Build an Environmental Model Science Projects (14 results)

Build a moving, changing model of a physical structure on the earth, the environment, or an aspect of the ocean to investigate questions about it, such as what causes landslides or huge waves. Collect and measure data from your model.

Landslides: What Causes Rocks to Slide Down a Slope?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Landslides are powerful geological events that happen suddenly, causing fear in people who live in areas with unstable hills, slopes, and cliff sides. Landslides damage the surrounding habitat and can destroy homes in their path. But what causes landslides? Can slides happen on any slope, or do slopes have to have certain characteristics, such as a steep angle and a specific material mass? In this geology science project, you will learn about the different types of landslides and the… Read more

Can Plants Stop Soil Erosion?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Soil erosion can cost the world billions of dollars every year by washing pollutants into our streams and rivers and by causing the loss of farmland. What can you do about this problem? Help save the world (and some money!) with nothing more than a few plants! Read more

Go with the Flow: Model Rivers with Cornmeal, Sand, & Water

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever had fun playing with sand and water, observing how little rivers you create carve their way down to the lowest point of the sandbox, backyard or beach? Some meander, others braid, and some carve a path straight down. Hyrdologists (or scientists who study water) do very much the same thing! Only they set up the model in a particular way, so observing their mini-rivers helps them answer questions about how water flow affects the environment. In this geology science project, you will… Read more

The Science Behind Tsunamis: Study the Effect of Water Depth on Wave Velocity

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

A tsunami is a series of waves made in a body of water, like the ocean, that can cause serious destruction when they hit the coastline. In deep water, a wave can be just a few feet high and travel very fast. As it nears the coastline, and moves into shallower water, tsunamis usually slow down, but the wave height can grow to 100 feet! In this ocean science project, you will model a tsunami and investigate how wave velocity (speed) depends on water depth. Does it match the mathematical equation… Read more

Disappearing Act: How Fast Do Different Biodegradable & Compostable Materials Decompose?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen a product labeled "biodegradable" or "compostable" and wondered just how well it decomposes? A lot of different products claim to be biodegradable or compostable, such as food containers, bags, packaging materials, and spoons and forks. Not only do they clearly come in different shapes and sizes, but they are made of different materials as well. Do they decompose differently, and, if so, which decomposes the fastest? In this science project, you will make your own indoor… Read more

Polar Puzzle: Will Ice Melting at the North or South Poles Cause Sea Levels to Rise?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you leave an ice cube out on the kitchen counter and come back to check on it in awhile, what do you find? A puddle! The same thing happens to ice in nature—if the temperature gets warm enough, it melts. In this ocean science project, you will find out what happens to sea levels if the ice at the North Pole melts, or if the ice at the South Pole melts. It is an important question for the millions of people who enjoy living along the coasts of the world. Read more

Taming the Tsunami: Investigating Different Structures to Reduce Tsunami Damage

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.2 megathrust earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia unleashed a powerful tsunami that hit the coasts of 14 countries and caused the loss of over 200,000 lives. The devastation that the tsunami left in its wake was heartbreaking, and people across the world united to help the survivors. Tsunamis are a powerful force of nature that can change the features of a coastline and result in millions of dollars in economic loss, but can… Read more

Dust Busters: How No-Plow Farmers Try to Save Our Soil

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you have any great-grandparents who lived through the Great Depression in the United States during the 1930's? If so, they might have stories to tell about terrible dust storms that blackened the skies, from the Midwest to the east coast. Severe drought was a factor in causing this "Dust Bowl" era, but decades of poor farming practices contributed to it, too. In this environmental science fair project, you'll learn about farming methods that help keep dirt from drying up into dust, and help… Read more

A Ground-Breaking Revelation: Testing Longitudinal Waves in Different Soil Types

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Did you know that waves travel through the Earth's crust all the time? One major source of these waves is earthquakes, although ground motion can also be caused by something man-made, such as a mine blast or nuclear explosion, or other natural events, such as landslides or volcanic activity. How does an earthquake cause these waves? The entire outer shell of the Earth, known as the lithosphere, is made up of tectonic plates that are constantly moving. There are seven or eight large… Read more

Building Beaches

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

A day at the beach is a wonderful way to spend time with your family and friends. You can swim, play games, and build sand castles. But have you ever thought about how all of that sand got there and wondered why the shoreline weaves in and out of the ocean? In this science project, you will investigate how ocean waves build beaches by making a model of the beach and shoreline. All you need is a tiny surfer and a beach volleyball court for your model, and you can imagine that you are in… Read more

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