Middle School Science Projects (Page 2)

What Makes Ice Melt Fastest?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you live in a place that gets cold in the winter, you have probably seen trucks out spreading a mixture of sand and salt on the streets after a snowfall to help de-ice the road. Have you ever wondered how this works? This basic chemistry project can give you some clues. Read more

How Much Weight Can Your Boat Float?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wondered how a ship made of steel can float? Or better yet, how can a steel ship carry a heavy load without sinking? In this science project you will make little "boats" out of aluminum foil to investigate how their size and shape affects much weight they can carry and how this relates to the density of water. Read more

Tallest Paper Tower Challenge

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

In this engineering challenge, you will use limited materials to build a paper tower as tall as possible, but there's a twist! Your tower must also support a heavy weight at the top without collapsing. Looking for inspiration? You can see how other students have tackled this and other annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenges. Teachers, lesson plan versions of this challenge are also available. Read more

Identify Road Signs with Machine Learning

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Driverless cars use machine learning, a type of artificial intelligence, to identify road signs and other things they encounter on the road, like pedestrians and other vehicles. In this project you will take your own pictures of different types of road signs and use machine learning to identify the signs using a free online tool (no programming is required). You will then attempt to improve your machine learning model so it can identify signs in a variety of environments. Read more

Investigate the Kinetics of the Color Changing Iodine Clock Reaction

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The iodine clock reaction is a favorite demonstration reaction in chemistry classes that usually requires toxic or hazardous chemicals. During the reaction, two clear liquids are mixed, resulting in another clear liquid. After some time, the solution suddenly turns dark blue. The reaction is called a clock reaction because the amount of time that elapses before the solution turns blue depends on the concentrations of the starting chemicals. In this green chemistry project, you will use a… Read more

Classify Spam Emails with Natural Language Processing

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Have you ever wondered how your phone or email automatically detects and filters junk messages into spam? This feature helps ensure you focus on the messages that truly matter. In this project, you’ll build your own spam detector using natural language processing (NLP) techniques. Read more

Rubber Band Car Challenge

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

In this engineering challenge, you will build a car powered by nothing but a rubber band. The farther the car goes, and the fewer materials you use to build it, the higher your score. The 2024 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge is over, but you can check out this page to see our other past engineering challenges and what this year's challenge will be! Teachers, lesson plan versions of this challenge are also available. Read more

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

Ball Launcher Challenge

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Try your hand at this engineering challenge. Can you build a "launcher" device to launch a ball as far as possible and a "receiver" to catch it? Building a receiver provides an extra twist to a traditional catapult project. Add to the challenge by using a limited set of materials to build your machine and calculate a score based on your throw distance and materials used. Read more

Rocket Catcher Challenge

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Inspired by real-world reusable rockets, in this engineering challenge, you will design and build a device to catch a falling rocket so it lands vertically. Drop the rocket from higher and higher heights to get a better score! The 2025 Science Buddies Engineering Challenge is over, but you can check out this page to see our other past engineering challenges and what this year's challenge will be! Teachers, lesson plan versions of this challenge are also available. Read more

Middle School Science Projects (986 results)

Explore Our Science Videos