Middle School Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 42)

Train Wheel Science

STEM Activity

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28 reviews

Have you ever watched a train roll by? If so, you might have wondered how the train is able to stay on its tracks. The secret lies in the train's wheels. Although they seem cylindrical at first glance, when looking more closely you will notice that they have a slightly semi-conical shape. (Of course, never get close to a working train!) This special geometry is what keeps trains on the tracks. In this activity you will put different wheel shapes to the test to find out why the conical wheel is… Read more

Turn Plants into Biofuel with the Power of Enzymes

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Are biofuels the wave of the future? People often talk about these plant-derived fuels as a way to someday cut down on our dependency on non-renewable carbon-based fuels, like gasoline. Ethanol (a type of alcohol) is a common biofuel used today. In the United States, ethanol is a common biofuel additive to normal gasoline. In fact, some states mandate that when you fill up your gas tank, 10 percent of the total fuel volume be made of ethanol. Brazil, the world's second largest user of… Read more

Use a Drop of Water as Magnifying Glass

STEM Activity

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Are you ready to bend light, magnify letters, and have fun with drops of water—all while getting a glimpse into how lenses work? Lenses are the key components in eyeglasses, contact lenses, binoculars, telescopes, and magnifying glasses, just to name a few devices. With this activity, a homemade magnifying glass is only a drop away! Read more

Use Super-strong Magnets to Make a Simple Motor

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

In this science project, you will build what might be the world's simplest motor. It has just four basic parts: magnets, a battery, a screwdriver, and a short piece of wire. It takes only minutes to assemble, but it provides a wonderful device to explore how electricity and magnetism combine to produce a fast-spinning motor. Read more

Using AI to Detect Proper Exercise Form

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you ever wondered how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used to improve human health and medicine? Computers can now identify human joints as key points to track our body movements. They can then use this information along with training data sets to show us if we perform exercises safely, to prevent us from getting injured. Create your own data set and test out if your algorithm can reliably detect good and bad exercise form. Read more

Volleyball Machine Challenge

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Can you build a volleyball machine? It will need one part to launch a ping pong ball over a net and another to return the ball. How many back-and-forth volleys can you get before the ball touches the ground? Looking for inspiration? You can see how other students have tackled this and other annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenges. Teachers, lesson plan versions of this challenge are available. Read more

Want to Make a Video Game? Here's How!

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Do you love playing video and computer games? Do you dream of someday creating your own? With this science fair project you can turn that "someday" wish into a "today" reality! Read more

Watching Nuclear Particles: See Background Radiation Zoom Through A Cloud Chamber

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you realize that you are constantly bombarded by particles? You do not feel them, you cannot see, hear, or smell them, but they are always there! These particles — collectively called background radiation — might even travel through you without ever interacting with the molecules in your body. In this science project, you will build your own cloud chamber to prove the existence of background radiation. You will then use your cloud chamber to determine if the background… Read more

What Materials Can Block a Wi-Fi Signal?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever suffered from poor Wi-Fi reception for your smartphone, tablet, or laptop? Certain materials can actually block a Wi-Fi signal; do you think that could be part of your problem? In this science project, you will do an experiment to find out which materials cause the biggest drop in signal strength from a wireless router. Read more

What's the Fastest Way to Cool a Soda?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

So you've just finished mowing the lawn on a hot summer day, and you'd like a cold, refreshing drink as a reward. You look in the fridge, and oops! it's empty. The sodas are still sitting in the cupboard, at room temperature. What's the fastest way to get that soda down to a cold, drinkable temperature with materials readily at hand? Read more

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

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