There are science projects – and then there are winning science projects. Every middle schooler knows the difference. Crank up the Youtube version of Thomas Dolby’s She Blinded Me with Science, contemplate where you might keep your winning ribbons, and choose this demonstraion that will be the envy of all the newbs at your school:
Biodegradable Plastic a. You can make plastic in your kitchen by heating 2 cups of milk almost to the boiling point and added 4 teaspoons of vinegar. b. Stir as curds form and drain into a colander over a glass bowl. Let cool and mold it with your fingers until it’s a dough-like consistency. c. For a winning exhibit, display pictures of every step of your plastic making. Compare the decomposition of your plastic with petroleum-based plastic (anything you can buy!) like a plastic comb or a small plastic toy by burying each piece in flowerpots filled with wet potting soil. Observe each piece after 1 week of being submerged. d. Record your findings. The natural plastic you made in your kitchen should show signs of decomposition while the manufactured plastic would remain unchanged…just dirty! e. Document everything!! Mount the 2 types of plastics on your display board. Label, label, label. f. Draw your own conclusions. What will happen in a world where few things are biodegradable?
If the judges have a passion for the environment and earth science (and most scientists do) your project will be proudly perceived as thought-provoking and pivotal in prompting people to protect the planet. Platinum pondering, dude! For more great ideas and tips to inspire winning science projects, go to Middle School Science Projects!
What do you when you have two kids’ science projects – at the same time? Science Projects for families with more than one child can be an daunting task for parents. Science fairs are generally held at about the same time, so even if kids are in different schools, their projects probably have due dates that are near each other. Here are four ideas to simplify the process.
What do you when more than one of your kids has a science project?! Science Projects for families with more than one child can be an daunting task for parents. Science fairs are generally held at about the same time, so even if kids are in different schools, their projects probably have due dates that are near each other. Here are four ideas to simplify the process.
1. Let kids work together on the same project. They can each do the experiment, and will each have to do a science board or report, but you’ll only have to help find one idea and gather the materials from one list. This is the way to go if your kids are in different schools – like one in middle school and one in elementary school.
2. Use different variables for the same experiment. If you’re comparing amounts of Vitamin C in substances, for example, let one child test various canned fruit juices, and another child test different juices from fresh fruit. The research and procedure is the same, but the experiments are different. Our Middle School Science Projects package has this experiment, making this an easy choice.
3. Recycle projects. Our family has always done projects together, then saved them in the attic. One year one of our boys used the same experiment his brother had done the year before. We redid the experiment, but reused the science board, simply adding the fresh data and photographs.
4. Submit different types of the same project. If your school science fair allows it, one child can submit and experiment based project, and the other submit a demonstration. For example, one child can demonstrate how to take the shell off an egg without boiling, and another can experiment to see if water goes through the membrane.
Science projects are supposed to be wonderful learning experiences for kids – and they can be. Don’t let your family get bogged down in the process. Look for ways to streamline and coordinate, and make science fair time a fun educational time for your kids.
PS When both (or ALL!) of your kids science projects are due at the same time, pick up one of our guides. Our middle school science projects are perfect for all the ideas above. Get your middle school science projects here!
It’s mid-January, and like most Moms I’m breathing a sigh of relief that kids are back in school. After spending two wonderful weeks at home with all the children under one roof 24/7, it’s nice to have some breathing room. During those days and weeks jam-packed with family activities, I was amazed yet again at how often science entered our family time, even with my preschoolers. Granted, I do tend to lean towards the geeky side, but I’m still stunned everytime I hear a middle or high school student exclaim, “I HATE science/math!!” So, here are some ideas to introduce a lifetime of loving science to your children. “Love?” you exclaim doubtfully. Ok, well at least a tolerance, ha ha!!
1. Check your attitude: Ouch. Now, before you roll your eyes and say, “Easy for you,” let me explain. I hate (and yes, I mean HATE) garden peas and peaches, but my children eat them. When I was in school, P.E. was the bane of my existence! Yet, my oldest child thinks it’s the greatest thing on earth. Am I super Mom? Heck no. I just did my best to let them form their own opinions. Sure, I still have a slight facial tic when my oldest mentions something fabulous he did in P.E., but I simply encourage his enthusiasm even though I don’t share it. If science was your idea of you-know-where on earth as a student, try not to tell your child about it, at least not until they’re in college. Do your best to offer opportunities and neutrality (if you can’t muster enthusiasm) and see what happens!
