Life on Land, High School Science Projects (36 results)

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
These projects explore topics key to Life on Land: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.

Science Buddies' high school science projects are the perfect way for high school students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our high school projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students in the high school grades. Students can choose to follow the science experiment as written or put their own spin on the project.

For a personalized list of science projects, high schoolers can use the Science Buddies Topic Selection Wizard. The wizard asks students to respond to a series of simple statements and then uses their answers to recommend age-appropriate projects that fit their interests.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WPUOhPCDzQ

Predicting Wildfire Intensities and Locations with AI

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wondered what causes wildfires and how resources are allocated to prevent their spread? In this science project, you will use machine learning to predict areas of wildfire susceptibility and their intensities. Read more

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: Saving Migratory Animals

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Extinct might be a word you associate with animals that lived long ago, like the dinosaurs, but did you know that over 18,000 species are classified as "threatened" (susceptible to extinction) today? Scientists involved in wildlife conservation have a tough job; they are in charge of determining what needs to be done to prevent a species from becoming extinct. Habitat, food supply, and impacts of local human populations are just a few of the factors these scientists take into account. It is a… Read more

Predict Air Quality with Machine Learning

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Air pollution is a growing issue, especially in cities, due to the rise of industrial activities, increased fossil fuel consumption from things like car use, and natural events like wildfires. This pollution is measured by the Air Quality Index (AQI), which shows how clean or polluted the air is. But what if we could predict changes in AQI to help communities plan ahead to protect people who are at risk from air pollution? That’s where machine learning comes in. In this project, you will… Read more

Water Striders & Surface Tension

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Water striders (also called water bugs, pond skippers, etc.) are insects that can hop around on the surface of water (Figure 1). Unlike boats or other floating objects that are partially submerged and held up by the resulting buoyant force, water striders are held up by surface tension. Figure 1. Water striders (image credit Isaka Yoji). You can build your own water striders using thin wire (Figure 2 and summary video). Do some background research about… Read more

Use Machine Learning to Identify Lyme Disease-Transmitting Ticks

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Ticks are a growing public health concern in North America, as their populations and the diseases they carry, like Lyme disease, are on the rise. But how can we help people identify the ticks they encounter to reduce their risk of infection? With artificial intelligence! In this project, you will gather image data of three different tick species and use a convolutional neural network (CNN) to classify them. You will also apply image augmentation techniques to expand and enhance the dataset,… Read more

A Toxic Test: Can Plants Be Genetically Resistant to Heavy Metals?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wondered why a plant that grows well in one environment may not survive in a different environment? For example, plants that grow well in a wet jungle would probably not do so well in a dry desert, lacking enough water. This is because plants have adapted to their specific environment. Some plants have even adapted to tolerate chemicals that would usually be toxic, such as various heavy metals. In this plant biology science project, you will investigate whether different varieties… Read more

Animal Magnetism: Do Large Mammals Align Themselves with Earth's Magnetic Field?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

We rely heavily on our senses to tell us about our environment. But in addition to the senses of touch, smell, taste, hearing, and sight, some animals are able to sense Earth's magnetic field. Migratory turtles and birds use this sense to guide them on long journeys. Homing pigeons use it to find their way home. New research suggests that large mammals, such as cows and deer, may also have the ability to sense the direction of magnetic north. In this animal behavior science project, you will… Read more

Are Soil Microorganisms Important for Plant Health?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Soil may look like a bunch of dirt, but good quality soil is actually a complex mixture of dirt, nutrients, microorganisms, insects and worms. What type of benefit do these microorganisms offer a growing plant? You can test this by baking soil in the oven to sterilize and kill the microorganisms. Do plants grown in sterile soil do better than plants in unsterilized soil? What about adding worms to one plant, but not to the other. Will the plant with worms grow better? Some insects are bad… Read more

Are We There Yet? Test How Migratory Birds Navigate

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

How do you figure out how to get places? Do you ask for directions, look at a map, or consult a compass? There are many ways for people to figure out how to travel from one place to another, but how do other animals do it? In this science fair project, you'll use real data, collected by biologists, to figure out how migratory birds manage to navigate more than 2,000 miles from their breeding grounds to their wintering grounds. Read more

Bacteria Can Fix It! A Comparison of Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria and Nitrogen Fertilizers

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you know what plants need to grow? Sure, they need soil, water, and sunshine. Everyone knows that. But here's a secret: they also need nitrogen. Plants use nitrogen to make DNA in their cells and the proteins that lead to healthy stems and leaves. The problem is, although the Earth's atmosphere is made up of 78% nitrogen, the form of nitrogen found in the atmosphere cannot be used by plants. So how do plants get their nitrogen? Either through nitrogen deposits in the soil, or through… Read more

Explore Our Science Videos

Ping Pong Pickup Challenge | 2023 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge

DIY Smart LED Lighting with Arduino | Science Project

Macroinvertebrates as Indicators of Pollution | Science Project