Middle School Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 130)

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Water striders (also called water bugs, pond skippers, etc.) are insects that can hop around on the surface of water (Figure 1). Unlike boats or other floating objects that are partially submerged and held up by the resulting buoyant force, water striders are held up by surface tension. Figure 1. Water striders (image credit Isaka Yoji). You can build your own water striders using thin wire (Figure 2 and summary video). Do some background research about… Read more

Water-Wise: Building a Rainwater Collection System

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

We are all familiar with the nursery rhyme, "Rain, rain, go away, come again some other day...", or the song "Singin' in the Rain." Numerous songs and stories describe our feelings about rain. Why so many? Because we humans understand how important rain is to our well-being. Rainfall, as part of the water cycle, brings water back to Earth that had previously evaporated or transpired from the surface. When water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into clouds and falls back to Earth as rain,… Read more

Wearable Limp Detection Device

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you (or anyone you know) ever sprained an ankle or broken a leg? It might have taken some practice to walk again after recovering from an injury. Some people might even need to work with a physical therapist. In this project you will program a wearable device to recognize when someone is limping instead of walking normally. Read more

Wearable RGB LED Unicorn Horn

STEM Activity

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Sewable circuits are a fun way to mix electronics and arts and crafts by sewing circuits into clothing or fabric. This sewable circuit focuses on creating a unicorn horn with a programmable red-green-blue (RGB) LED in the tip that changes colors. You will use conductive thread to make the circuit, but your stitched lines will also form the spiral lines of the unicorn horn. Read more

Weathering the Windchill: How Does Wind Speed Affect How Quickly an Object Cools?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you heard the term windchill used before? Maybe on the TV weather forecast? The windchill factor describes what happens to an object (like your body) when it is cold and windy outside. As wind increases, heat is carried away from the body at a faster rate, driving down both skin temperature (which can cause frostbite) and eventually the internal body temperature (which, in extreme cases, can lead to death). In this science fair project, you will use a device to measure wind speed (an… Read more

What Bone Do Children Break Most Often, and What Is the Main Cause?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Here's a project that will give you insight into accidents, and maybe help you prevent them. The original project used a survey method to gather data, which you could also do. Another approach for data collection that you might try would be to use published articles from the pediatric medical literature. Finding a pediatrician or pediatric orthopedist who is willing to be your mentor for this project would be helpful. (Idea from Caito, 2003) Read more

What Causes Lightning?

Video Lesson Grade: 6th-8th

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Lightning is a powerful display of static electricity in nature. But what is static electricity? In this lesson, students will learn about static electricity and electric fields by building a device that can detect electrical charges, called an electroscope. They will use their electroscope to investigate how well different materials can build up electric charges by rubbing them against wool. During their experiments, students will be able to demonstrate how electric fields exert forces on… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-PS2-5. Conduct an investigation and evaluated the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.

What Do Different Baking Ingredients Do?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you like to bake, this might be an interesting project for you. When you're following a recipe, do you ever wonder why certain ingredients keep showing up time after time (e.g., baking powder in quick breads)? Do you notice that certain ingredients tend to occur in a particular ratio to one another (e.g., amount of shortening and sugar, or amount of shortening and flour, or number of eggs and amount of flour)? What happens if you use more or less of an ingredient than the recipe calls… Read more

What Is Home Sweet Home to a Bug?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you had to choose between having your favorite dessert, going to a movie, or spending the night at a friend's house, which would you choose? This science project shows you how you can "ask" a sowbug (or pillbug) a similar question in order to learn about their preferences. Give it a try to find out what types of microenvironments these tiny crustaceans prefer. Read more

What Is Normal Body Temperature for Humans?

STEM Activity

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What is a normal body temperature for humans? Have you heard people say it is 98.6°F or 37°C? You will find out for yourself if that is fact or fiction in this simple activity. Read more

Middle School Projects, Lessons, Activities (1,335 results)

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