2. Find science opportunites in everyday life: Now, this one is far easier than number 1! Obviously, cooking is a great time to introduce measuring and temperature concepts. Keep the hand sanitizer nearby and let Johnny and Suzie measure out ingredients, scoop out dough, stir and blend, and, of course, quality control (taste sampling). Explain concepts as you go—What’s a meniscus? How does water change the consistency? Why do we add salt to water before it boils? One of my favorite principles in Chemistry is limiting reagents. I use that ALL the time in cooking, and I assure you my kids will understand it before they ever enter a Chemistry class. (if you don’t know, a limiting reagent is the item that “limits” how far a reaction will go…if your recipe calls for 1 cup sugar and 1 cup flour and you have 100 cups of sugar and 2 cups of flour, the flour is your limiting reagent. You can make only 2 batches of your recipe before you are limited by the flour.) Other household chores present science opportunites. My goal is that one day my kids will “enjoy” the experimentation involved with yardwork and laundry without realizing they are doing chores!!
3. Surround your kids with science books and TV/movie opportunites: I was surprised when my oldest child started reading how many science books are available, even for early readers. I get most of mine at yard sales and thrift stores, but your local library should have a great selection as well. It’s just as easy for them to learn about reading with books on weather and nature as it is to read about My Little Pony’s Adventure to Candy Castle. While I’m not a huge advocate for TV watching, I am a realist. Especially when you have kids of different ages. Sometimes, you and the kidlets need some downtime. After a twelve year hiatus, we recently got TV again in our home. I’m pleasantly surprised at the shows offered on PBS. One of my preschoolers now knows more about dinosaurs than I ever did and he’s learning great things on scientific procedure from Sid the Science Kid. And once your kids are older, the sci-fi genre of movies offers an endless supply of science adventures and intrigue. My point is this: if your kids are going to watch TV/movies anyway, let it be a chance to learn some decent science and math principles!
Enjoy! Have fun creating a lifetime of loving science in your home…or at least tolerate it while you watch your children grow and learn:-)
Cecilia
PS: So this is great, but you have a middle-schooler with a science project due next week?!?! Go to 24 Hour Science Projects to get you started on your scientific journey!!
Middle School students often look for science projects involving a chemical change. Kids love the excitement and drama of seeing different substances change color, burn, give off gas, and even make explode. When searching for a project, it can be difficult to find an experiment with chemicals that are easy to find, easy to work with, and safe to handle.
One popular project involving chemicals is an experiment that watches how the amount of Vitamin C in a juice will change over time. It’s an easy project. A simple indicator is made with cornstarch and iodine. Students (and parents) enjoy watching the chemical reaction that occurs along with titration, which is a fancy way of saying “putting in drops”. This project can be modified in several different ways, allowing your student’s creativity to shine. We get letters from many middle school students telling us that this easy science project was submitted to the fair, and was chosen as a winner. You can get step by step instructions for this project here.
Another great science project involving a chemical change is watching what happens as yeast ‘eats’ sugar. In this project, warm water and yeast are placed in a bottle with a bit of sugar. A balloon is placed over the mouth of the bottle. As the yeast consumes the sugar, carbon dioxide is released, causing the balloon to blow up. This project is so much fun to watch that our kids did it over and over until we ran out of yeast.
Both of these projects can be done as demonstrations; they offer dramatic reactions that students will be able to observe immediately. Both science projects can also be experiments. They naturally lend themselves to a question, the formation of an hypothesis, and testing. The results can easily be graphed to form a conclusion.
Get step by step instructions for both of these projects here. Along with a FREE Parent’s Guide to Science Fair Projects, we have all sorts of ideas for your middle school scientist, including the more advanced chemical change science projects.
