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!

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.