Middle School Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 81)

Engineer a Cell Phone Stand

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Look around you. What types of objects do you see in the room? Furniture, lights, a computer, a fan, pencils, books, etc.? Where did they come from? Odds are you did not build them yourself. You or your parents probably bought them at a store. Before that, they were built in a factory somewhere. And even before that, they were probably designed by engineers. You might think of engineers when you think of complex machines like rockets or huge structures like bridges, but engineers also design… Read more

Engineer an LED Night-Light

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Night-lights can be found in many homes; you might even have one in your bedroom! Using a night-light is a great way to avoid stubbing your toe on furniture during a midnight trip to the bathroom. In this fun engineering project, you will design and build your own night-light. You will need to build the circuit, but you will also need to think about the physical design of the product. Most people probably do not want an ugly, bare circuit board sitting around their house. Can you make a… Read more

Environmental Monitoring

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

Does human activity impact the environment? If so, how can we measure our impact on the environment? How can we use these measurements to change our behavior? In this project, your students will explore these questions by designing and building an electronic circuit that can measure environmental parameters like water quality or light pollution. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-ESS3-3. Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.

Explore Biodiversity Using a Homemade Bug Vacuum!

STEM Activity

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It might seem impossible to estimate how many different bugs live in a nearby field, or how many types of birds live in a forest, but wildlife biologists often have to try to determine the number of different species in a given habitat. This plays an important role in helping us understand how healthy the environment is. In this activity, you will get to take on the role of a wildlife biologist by examining the biodiversity of bugs and other small invertebrates (such as spiders, centipedes,… Read more

Explore Perceptrons: A Simple Type of Neural Network

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have the phrases "machine learning" or "neural network" caught your interest, but you are not really sure how to use them in a science project? This project is a great place to start for beginners. You will learn about a very simple type of neural network—a computer program modeled after the human brain—called a perceptron. The perceptron can make a simple yes/no decision based on several inputs. You can "train" your perceptron to improve its decision-making abilities. Try it and… Read more

Explore the Effects of pH on Lead Testing.

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Lead is a very hazardous element. Even very small amounts can cause health problems, especially in babies and young children. One way to determine if a household item, such as a toy or a piece of jewelry, contains lead is to soak the item in a solution, and then test the solution for lead that might have leached out of the item. The goal of this chemistry science fair project is to determine how varying the pH of the test solution affects its ability to dissolve lead, which is a critical step… Read more

Exploring Our Growing Need for Water

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-10th

© 2015 California Academy of Sciences In this two-day lesson, students will be introduced to several water sustainability issues, including access to clean freshwater, groundwater depletion, agricultural water use, and water waste. Read more

Fear Factor: Using Pulse Rate to Measure Emotion

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Oh, were you ever scared! Your heart pounded, your breath rate shot up, your palms got cold and clammy. Fear does that to us. Here's a science project based on roller coaster rides to see if heart rate is an accurate measurement of fear. Are you brave enough to take on this frightfully fun project? Read more

Feeding Earthworms: Do Different Diets Affect Them and the Soil They Enrich?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Interested in helping the environment, and don't mind getting dirty? In this project you get to mix it up with earthworms, soil, and various types of organic kitchen scraps. The basic idea is to set up small earthworm colonies to compost different types of food waste. You test the soils in each type to see how diet affects both the earthworm population and the nutrients they put back into the soil. This project takes a little time, but it's worth it. You'll help the environment and learn… Read more

Feeding Fido & Fluffy: Designing an Automatic Pet Feeder

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

An overnight trip to the beach or a quick two-day vacation can be lots of fun. What do you do to prepare? Pack your clothes, get sunscreen lotion, and borrow a book from the library. But wait! Who is going to feed your dog or cat? It would be irresponsible to let them go hungry. And you can't just leave food out, because it can get stale and start to grow bacteria, which can cause your pet to get sick. Also, it is not a good idea to leave bowls of food out because a pet might overeat, which is… Read more

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

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