Behavioral science projects are often chosen by students preparing for the science fair. These projects explore the behavior of a quirky and strange creature – the human being! Behavioral projects are a lot of fun, allowing kids to learn a lot about science and psychology while meeting people and developing their social skills. Before you or your child chooses to do a project on human behavior, check with your teacher. Some will not allow behavioral science projects because of the difficulty of getting a large enough sample size.
Once a project is approved, however, the next step is to actually recruit subjects (humans!) for the study. Here are some ideas on places to recruit people to help:
~Get permission from a local mall to set up a table/area. The smaller the mall, the better your chances of them allowing this.
~Put a free ad in the ’services>lessons’ section of Craig’s List asking for volunteers for a behavioral science project.
~Enlist test subjects from your school. Your teacher can help.
~Throw a ‘Behavioral Science Project‘ party, and invite your friends and their parents. Make it a pot luck affair to cut down on costs.
~Reserve a room at your library, and put a sign on the door announcing your experiment.
~Get a local restaurant to loan you their ‘party room’ during lunchtime. They might even offer a coupon to participants to help you advertise your study – and their restaurant.
~Ask the human resources department at a parent’s place of business if you can set up a test in the employee break room.
~Go to church. One of our boys did an experiment called Hear, Hear! It explored whether two ears hear better than one. We were required to get a group of twenty-four adults. We went to a local church before a service, and asked individuals if they would help us out. Our test was set up in a classroom.
Of course the list goes on, and you probably can think of a lot more places for your science project tests. If you’ve got some good ideas, leave a comment below! We’d love to hear where you set up for your Behavioral scienc
PS Hear, Hear is a great human behavior science project that experiments to see if two ears hear better than one. Get step by step instructions for this project in the Bonus Package of Middle School Science Projects.
We updated our blog header a while back, but now the front page of Middle School Science Projects has a new look!
It’s almost like getting a whole new hairdo. (That’s appropriate – don’t you think – since we have that science project about hair). Take a look at our new sales page: Middle School Science Projects!
It’s a great new, look don’t you think? I love the comments made by the kids who have done our projects in the past. These kids were kind enough to send us emails or post comments about how their project went.
So – what do you think? Do you like it as much as I do?
PS If you’re a middle schooler who has done a project, leave a note below and share how it went! And if you’re a middle schooler who needs a project, get one of our guides by visiting Middle School Science Projects!
We’re happy to report that we have just created a brand new – and free – science project guide for parents of middle schoolers! You can download your project guide at www.middle-school-science-projects.com/parent-science-guide.pdf.
In the guide, you’ll find information on the five types of science projects. There is also a section on the scientific method. One of the most popular (and needed!) parts of the guide is the definitions section. The final part of the guide give you hints on the presentation, and how to make a great science board.
If you need a science project guide for an elementary student, there is another free one available at 24 Hour Science Projects!
Whatever you need for your science project, we’ll help you find it! We have project guides, links to science kits, and all sorts of free science project guide resources so you can have the best science project ever!
A science log – or a research log – is basically a detailed record (like a journal) of what happened during your research and in your experiment. The log is usually written in paragraph form, although there may be charts to record data, and photographs to further document what happened. Here are five things that a science log will do:
It keeps your research together. Most people use a spiral bound notebook and hand write their science experiment log, but you can also type your log or even use a voice recorder and then transcribe your entry. It’s important that the log demonstrate that it was created as you were doing your experiment. Your log won’t be as neat as a science report. One of our “Vitamin Citrus” science logs had orange juice spilled on it – and we used it anyway!
It provides a detailed account of your experiment. Depending on the length of your experiment, this could be a daily record, or literally a minute to minute account of what you have done. Suppose your experiment is “Which type of fertilizer is best for growing parsley?” An entry might read, “On day five, we noticed that the plants with organic fertilizer had really started getting taller than the control that was only getting water.” Or…”On day seven, we noticed that the plants fertilized with manure had started to wilt a bit and had yellow tints to the leaves.” You might include measurements on each entry.
