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Take a deep breath: freshly baked cookies, smoke from a wood fire, or a rose—your nose is an amazing smell detector! Your sense of smell can not only identify a huge variety of odors, but it is also incredibly sensitive. Think about how easily you can detect if someone in your neighborhood has a barbecue just by smelling the hints of smoke from the grill far away. How strong or weak you perceive an odor depends on its concentration. What do you think is the lowest concentration of a… Read more

The Power of Your Eyes: How Vision Affects Balance

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Staying balanced might feel simple, but there’s so much more involved than you would think! The way your body balances is actually the result of several body systems working together. Your muscles and joints provide feedback (proprioception) about where your body is in space, your inner ear senses movement and position, and your eyes give you important visual cues about your surroundings. Vision is especially important because it helps your brain judge where you are in relation to the… Read more

Building Personal Medicine Apps to Help Patients

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Remembering to take medication or perform a test regularly, consistently, and at specific times can be difficult for elderly people with short-term memory loss, or teenagers absorbed in activities. With mobile devices becoming our constant companions, could a smartphone or tablet offer a solution? The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has created a simple tool making it possible for anyone who has a computer and Internet access to create a reminder app. It is easy, quick, and… Read more

Burning Calories—Literally!

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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Your students might know that they can burn calories, but do they know what a calorie really is? In this fun lesson plan, your students will measure the energy content of food by literally burning it using a device called a calorimeter that they will design and build themselves. This will get your students thinking about the chemistry of energy transfer as well as good nutrition, and gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "burning calories!" Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-PS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design, construct, and test a device that either minimizes or maximizes thermal energy transfer.
MS-PS3-4. Plan an investigation to determine the relationships among the energy transferred, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in the average kinetic energy of the particles as measured by the temperature of the sample.

Click a Button Without Your Hands: Design a Puff Switch

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you ever wondered how you could push a button without using your hands? How would you type on a computer or play a video game? You could use a puff switch - an electronic switch activated by blowing into a straw. This type of assistive device can help users with limited mobility or physical disabilities do everything from using a computer to steering a wheelchair. In this project, you will design, build, and test a puff switch that is connected to a tiny programmable board that you can use… Read more

Sixth Grade, Human Biology & Health Projects, Lessons, Activities (86 results)

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