Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 89)

Centripetal Force

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What keeps you in your seat of a giant loop-de-loop roller coaster? Surprisingly, it is not the seatbelt but the seat! It works because of something called centripetal force and it does much more than make a great roller coaster. It keeps a satellite in orbit and you in your bicycle seat during a turn. How does it work? Read more

Charge from Change: Make a Coin Battery

STEM Activity

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56 reviews

Have you ever wondered why your phone, computer, or a flashlight works without being plugged into a power outlet? Where does the electrical energy come from that makes all these portable devices function? You probably know the answer: they use batteries! But do you know how these batteries work? Batteries store electrical energy in the form of chemical energy, which means that electrochemical reactions inside the batteries create electricity. It may sound complicated, but it is simpler than you… Read more

Chlorophyll Extraction

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Chlorophyll is a natural pigment found in green plants. It is the primary pigment that absorbs light energy from the sun for photosynthesis. This energy is then used by the plant to synthesize glucose from carbon dioxide and water. Chlorophyll in the leaves of plants can be extracted and separated using chromatography. A good source of chlorophyll for an extraction is a dark green leafy vegetable like spinach. Rub a fresh spinach leaf on the bottom of a strip of filter paper. You can get a… Read more

Chromatography: Be a Color Detective

STEM Activity

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Do you love bright and vibrant colored art supplies? Do you ever wonder how these colors are made? The variety of colors comes from colored molecules that are mixed into the material used to make the product. Some colored molecules are synthetic (or manmade), like the famous Yellow #5 found in food dyes. Others are extracted from natural sources, such as carotenoid (pronounced kuh-RAH-tuh-noid) molecules, which make your carrot look orange, and can be extracted from saffron. Even… Read more

Color Taste Test—Do You Taste with Your Eyes?

STEM Activity

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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

Compression of Wet Sand

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Did you ever notice the cool patterns around your footprints when you take a walk in the wet sand at the beach? The pressure of your feet has effects far outside your footprints. Here's a project that uses a simple experimental apparatus to investigate how the volume of wet sand changes under pressure. Read more

Correlation Between Relative Pitch and Age, Gender, or Musical Background

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Here's an interesting way to get some music into your science fair project. What predictions would you make about people with relative pitch? Read more

Creating a Video Game for Players with Visual Impairments

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Do you enjoy playing video games? Do you like the challenge of reaching a difficult game level and scoring lots of points? Video games include many graphic elements that are great to watch, but did you know that not only sighted people enjoy video games? Blind and visually impaired players can also play video games by relying on sound cues — the pings, pops, bangs, and bursts of music that make a game fun or exciting. When building a game that will be accessible to differently abled… Read more

CUT! How Does CRISPR Work?

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-12th

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In this lesson plan, students will take a closer look at the most recent developments in gene editing. Specifically, they will learn about the CRISPR technology using various interactive simulations and other resources. Based on their gained knowledge, students will create a model of the CRISPR-Cas9 components and create a stop-motion animation video of the molecular mechanism of CRISPR-Cas9. Remote learning adaptation: This lesson plan can be conducted remotely. Students can work… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-LS4-5. Gather and synthesize information about technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.
HS-LS1-1. Construct an explanation, based on evidence, for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins, which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells.

Defining an Engineering Design Problem with Paper Airplanes

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

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Are paper airplanes a nuisance in your classroom? They don't have to be! Those distractions can be a constructive learning opportunity: use them to teach your students about the engineering design process. In this fun lesson, you will be the "customer" ordering a paper airplane, and your student teams will be engineering companies that will manufacture planes. Before they start making planes, they need to define the criteria and constraints of this engineering problem. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.

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