If you are doing one of our 24 Hour Science Projects, your log will record changes at much more frequent intervals. Our experiment “Undercover Sneeze” tests how far ‘germs’ spread when the mouth is covered and when it is not. An entry may say, “When we popped the balloon, some of the paper punches hit the cardboard hands and bounced back toward the middle. The other ones spread out toward the edge of the grid.” Your entries should also include any data:
Inside circle – 29 Middle circle – 42 Outside circle – 15
It explains any difficulties you had with your experiment. In the experiment, Egg-sperimenting with Eggs, sometimes the eggs break. (We warn you of this, and recommend that you start with more eggs than you will ultimately use.) If this happens, you record it in your log. “One of the eggs burst while in the vinegar and water solution, and was discarded. Another one broke while we were rubbing the shell. We also discarded this.”
It gives you a place to express your thoughts about your research. You can share ideas on how your research could be improved or expanded. For example, “I wondered how treating hair with home remedies – like mayonaise or raw egg – would change its strength. I may use this for another experiment.” You might also say, “I wasn’t sure how the formula for calculating surface are worked, so I did some research on a math site until I understood what I was doing.” Or you can share improvements you made on the procedure. “Although the experiment directions called for using Scotch tape, we found that duct tape was more effective in holding the track in place.”
When you finish your research, your lab notebook will be the most important place you’ll get information for your science project display. It will have all the details of your studies and your experiments, including data, procedure, and results. Your science log will hold all of your research and discoveries, and will remind you – and your teachers and judges – of what you learned and the hard work you did while working on your science experiment.
PS The first step to a science log is having something to ‘log’ about! We have twenty great science projects, ready for you to research, explore and learn! Get your step by step science project guide from Middle School Science Projects
Depending on which science book you’re reading, there are either four, or five, or six steps to the scientific method. That doesn’t sound very scientific, does it?! Don’t worry, though. It’s all pretty much the same general idea, so we’ve taken the average, and are giving you five steps:
1. Observation – Looking at something in the world. Watching things closely makes you curious about why or when or how something happens. That leads to the next step…
2. Question – Wondering about what you see in the world. The questions that come up during your observations are the second step of the scientific method.
3. Hypothesis – A guess at the answer to the question. An hypothesis is an “educated guess”. You take what you already know about the subject and use it to guess the answer to your question. You could be right. You could be wrong. It doesn’t matter, because you’re going to find out in the next step…
4. Experimentation – Testing your hypothesis. You come up with an experiment to find out the answer to your question. This is the trickiest part of the scientific method, because an experiment has to be designed with controls and variables in place. (Here’s an explanation of the strange vocabulary!)
5. Results – The answer to the question. When the experiment is complete, your question will be answered, and you’ll have your results!
It looks complicated, but it is really a simple process that we use every day to understand and solve problems in the world around us. Like this: Suppose you observe that your DS isn’t working. You’ll ask yourself the question “What’s wrong with my DS?!” Then you’ll come up with a couple of ideas, or hypotheses: “The battery could be dead, the game could be dirty, or maybe the baby dropped it into the toilet.” So you’ll check the battery, take out the game and blow out the dust, then check for signs of dried Cheerios and wet spots. These experiments will hopefully lead you to the result, and you’ll know why your DS wasn’t working.
PS All of our Middle School Science Projects follow the scientific method! Grab your copy today HERE and you can be finished with your project by this time tomorrow!
If you’ve ever been involved in the organization of a science fair, you know what a hassle it can be. Getting paperwork home to parents is the first hurdle. Getting it back is never easy. But entering registration information into a database is an overwhelming task for someone.
Rajeev Goel learned all of this last year when he volunteered to help put together his daughter’s science fair. A programmer for IBM, he knew that there was a better way. He came up with a web based registration system that eliminated most of the science fair paperwork. After his school used the system successfully, he made it available to any school – including yours at a terrific site called Our Science Fair. And unbelievably, it is FREE.
When you check out Our Science Fair, you’ll also notice some other great advantages. You can customize it to your school site. Parents can upload their science fair pictures. Organizers can send emails to registered students. And you can buy science fair supplies with proceeds going to your school.
Check out all of this and more at Our Science Fair.
PS Whether you’re an organizer or a participant in your science fair, you can get a free science project guide for your students – or yourself – at Science Projects!
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