Middle School Science Projects and Ideas for How to Start them

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Do you remember when you were in school and had to do a science fair project? Maybe you put it off until the last minute and then had to run around like crazy to get it done. Or, your parents had to run around for you and you never heard the end of it. Guess what? Kids still have to do science fair projects and it can still be a little hectic getting it all together. Here are a few ideas you may want to consider.

If you need some ideas here are some that require more display than work: Consider gathering some shells and seeing what animals live in them, these can be glued to your poster board or you can draw them. Obtain pictures of different types of clouds and then describe the different types. Instead of just labeling pictures of clouds consider making your own from cotton and glue them on the poster. Do some fruits ripen quicker than others? Find out with this experiment. Most any fruit will do for this experiment; leave one out at room temperature, another in a really warm area and one in the fridge. Be sure to check all three places daily and keep a record of how they change. Do you think the shape of ice will affect how it melts? Before you put the containers in the freezer put equal amounts of water in them and freeze. After taking the containers out of the freezer and letting them melt write down how long it took each one. Consider making a tornado for your science fair. Pour some water in a jar about way up; Take the jar and add some food coloring along with a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent. Shake up the jar really good after putting the lid on it. The liquid inside the jar forms a vortex and acts just like a real tornado. Monopoly houses placed in the jar before shaking it adds a little fun to the project.

Here is one really great inexpensive project that did not turn out as expected, but still won 2nd place. The question was would plants grow better in plain water or sugar water. The child predicted the sugar water would make the plants grow better. Take sunflower seeds and plant several in two identical pots (can be cups or whatever else you may have), water one with plain tap water and the other with the sugar water. Take detailed notes on when, or if; they sprouted. If you can take pictures during the experiment that is great, but if not, just be as detailed as you can. On this particular project the plant with the sugar water did sprout, but it appeared to rot more each day while the other plant did very well. The child finished all the notes, etc. and the next evening during the science fair she had to explain to the judges that their hypothesis was incorrect and why. She used the example of how sugar and sweets can rot your teeth. Imagine her surprise at winning 2nd place on her failed experiment! The judges told her that is what science is all about, finding what works or doesnt work. And, they said they were pretty impressed that the child had gone ahead and put on a great display, in spite of being worried about the experiment failing.

Information about the Author: Robert Watson is a Middle school math teacher with over 3 years experience working as a science fair judge at his school. Visit his website for more information about Inexpensive science fair projects and ideas for helping complete them. www.sciencefair-ideas.com Science Articles: http://www.article-buzz.com

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