Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 192)

Skeleton Building

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you like skeletons? One of the more interesting jobs at a natural history museum is the creation and care of the skeletons and bones. How do the curators clean and put together the skeletons? Many curators use the carrion beetle, Dermestes vulpinus, to quickly clean off the dead animal tissue from a corpse to reveal the skeleton. These insects do such a good job that sometimes the skeleton remains intact! Another method is to slow cook the carcass until the meat falls off. You can use… Read more

Skiing and Friction: How Does Ski Wax Affect the Sliding Friction of Skis?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You can model this with an ice cube sliding down a plank: how high do you need to lift the end of the plank before the ice cube starts to slide? Try this with one side plain wood and the flip side waxed wood (use paraffin wax, candle wax or ski wax). Make sure both sides are equally smooth to start with. Do at least three trials. More advanced: using what you know about the forces acting on the ice cube, derive equations to calculate the coefficient of friction for each case. Variation: chill… Read more

Skunk Attack! Test Different Remedies to Remove Skunk Odor

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you or one of your pets ever been sprayed by a skunk? Hopefully not, but if you have, you probably know that the smell can be very unpleasant and hard to get rid of. There are many "folk remedies" for getting rid of skunk scent, but if you ever do get sprayed by a skunk, how will you know which one to try? In this science project, you will test the ability of various mixtures to remove the bad scent from rags that have been contaminated with bottled skunk scent, and determine which one… Read more

Sleep Tracking: The Brain and Circadian Rhythm's Role in Sleep

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Everybody sleeps, but not everybody has good quality sleep. Sleep is essential for the brain, but how do our daily choices impact sleep? In this science project, you will experiment and explore factors that influence your nighttime sleep schedule. Read more

Sliding Science: How are Landslides Caused?

STEM Activity

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Have you ever seen a video of a landslide? Landslides are powerful geological events that happen suddenly, causing fear in people who live in areas with unstable hills, slopes and cliff sides. Each year in the United States, landslides can cause billions of dollars in damages, in addition to changing the environment and damaging the surrounding habitats. In this science activity, you will model landslides using a clipboard and pennies, and investigate how friction and the angle of a… Read more

Slimey Likes It! Studying Chemotaxis in Physarum Polycephalum

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

In this biology science fair project, you will observe how the Physarum polycephalum (P. polycephalum) organism responds to various amounts of glucose. P. polycephalum is easy to grow in a petri dish and responds in complex ways to its environment. Will it grow toward the chemical as it looks for a meal, or will it flee, trying to avoid further contact? Try this science fair project to learn more about chemotaxis in the fascinating Physarum polycephalum. Read more

Slingshot to the Outer Planets

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

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Students are introduced to the engineering challenges involved with interplanetary space travel. In particular, they learn about the gravity assist or "slingshot" maneuver often used by engineers to send spacecraft to the outer planets. Using magnets and ball bearings to simulate a planetary flyby, students investigate what factors influence the deflection angle of a gravity assist maneuver. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-PS2-2. Make observations and/or measurements of an object's motion to provide evidence that a pattern can be used to predict future motion. (Grade 3)
4-PS3-1. Use evidence to construct an explanation relating the speed of an object to the energy of that object. (Grade 4)

Slinking Slinkies

STEM Activity

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Have you ever watched a Slinky "walk" down a flight of stairs and wondered how it works? It's a fascinating thing to see and a big part of the Slinky's appeal. These spring toys have been popular for well over half a century; your parents, or even grandparents, may have played with them. Slinkies not only make fun toys, they are also great for doing physics and engineering activities. In this activity you will investigate how the angle of an inclined plane affects how well a… Read more

Slip Sliding Away: Experimenting with Friction

STEM Activity

Have you ever driven up a mountain, seen a sign reading "Hazard! Icy Roads Ahead," and wondered why ice makes roads dangerous to drive on? The answer has to do with friction—specifically, the lack of it. Specifically, in the case of driving a car down the road, the friction that allows the car to move occurs between the tires and the road. This friction normally allows the car to "grip" the road—keeping the tires in contact with the relatively rough road… Read more

Slippery Science: Explore Friction by Launching Stuff

STEM Activity

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Have you ever tried to get a running start and slide across a smooth, wooden floor while wearing socks? What happens if you try the same thing on a carpeted floor, or while wearing shoes? The amount of friction between your feet and the floor surface determines how well you can slide. Some combinations of surfaces, like socks on a wooden floor, produce very little friction. Other combinations, like rubber soles on a wooden floor, produce much more friction. In this project you'll do a much… Read more

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