Sixth Grade Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 33)

Analog vs. Digital Signals

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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We hear the word "digital" all the time—digital technology, digital device, digital TV, etc. But what does it actually mean? In this lesson plan, your students will learn how digital signals allow us to reliably transmit and store information. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-PS4-3. Integrate qualitative scientific and technical information to support the claim that digitized signals are a more reliable way to encode and transmit information than analog signals.

Bake Your Ice Cream

STEM Activity

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56 reviews

Did you ever bake your ice cream? An insulated bag or a cooler filled with ice can keep a treat like ice cream cool. Using the same principles, it is even possible to bake ice cream in a hot oven and have it come out frozen! This activity will teach you how. Read more

Basketball: Will You Bank the Shot?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You are right next to the basket and someone passes you the ball. Will you go for a direct shot or will you use the backboard and take a bank shot at the basket? Would different positions on the court give you a higher chance of making a shot using the backboard than others, even when keeping the distance from the hoop the same? In this science project, you will build a scale model and test different positions on the court to determine if one results in a better chance of making a bank shot… Read more

Build a Recycling-Sorting Machine

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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In this lesson plan, your students will build their own recycling sorting machines that use various methods, like magnets or puffs of air, to separate shreds of paper from paper clips. This lesson is inspired by the real-world engineering challenge of separating various materials, like paper, plastic, and metals, that get combined in single-stream recycling programs. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-PS2-3. Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
MS-PS2-5. Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Can Biodegradable Materials Replace Plastic as Protective Food Packaging?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Many foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, or eggs, are packaged in plastic to protect them from damage during handling and transport. But is plastic the best choice? What if a more sustainable and biodegradable material could replace it? Researchers have begun exploring hydrogels—squishy materials that can hold a lot of water—as alternative packaging materials. In this science project, you will make your own hydrogels from gelatin and cornstarch and investigate what ratio of… Read more

Chemistry of Baking Ingredients 1: How Much Baking Powder Do Quick Breads Need?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you like to bake, this could be a good science project for you! Have you ever wondered about the purpose of each of the ingredients in your favorite recipes? For example, why is baking powder used in some muffin recipes? How does the baking powder affect how the muffins look, feel, and taste? In this food science project you will use a scientific method to find out! Read more

Classify Animals with Machine Learning

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

How do you tell the difference between a bird and a fish? Birds tend to have feathers and can fly, while fish have no legs and can breathe underwater. In this project, you will explore how to create a decision tree using machine learning that can classify different animals based on multiple characteristics. This project is designed for beginners and requires little to no coding experience. Ready to give it a shot? Read more

Cold Pack Chemistry: Exploring Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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How do "instant" cold packs get cold when they are stored at room temperature, unlike a regular ice pack which must be stored in the freezer? In this lesson plan, students will explore several endothermic and exothermic reactions, and use their observations to choose the chemical reaction that best fits the design constraints for their own chemical cold pack. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-PS1-6. Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

Color Taste Test—Do You Taste with Your Eyes?

STEM Activity

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88 reviews

Have you ever tried adding green food coloring to your milk? Or blue coloring to the butter you spread on your bread? You may not have tried this, but for years, scientists have studied the effect of color and food appearance on how food tastes. Believe it or not, our eyes are an important part of how we taste and perceive food! In this activity, you will learn about how you can trick your taste buds—with just a little food coloring! Read more

Colorful Patterns in Melting Ice

STEM Activity

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110 reviews

Have you ever wondered why ice cubes in your cold drink become gradually smaller, or why their surface becomes smoother as they melt? Does ice always melt this way? In this activity, you will use water balloons to create giant ice balls and observe how they melt. Can you predict the effect a bit of salt will have on your giant ice ball? Read more

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