Middle School Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 51)

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

In this cricket-inspired engineering challenge, you will build a machine to launch a ball and knock down a target (called a wicket). How many times can you knock down the wicket in three minutes? Teachers, lesson plan versions of this challenge are also available. Read more

Death Rays: What Duration of Ultraviolet Exposure Kills Bacteria?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Ultraviolet light can damage DNA molecules. If a cell's DNA repair mechanisms can't keep up with the damage, mutations are the result. As harmful mutations accumulate, the cell eventually dies. How much ultraviolet light is too much for a bacterial cell? Read more

Delayed Release Pill Challenge: Getting Medicine to the Right Place at the Right Time

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

A lot of medication comes in the form of pills that you need to swallow. But not all pills are the same! Some look like little capsules, others are made of pressed powder. Why are there different types of pills? Different types of pills release their active ingredients in different ways. Some release their active ingredient right after initial administration. Others release their active ingredient much later. Such drugs are called delayed-release drugs. These kinds of pills have to be… Read more

Design a Back Scratcher

STEM Activity

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Don't you hate it when you have an itch you can't reach right in the middle of your back? Engineer a solution to the problem and build your own back scratcher in this fun activity! Read more

Design a Delayed-Release Tablet

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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In this lesson, students are challenged to design and build a controlled-release tablet, which will be made from different colored bath tablets and a variety of water-soluble plastics. First, they will have to test the properties of each of the different plastic materials. Then their task will be to create a tablet that releases three different colors, each at a pre-determined time after the tablet has been submerged in water. As students design and build their controlled-release tablets, they… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
MS-ETS1-3. Analyze data from tests to determine similarities and differences among several design solutions to identify the best characteristics of each that can be combined into a new solution to better meet the criteria for success.

Design a Game to Help Alzheimer's Patients

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Alzheimer's disease and dementia affect millions of people around the globe. Can you design a "brain training" game that can help people keep their brains healthy as they age, and maybe one day help treat or even prevent diseases like Alzheimer's? Try this coding science project to find out! Read more

Design a Seeding Machine to Counteract Deforestation

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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Forests are the green lung of the Earth and home to millions of different plant, fungi, animal, and bacteria species. Unfortunately, today many forests are threatened by deforestation, which causes significant biodiversity loss. Ongoing reforestation efforts across the world intend to counteract the effects of deforestation. As planting trees by hand does not scale well, machines on the ground, as well as flying drones have been developed to help plant tree seedlings or seeds. In this lesson,… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-LS2-5. Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services.
MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of a problem.
MS-ESS3-5. Ask questions to clarify evidence of the factors that have caused the rise in global temperatures over the past century.

Design and 3D Print a Snowflake

STEM Activity

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Design and 3D print your own snowflake ornament with Tinkercad in this fun winter-themed STEM activity. Read more

Design and 3D-Print Your Own Robot!

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Science Buddies has several fun robotics projects, like the Art Bot: Build a Wobbly Robot That Creates Art and Make a Robot Hand Using Drinking Straws, where you use arts and crafts materials to make part of a robot. Have you ever wanted to design a more-advanced, sturdier, or fancier looking robot? Then computer-aided design (CAD) and 3D printing might be for you; both are simpler than you think! The directions on this page will give you an introduction to these technologies so you can design… Read more

Design Your Own Virtual Reality Headset

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Virtual reality (VR) headsets are becoming increasingly popular with consumers for things like viewing 3D pictures and videos, or for playing video games. However, dedicated gaming headsets like the Oculus Rift® and PlayStation® VR can cost hundreds of dollars. Some headsets, like Google Cardboard™, which is literally made out of folded corrugated cardboard (Figure 1), are much cheaper because they can use any smartphone as the screen. Figure 1. A… Read more

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

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