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Middle School Science Projects – Turning Non-Experiments Into the Real Thing

admin — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 23:44:48 +0000

Middle school science projects almost always have to be done in the form of an experiment. The trouble for most students is that most of the time, projects that are on the internet or in books are either demonstrations or models. Since they don’t follow the scientific method, neither of these meet the qualifications of the middle school science fair.

The good news is that many times, a model can be used in an experiment, and variables can be added to a demonstration, so that it can be one, too. Here are five examples of projects that are modified to become an experiment.

- How can you make a potato canon? – This is a fun activity, and it demonstrates how cool science can be, but it doesn’t test anything. How can you turn it into an experiment? Vary the trajectory, and ask, “At which angle will a potato canon launch a potato the farthest?”

- What happens when seeds germinate? – This is a great lesson, but what are kids comparing? Turn it into an experiment by testing “At which temperature do seeds germinate the best?” Use different watt bulbs to vary the temperature.

- How do bones change when soaked in vinegar? – This is close to an experiment, but the project I saw didn’t have a way to measure the change. The results of a true experiment must be measurable. Come up with a weigh to measure the amount of weight the bones can support before breaking, and you may just win your middle school science fair.

- How hot can a solar heater get? – First of all, finding the answer to this question may result in a fire! Make it an experiment by testing two different solar heater models. Construct two identical heaters, one with a glass front, and the other with a plexiglass front. Measure the temperature over several days, and see which one got the hottest.

- What happens when you mix chalk and lemon juice? – Studying acids and bases is fascinating, but there are no variables – so it’s not an experiment. Change it up. Soak pieces of chalk in water, a basic solution, and an acid, and note the variance in the weight.

Remember, an experiment is a test of the relationship between two variables that have measurable results that can be replicated. It amazes me that reputable science publications will label any sort of science activity as an experiment. It doesn’t matter that you’re still in middle school type of project isn’t right. You can do better than ‘real’ scientists! Turn a ‘non-experiments’ into middle school projects that will amaze judges, your teachers – and yourself!

By: Kayla Fay

Science Fair Project Ideas – Quick and Easy Project #5 – Crystal Radio

admin — Fri, 14 May 2010 14:23:21 +0000

Of all the fun science fair project ideas, this one is my favorite for students that want to learn more about modern communication techniques and technologies. Through this experiment, students will build their own radios that actually work and can be tuned. This is also one of the cool science fair project ideas for students that are interested in technology and engineering, as well as communications.

Like all science fair project ideas, this project requires some materials to gather in advance, but the cost is still under $50. Also, students need to be careful that they are safe when working with any kind of electricity.

Objective:

Through this experiment, students will build a radio receiver from the ground-up. They will also fine-tune the radio to improve its performance.

Introduction:
Radios are an integral part of our culture. They help us communicate across the same house or across an entire world. Using this crystal radio, students will understand the fundamentals behind building a functional radio system.

Terms and Concepts You’ll Need to Know:
This experiment relies on a series of terms and concepts that students will learn before or during the experiment, including the following:

Radio frequency and radio waveFM radio frequency (amplitude modulation)ResonanceDetectorDiodePower and electricityAntennaTuner

Materials You’ll Need:
To complete this project, you’ll need a variety of materials that may take awhile to gather, including:

1 round oatmeal box1 wooden mounting board1 spool of plastic insulated wire (100 feet)1 germanium diode1 47 kohm resistor1 alligator clip1 ceramic earphone4 fahnestock clips (optional)1 multimeter

Procedure:
In order to perform this procedure, you may want to have a parent present. As with many science fair project ideas, safety should come first.

Thread wire through 2 small holes that you poke about 1/2 an inch down into the oatmeal box. The wire should come out on the outside of the box. Use about a foot of the wire on the outside of the box to use as the connection to the circuit. Take the remaining wire inside the box so it does not slip.Wrap the wire around the box 5 times. Remove some of the plastic insulation to twist the wires together. Make wraps every 5 turns until you reach 40 turns total. Once you reach 40 turns, poke another 2 holes into the box. Cut another foot of the wire off in order to leave extra wire on the outside of the box. Push the wire back through the hole so that it comes out on the exterior of the box. Take the wire on the inside of the box. Use an antenna and ground. This can be any wire that is not insulated. Place the antenna as high as possible, but not near electrical wires. Ground the antenna to a water pipe or metal rod that is at least 2 feet underneath the ground. Hook the wire to an alligator clip and a center tap. Hook the wire again to the earphone. Listen until you hear a noise. You may need to modify the radio to hear a noise if you do not hear it at first.

This is one of the great science fair project ideas, but it may take awhile to build and perfect. Always put safety first and work with a parent to make sure you are completely safe. Finally – have fun!

If you’re ready to get going with your own radio science project, your next step is to download a free copy of “Easy Steps to Award-Winning Science Fair Projects” from the link below right now.

By: Aurora L.

