Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 191)

Starry Science: Measuring Astronomical Distances using Parallax

STEM Activity

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Do you enjoy going stargazing on a warm night? Summer can be a great time to watch the stars as well as other celestial events, like the Perseids, which is an impressive meteor shower that happens each year from mid-July to late August. Did you know that ancient astronomers could actually measure the distance from Earth to faraway stars? How could they do this without modern technologies? In this activity you will find out by exploring the relationship between the distance of an object and the… Read more

Static Science: How Well Do Different Materials Make Static Electricity?

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Have you ever noticed that some types of clothes are more susceptible to static cling than others? For example, a wooly sweater can have a lot of static cling, but clothing made out of cotton doesn’t get static cling nearly as much. How well do other materials around the house produce static electricity? In this science activity, you’ll explore this by making a simple, homemade electroscope and testing it out. The results may shock you! Read more

Steamy Standing Time: How Food Size Impacts Carryover Cooking

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

"What? My food needs some standing time? How can food stand? I don't see any legs on those baked potatoes!" Whether you're using a traditional oven or a microwave, standing time is an important concept in cooking or baking. When you remove a food from an oven or a microwave, the food retains heat and continues to cook for several minutes after it has been removed from the heat source. This process of the food continuing to cook, using the retained heat in the food itself, is called carryover… Read more

Stepping Science: Estimating Somebody’s Height from Their Walk

STEM Activity

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Have you ever noticed you need to walk faster just to keep up with some people, or decrease your pace to walk with other people who are going slower? This is likely because of the difference in leg length between you and the person you are walking with. In this science activity, you’ll get to investigate just how much faster or slower different people walk, and see if you can use the relationship between a person’s walking pace and their height to estimate your own height. Read more

Stick With It – Put Your Duct Tape To The Test!

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You may have heard of the space shuttle Apollo 13, or seen the movie about the amazing survival of the ship’s crew after an explosion aboard the ship. What you may not know, is that duct tape helped save the lives of the Apollo 13 crew! NASA had to figure out a way to keep the 3 crew members alive in a tiny lunar module that was only meant to hold 2 people for 36 hours. They instructed the crew to build life-saving air filters using cardboard, plastic bags, space suit parts and –… Read more

Stopping Superbugs!

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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If your doctor prescribes antibiotics, why do you have to take them for several days and not just once? Why do you need to finish taking them even if you feel better? If you do not follow the doctor's orders, you might contribute to the creation of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs"! In this lesson, your students will roll dice to model how bacteria respond to treatment by antibiotics, and find out what happens if treatment is stopped too early. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

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.

Strength of Different Construction Materials

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

There are many types of construction materials used for wood-frame houses. Compare the different uses for and strengths of different building materials, e.g.: particle board, plywood, pine, oriented strand board (OSB), and drywall (gypsum board, SheetRock). The Science Buddies Materials Science Resource Stress, Strength and Strain will be helpful for learning about different ways to measure material strength. You should be sure to use the same cross-sectional area of each material in order… Read more

Stressed Out? Take a Break with this Project!

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Is an I-beam as strong as a solid beam of the same size? What if you include weight in the comparison: which beam has the greater strength-to-weight ratio? Would an I-beam be stronger than a solid rectangular beam of the same weight? What about other structural shapes (e.g., T-beams, U-beams)? In this project you can find out by setting up a test stand, putting on your safety goggles and measuring how much stress these building components can handle before they snap. Read more

Stretchy Balloon Science

STEM Activity

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Balloons are fun and come in a variety of sizes, colors, and forms that makes them well suited for decorations, water play, modeling, and other creative activities. But balloons also have uses outside of recreation; weather balloons, balloons used to widen obstructed arteries, and balloons that provide transportation are just a few examples. The first balloons were made of animal bladders or intestines. This made way for the latex, rubber, and nylon fabric balloons we see today. Have you ever… Read more

Strong Wind Science: The Power of a Pinwheel

STEM Activity

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Have you ever ridden your bike into a strong wind? If so, did your legs feel like lead? How does this compare to how you feel when the wind is pushing against your back – does that make you feel ready for the Tour de France? In this science activity, you will explore how wind-powered devices, like wind turbines and pinwheels, also react in different ways to the direction of the wind. Read more

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