Science Buddies' eighth grade science projects are the perfect way for eighth grade students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our eighth grade projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students in the eighth grade. 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, eighth graders 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.

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Fossil Fuels: Chocolate Chip Mining
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Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-8th
The problems with using fossil fuels starts with extraction. In this activity, students "mine" chocolate chips out of cookies to demonstrate the effects mining can have on habitats. Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • 4-ESS3-1. Obtain and combine information to describe that energy and fuels are derived from natural resources and that their uses affect the environment.
  • MS-ESS3-4. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how increases in human population and per-capita consumption of natural resources impact Earth's systems.
How Stable is Your Food Web?
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Lesson Plan Grade: 5th-9th
Could you describe the kelp forest food web as a system? Your students will design and use a simple model to test cause and effect relationships or interactions concerning the functioning of a marine food web, ranking their hypothetical ecosystems according to their stability when faced with a natural or man-made disturbance. Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • 5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
  • MS-LS2-3. Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
  • MS-LS2-4. Construct an argument supported by empirical evidence that changes to physical or biological components of an ecosystem affect populations.
  • HS-LS2-6. Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
Kinesthetic Astronomy: Mars Opposition Dance
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Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd-8th
Because of the different amounts of time it take for Mars and the Earth to each orbit the sun, it sometimes may look like Mars is traveling backwards. In this interactive lesson, students will learn what "retrograde" and "opposition" means in astronomy while modeling this phenomenon. Read more
Magnet Mining
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Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th
How was magnetism responsible for the destruction of dozens of ships during World War II? In this lesson, your students will explore the concepts of magnetic fields and forces using the example of World War II magnetic mines. With the help of a magnetometer and Google's Science Journal app, students will investigate what factors affect the strength of a magnetic field. Then they will use their knowledge to try to discover the location of hidden "mines" and investigate how they can cloak a… Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • MS-PS2-3. Ask questions about data to determine the factors that affect the strength of electric and magnetic forces.
  • MS-PS2-5. Conduct an investigation and evaluate the experimental design to provide evidence that fields exist between objects exerting forces on each other even though the objects are not in contact.
Measuring Earthquakes
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Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-8th
By building your own seismograph to document shaking, you and your children will learn about the cause of earthquakes and how scientists measure earthquake intensity. Read more
Rocks, Rocks, Rocks: Test, Identify Properties & Classify
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Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th
Student teams test rocks to identify their physical properties such as luster, hardness, color, etc., and classify them as igneous, metamorphic or sedimentary. They complete a data table to record all of the rock properties, and then answer worksheet questions to deepen their understanding of rock properties.Engineering Connection Civil and geological engineers, for example, design tunnels through rock, build roads on the sides of mountains, and construct skyscrapers rooted in soil… Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • MS-ESS2-1. Develop a model to describe the cycling of Earth's materials and the flow of energy that drives this process.
Saving a Life: Heart Valve Replacement
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Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th
Students use their knowledge about how healthy heart valves function to design, construct and implant prototype replacement mitral valves for hypothetical… Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.
  • MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
  • MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
Volleyball Machine Challenge for Middle School
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Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th
Teach your students about the engineering design process with this fun lesson plan. They will design and build two "volleyball machines" that launch a ping pong ball back and forth over a net. While the 2019 Fluor Engineering Challenge is over, your students can still try this project and compare their scores to top scores from around the world! Teachers, note that elementary school and high school versions of this lesson plan are also available. Looking for this year's challenge? Check… Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • MS-ETS1-2. Evaluate competing design solutions using a systematic process to determine how well they meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.
  • MS-ETS1-4. Develop a model to generate data for iterative testing and modification of a proposed object, tool, or process such that an optimal design can be achieved.
An Illumination Investigation
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Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-12th
With a few guidelines and some innovative thinking, we can design spaces to have sufficient light and be energy-efficient. Read more
Bacterial Adaptations and Their Application in Genetic Engineering
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Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th
Students explore adaptations by researching how animals, plants, and bacteria change based on their environment. They grow bacterial colonies in various environments and hypothesize how each environment will affect the cell culture size and color. After a day of pre-growth, the culture is spun down in a centrifuge and the cell pellet is analyzed. Finally, students research bacteria adaptations that allow them to survive in extreme environments then brainstorm how the beneficial… Read more
NGSS Performance Expectations:
  • MS-LS1-5. Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.
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