Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 185)

Mapping Magnetic Fields

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You probably know that you can use iron filings to reveal the magnetic field produced by a strong magnet. If you sandwich the iron filings between pieces of waxed paper, you can make a permanent record of your magnetic experiments (Gardner, 2004, 66). Cover the wax paper sandwich with a layer of brown paper (from a roll, or cut open a paper shopping bag), and then (with an adult's help) use a hot, dry iron to seal the waxed paper together. You will have to experiment a little with your iron… Read more

Mapping Troposphere Ozone Levels Over Time

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Ozone in the stratosphere protects the earth by absorbing harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun. However, when ozone occurs in the troposphere, i.e., the air that we breathe, it is harmful to health. In this project you can use data from EPA monitoring stations to analyze the weather/climate conditions that can lead to harmful ozone levels. Read more

Marble Race – In Liquid!

STEM Activity

1

2

3

4

5

11 reviews

Have you ever tried to squeeze honey or syrup out of a bottle at breakfast on a cold winter morning? Do you notice that it's harder to do that than on a hot summer day? As the liquid gets colder, its viscosity, or resistance to flow, increases. Viscosity is a properly of liquids that can be hugely important in wildly different applications – from how the syrup flows out of your bottle, to how blood flows through the human body, to how lava flows out of a volcano. In this project you will… Read more

Mars Terrain Exploration: A Hands-On Coding Investigation

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wondered what the surface of Mars is really like close up? Are you wondering what the Mars rovers get to see and experience? Some parts of Mars look smooth and sandy, whereas others are covered in rocks and rough terrain. In this project, you’ll step into the role of a planetary scientist and use real Mars rover images and Python code to detect, measure, and compare rocks across different types of Martian terrain. Here you’ll explore how image processing can help… Read more

Material Properties: Which Material Makes the Strongest Bridge?

Video Lesson Grade: 2nd

1

2

3

4

5

3 reviews

Bridges are made of many different materials: steel, stone, wood and even rope. How do engineers decide which materials to use? In this activity, your students will learn about material properties, test the strength and flexibility of several materials, and use their test information to predict which material will result in the strongest bridge. They will test their hypotheses by buiding simple bridges from each material and determining which bridge can hold the most weight. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

2-PS1-2. Analyze data obtained from testing different materials to determine which materials have the properties that are best suited for an intended purpose.

Mean & Green: Fruit & Vegetable Hardening

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When you open a can of green beans, have you ever wondered why the beans are not mushy, or more like a puree? Canning requires boiling the beans for a long period of time to kill bacteria, so why don't the beans fall apart into small pieces? Some fruits and vegetables—like cherries, apples, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beets, carrots, beans, cauliflower, and tomatoes—have the ability to undergo hardening, or firming of their plant tissues. A special enzyme, called pectin methyl… Read more

Measure the Earth’s Circumference with a Shadow

STEM Activity

1

2

3

4

5

14 reviews

How long of a tape measure would you need to measure the circumference of the Earth? Would you need to walk the whole way around the Earth to measure it? Do you think you can do it with just a meter stick in one location? Try this project to find out! Important: this project will only work within about 2 weeks of the spring or fall equinox (usually about March 20th and September 23rd). Read more

Measuring Heart Rate with Your Own Stethoscope

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th

1

2

3

4

5

3 reviews

In this fun, hands-on lesson, students explore their heartbeats and learn about blood circulation. They will make their own stethoscopes, use them to measure their heart rates and investigate how heart rate is affected by exercise. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.

Measuring Height Or Distances with a Camera

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you know or calculate the field of view for your camera, you can use it to measure distances and the height of almost anything. It's all a matter of basic trigonometry. Read more

Measuring Speed with a Video Camera

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

A video camera records 30 "frames" or distinct images per second. (That's for an NTSC camera in the U.S. PAL cameras in other areas of the world take 25 frames per second.) You can use this fact to time events and measure speed. One student has used a video camera to measure the speed of an arrow shot from a bow. The following project can help you set up your experiment: Distance and Speed of Rolling Objects Measured from Video Recordings. Read more

Projects, Lessons, Activities (top 2,000 results)

Explore Our Science Videos