Middle School Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 72)

Build a Color-Detecting Rover

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

The Mars Curiosity and Perseverance rovers use scientific instruments, nicknamed ChemCam (Figure 1) and SuperCam respectively, to help them analyze the composition of rocks and soil on Mars. You can learn more about these cameras from the resources in the Bibliography, and more about why scientists want to analyze rocks on Mars from the video on this page. Figure 1. The two main parts of the ChemCam instrument on the Mars Curiosity rover. For a science… Read more

Build a Differential from K'Nex®

STEM Activity

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What in the world is a differential and what does it do? A differential is a mechanism that helps cars go around turns without the wheels slipping. In this activity you will build your own working model differential from a building toy like K'Nex®! Read more

Build a Light-Up Activity Timer

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Do you have trouble remembering when to stop playing and clean up? Have you ever had little kids throw a tantrum about cleaning up while you were babysitting? If so, this project is for you! You will convert a stuffed animal into a light-up activity timer. You can use the timer for different activities like play, exercise, or doing homework. What you use it for is up to you! Read more

Build a Reed Switch Motor

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Motors are used in many things you find around your house, like your refrigerator, coffee maker, and even a lawn mower. In this electronics science fair project, you will get to build a simple motor, using a kit, and then test how the number of batteries (amount of voltage) used to power the motor affects its performance. Read more

Build a Sandcastle That Can Support a Brick

STEM Activity

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Can you build a sandcastle that can support a brick? Try it out in this fun STEM activity! Read more

Build a Water Sprinkler Toy

STEM Activity

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Do you enjoy playing with water? Have you ever considered building a water sprinkler toy? It is easier than it looks! Get some PVC pipes, a few connectors, and a backyard water hose, then drill a few holes and start connecting! What will be your most creative and most fun design? Read more

Build an Arduino Mini-Drone

Lesson Plan Grade: 8th-12th

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In this STEM lesson, students will build a mini popsicle stick drone and use feedback control with an Arduino and an ultrasonic sensor to control the drone's altitude. Read more

Build an Arduino Self-Driving Car

Lesson Plan Grade: 8th-12th

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This eight-part lesson will guide you through building and programming Arduino-controlled autonomous cars with your students. Each part contains a detailed step-by-step video and a supplemental lesson plan PDF with learning objectives, assessment opportunities, and appendices with circuit diagrams and example code. You can present the material yourself or have students follow along with the videos and pause to work on their autonomous cars. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

HS-ETS1-2. Design a solution to a complex real-world problem by breaking it down into smaller, more manageable problems that can be solved through engineering.

Build an Ion Wind Rotor

STEM Activity

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Can you use electrically charged "wind" to make something move? Find out in this fun project as you build your own ion wind rotor. Read more

Build Personal Playlists with Machine Learning

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

AI has the power to organize data into categories—even when it is not given clear instructions. In this project, we will create an unsupervised K-Means learning model that organizes songs into distinct groups based on their similarities. The best part? You don't need advanced coding skills; just bring an open mind and a desire to explore the fascinating intersection of music and technology. Are you ready to embark on this exciting journey? Read more

Middle School Projects, Lessons, Activities (1,332 results)

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