Middle School Science Experiments (Page 115)

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Global warming, climate change, melting ice caps—these are all big events that have an impact our environment. What can we do to help reduce the impact? We can reduce, reuse, and recycle. What can cities do to help? Cities can eliminate waste by saving energy. Cities around the world are switching from incandescent traffic signals to LED traffic signals to save energy and money. That's because LEDs are more efficient than incandescent lamps, which means that LEDs produce more light… Read more

Enjoy It Now... Or Enjoy It Later? Understanding Delayed Gratification

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I have got to have that new video game right now?" Or maybe there's a new shirt at the store that you just have to have. So you rush home, break into your bank, and gather all of your money, even though you have been saving to buy your mom a gift. But wait! Maybe if you do a few more chores and save for just a few more days, you can gather enough money to buy your mom a gift and buy what you want. This behavior is called delayed gratification and it's what… Read more

Enzymes, Foam, and Hydrogen Peroxide

Blog Post

A hands-on science activity helps students observe the role of the catalase enzyme in breaking down hydrogen peroxide in the body. Enzymes in the Body Enzymes are molecules in the human body that help speed up chemical reactions. Some enzymes help with the digestion of food in the body, but there are thousands of different kinds of enzymes, each designed to help with a specific reaction. For example, while you might use hydrogen peroxide externally, when hydrogen peroxide forms inside… Read more

Evaporative Cooling with Liquids

STEM Activity

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Have you ever wondered why we sweat when our environment is getting hot or when we exercise? Sweating is a life-saving strategy that cools our body down and maintains our body temperature. Without sweating, our body cannot regulate our temperature, which can lead to overheating or even heatstroke. But why does sweating have a cooling effect? The answer is evaporative cooling. Turning a liquid such as sweat from its liquid state into a gas requires energy. This energy is taken from our body, or… Read more

Expanding and Contracting Gases: Weekly Science Activity

Blog Post

In this week's spotlight: a chemistry family science experiment that guides students and families in an exploration of how gases behave, especially when they are cooled or heated. Many gases are invisible, but they are everywhere around us. By trapping gas in a balloon, you can investigate how the kinetic energy of a gas changes in response to temperature and how the change in the motion of the gas molecules makes the balloon shrink or expand. With some hands-on measurements, a bit of air… Read more

Experiment with Making Gels

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Chances are, you have several materials around your house made of gelatinized materials. Gels are used in all kinds of products and materials: pudding, diapers, insoles, packaging, ice cream, toothpaste, and many more. In this project, find out how gels are made and how they can be adjusted from firm to soft by changing the ingredients. Read more

Explore How Lung Infection Influences Breathing

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Have you ever coughed, felt short of breath because you were sick, or felt it was hard work to take a breath? Maybe you have watched someone gasping for air. At times, these events can feel scary! This activity explores how mucus and fluid in the lungs or airways changes our breathing using a simple lung model. It can help you understand why symptoms like coughing and being short of breath happen. Read more

Explore Soil Erosion and See What a Plant Can Do.

STEM Activity

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You pick up litter, you reduce, reuse and recycle but did you ever consider conserving the soil? It might seem farfetched, but it turns out that soil erosion—or the wearing away of soil by water, wind and other natural forces—is a problem. Productive farmlands can disappear as nutrient-rich topsoil in fields washes away when heavy rains hit them. Waterways can get polluted as pesticides and fertilizers wash into them. Even human life and property are jeopardized, as soil erosion… Read more

Extracting Heat Energy from a Compost Pile

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Earth, the Sun, wind, and water are all sources of renewable and sustainable energy—and sources you probably already know about. But did you know that you can get energy from such things as banana peels, coffee grounds, and newspaper? In a process called composting, you can transform kitchen and other solid wastes into a product that is beneficial for your garden: homemade fertilizer. As the waste decomposes, it also creates heat. Can this naturally created heat be put to use? In this… Read more

Extreme Sounds: Lessons in a Noisy World

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Can you hear me now . . . ? Just how loud does a sound have to be for us to hear it? And how loud is too loud for our ears? Learn to measure levels of sound in this project, and discover the amazing auditory range your ears can detect in the noisy world around you. If you have a smartphone handy, you can even do this project without purchasing any additional materials, by using your phone's sound sensor and a sensor app. Read more

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