Ninth Grade STEM Activities for Kids (86 results)

Hydroponics Made Easy

STEM Activity

145 reviews

Do you think plants can grow without soil? If you've tried growing vegetables, you probably planted the seeds or seedlings in soil. Soil gives the plants the nutrients they need to grow. However, plants can grow without soil, too, using a process called hydroponics. In this activity, you will transform a bottle into a mini-garden that needs only light, air, and nutrient-rich water to grow! Read more

Make Your Own Stethoscope

STEM Activity

126 reviews

Have you ever wondered what happens to the heart as we exercise intensely? How does its beating change? A doctor can figure this out by using a tool called a stethoscope, which is a long, thin plastic tube that has a small disc on one end and earpieces on the other end. In this activity, you will make a homemade stethoscope and use it to measure peoples' heart rates at rest and after exercising. Read more

Make a Milk Rainbow

STEM Activity

137 reviews

Have you ever seen a rainbow after a rainfall, or drawn a rainbow for fun? They can be fun to make using colorful markers or other craft supplies. But did you know you can actually make a simple rainbow using milk, liquid detergent (i.e., soap), and food coloring? How the rainbow is created by this mixture might surprise you! In this science activity, you will make your own milk rainbow and explore how detergent and surface tension are involved in its creation. Read more

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Make String from Algae

STEM Activity

226 reviews

Did you know that the seaweed you've seen in the ocean or even eaten as a snack is inspiring innovators to imagine new materials? Large brown algae, like kelp, contains polymers—long chains of molecules—that are more environmentally friendly than the ones in most plastics. These natural polymers (alginates) could eventually be used to create sustainable everyday objects. Try your hand at using a bit of chemistry to turn biodegradable polymers from algae into your own custom… Read more

Build a Marble Roller Coaster

STEM Activity

74 reviews

How much energy does a roller coaster need to go through a loop without getting stuck? Build your own marble roller coaster in this project and find out! Read more

Build a Two-Stage Balloon Rocket

STEM Activity

69 reviews

If you have ever watched a rocket launch on TV, you might have noticed that rockets have multiple stages. Some parts of the rocket fall off and burn up in the atmosphere whereas the rest of the rocket keeps going. Why does this happen? Try this activity to find out and build your own two-stage rocket using balloons! Read more

Discover the Flaming Colors of Fireworks

STEM Activity

39 reviews

Have you ever watched a fireworks show and wondered how all the different colors — amazing reds, yellows, oranges, blues, purples, greens, and more — are made? The color, or colors, that a firework makes depends on what color-producing chemicals are in the firework. These chemicals are various metal salts that burn when the firework goes off, and burning the metals is what makes the colors. Different metals give off different, specific colors. In this science activity, you will get… Read more

Model the Distances between Planets in our Solar System

STEM Activity

103 reviews

Did you know that the Voyager 2 spacecraft took 12 years to travel from Earth to Neptune, the furthest planet in the solar system? This sounds like a really long time! Maybe not that long if you consider what distance the spacecraft had to travel to get from Earth to Neptune. In this activity, you will make a model of the planets in the solar system and specifically model their distances to scale. Will it explain why the Voyager 2 took so long? Try it and see! Read more

Flying Helicopters on Mars

STEM Activity

72 reviews

During the Mars 2020 mission, NASA plans to explore the surface of Mars using a rover in combination with a lightweight helicopter. To be able to fly on Mars, this helicopter must be super light and have very efficient blades. If not, it will never generate enough lift to get off the ground. In this activity, you will make your own paper helicopter and test different blade designs. Will your findings be reflected in NASA's design? Try it out and see for yourself! Read more

How Well Do You Wash Your Hands?

STEM Activity

46 reviews

How well do you wash your hands? Do you just give them a quick rinse with water, or do you use soap? Do you wash the backs of your hands and in between your fingers? Good hand washing is one of the best ways to prevent the spread of germs and diseases like the flu and common cold. Try this activity to find out if there are hard-to-wash parts of your hands where germs might be hiding! Read more

Afterimages: The Colorful Tricks Eyes Play

STEM Activity

60 reviews

Have you ever wondered how visual illusions are made? When we see special effects in movies, or a magic show, we often witness illusions that challenge our ability to correctly perceive things. One way in which our eyes play tricks on us is through afterimages. Afterimages are the images you see after staring at an object for several seconds and then looking away. In this science activity, you will look at afterimages to reveal the secrets of how your eyes see color. Read more

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