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Eighth Grade, Zoology Projects, Lessons, Activities (37 results)

Animals have developed an amazing variety of body plans, behaviors, and strategies in order to succeed in the struggle for survival. Explore topics ranging from regeneration, camouflage, animal migration, how to attract hummingbirds, and more.

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Build a Bird Nest
STEM Activity
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71 reviews
Different types of birds lay their eggs in different places. Some build tiny nests in bushes, some build enormous nests in tall trees. Some lay their eggs directly on the ground or on rocky ledges. Those that build nests use many different types of materials. In this project you will try to build your own bird nest using only natural materials that you can find outside. Can you do better than a bird? Read more
Can You Hide in Plain Sight?
STEM Activity
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If you could choose to be an animal, would you rather be a predator or prey? For prey animals, survival in the wild means a daily struggle to escape potential predators. Predators, on the other hand, have to work very hard to make a catch. Some prey animals have evolved clever strategies to protect or defend themselves against predators. One common strategy is camouflage. Camouflage allows animals to blend into their surroundings so predators can't see them. Will this strategy increase an… Read more
Scientific Method: How Do Scientists Make Discoveries?
Video Lesson Grade: 3rd-8th
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This lesson will introduce students to the scientific method using a fun, hands-on activity about the role of animal camouflage in evolution. During the activity, students will practice each step of the scientific method including doing background research, making a hypothesis, conducting an experiment, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions. By going through this process, students will also learn how camouflage helps animals survive. Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • 3-LS4-2. Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing.
  • 3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.
  • MS-LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals' probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
  • MS-LS4-6. Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.
Caffeine and Heart Rate: A Pharmacological Study Using Daphnia magna
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
In this project, water fleas (Daphnia magna), a semi-transparent freshwater crustacean, are used to study the effects of caffeine on heart rate. Don't worry about having to learn how to take a crustacean's pulse: you can actually see the heart beating under a microscope. Many variations of this experiment are possible. Read more
Ocean Bioluminescence: Investigate When and How Dinoflagellates Glow
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Imagine the ocean water turning bright red or seeing ocean waves glowing a beautiful blue color. Sounds impossible—but it is not! Red tides and glowing waves are caused by microscopic organisms living in the ocean called dinoflagellates. Some dinoflagellates have the ability to produce light through a process called bioluminescence. When and how do these organisms glow? In this science project, you will investigate how changing the dinoflagellate's exposure to light and dark affects its… 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
Make a Homemade Fly Trap
STEM Activity
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60 reviews
Have some pesky flies in your kitchen that you cannot seem to get rid of? In this project you will build your own simple fly trap from a plastic bottle. Get ready to get rid of those flies! Read more
Maze-solving by an Amoeboid Organism
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Can a simple organism that lives off of dead trees and that grows as a mass of protoplasm actually have intelligence? The goal of this science fair project is to test the ability of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum to solve the problem of finding the shortest path through a maze. Read more
Worm Observation
STEM Activity
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29 reviews
Earthworms are important for the soil and a lot of fun to study. Few people know there are over 2,000 types of earthworms. Some like to burrow deep in the soil, while others stay near the surface. Do you know what they eat, or what their eating and burrowing habits are? Fill a pot with moist dirt, add a few worms, and observe your worms to find out. Read more
Antlion Pits in Open Sand or Under Leaf Cover
Science Fair Project Idea
Scientific Method
Antlion larvae are known for their predatory ways. In sandy areas, they dig pits to trap ants or other crawling insects that happen to stumble in. This project shows you how to create a mini-environment for antlion larvae to test their preferences for pit-building sites. Read more
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