Science Fair Projects – Making a Winning Science Project Step 1b – The Scientific Method Part 1

admin — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 19:15:25 +0000

If you are getting ready to prepare your very own science experiment for the science fair, it’s time to make sure you know everything you need to about the scientific method. The scientific method provides a basic structure that you will use when conducting your experiment. It describes the background of the experiment, the process that you will use during your research, and the steps you will take in order to come up with a conclusion to your project. Plus – During the science fair, you’ll have to show the judges that you have followed the scientific method and that you understand what each step means.

No matter what type of scientific research you are conducting for your science project, you will have to use five scientific steps. Cool fact: these scientific steps are also the steps that professional scientists use when they conduct their experiments – including scientists at NASA that build space ships! Here they are:

Research Problem Hypothesis Project Experimentation Project Conclusion

Now, here’s what you need to know about each of these steps in order to create a really cool science project: Research During this step, you are deciding what experiment you want to conduct by researching different things that interest you. Research means that you get more information that might help to plan your experiment. There are many ways to get information during research. For example, you can use your own experiences, you can look information up in a book, or you can use an experiment that you may have already done in class as a starting point. I got the idea for one of my science fair projects while eating dinner one night. I realized that I could taste salty foods in one part of my mouth and sweet foods in another. I asked my dad why this happened and he said that different taste buds taste different foods and are located in different parts of the mouth. We looked online for information about where the taste buds were exactly and compared the pictures online with our own tongues in the mirror. That year, my project was about finding out where taste buds are in the mouth for everyday foods, like milk and bread, and vegetables. From that example, you can see that I started with a question that I had through simple observation. My dad and I researched the answer to my question together using books and by looking at our tongues in the mirror. Heads up: When you do your research for your own scientific experiment, make sure that you are doing the research on your own. I might have used my dad to help answer my question at first, but I used library books, experiments, and interviews (I called my doctor) in order to do my project on my own. Problem The problem part of the scientific method provides the whole purpose for the research and experiments. The problem is usually an open-ended question that you need to solve through the experiment. An open-ended question is one that cannot be answered in one or two words, such as, “Are there taste buds in the mouth.” In my particular case, my problem was that I wanted to find out where taste buds were for different foods. So my open-ended question was “Where are specific taste buds for common foods?”

Expect to be surprised when writing your question. When I came up with my problem, I realized that I couldn’t limit the answer to what I thought I’d learn. For example, I knew that my tongue had taste buds, but my dad had also mentioned that taste buds can occur in other parts of my mouth. That’s why my question didn’t say, “Where on the tongue are specific taste buds for common foods?” Make sure you can answer your question through experimentation. Your experiment should help you to come to a conclusion about your initial problem.

Hypothesis A hypothesis is my favorite part of the scientific method because it is a statement about what you think will happen. You write the hypothesis after you have already done some of your research, but before you perform your experiment. Your experiment will prove whether your hypothesis is right or wrong. Here’s an example of the hypothesis I used in my experiment: “I believe that different parts of the mouth respond to different tastes. I base this hypothesis on:

The front of the tongue tastes sugar, but the sides do not. The sides of the tongue taste salt, but the front does not.

Here are some tips to help you with your hypothesis.

When creating your hypothesis, it is okay to state why you think your experiment will have a particular conclusion. Remember: you have already observed through research that different parts of the tongue taste different things. As you go through your experiment, you might discover that you were wrong in your hypothesis. If this happens, congratulations! You’ve experienced something that professional scientists experience everyday…and that’s why you’re doing the experiment after all! Don’t go back and change your hypothesis, though. It’s expected (and absolutely fine) to discover that your hypothesis was wrong (sometimes the science fair judges like to see that, too!) It might also help to write the hypothesis down so that you remember what it is. Write it down before you start the experiment, just in case the experiment turns out differently than you thought it would.

Now you’re ready to do your experiment. To learn how to do this cool next step, you’ll want to read part 2 of this article. Visit this link to finish learning how to do an great science fair project. Or if you are really serious about doing an awesome project, just download your free copy of “Easy Steps to Award-Winning Science Fair Projects” from the link below right now.

By: Aurora Lipper

Science Fair Project Ideas – Quick and Easy Project 2 – Rocket Science

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:27:40 +0000

Building a rocket is one of the best science fair project ideas – especially for students interested in physics and flight. If this is one of the science fair project ideas that interests you, read on to learn exactly how to complete this project.

Remember: in order to complete the science fair rocket project, you will need to have safety equipment on hand, such as goggles. This is also one of those science fair project ideas that might be best performed with adult supervision. Safety first

Objective
The objective of the rocket is to determine what rocket design changes actually change the speed and projection of the rocket itself.

Introduction
Many children have played with model rockets. After all, they are loud, fast, and provide an excellent way to learn about physics. This particular science experiment will help you build your own rocket that will travel up to hundreds of feet in the air. Many real rockets can travel for thousands of feet into the air. From this experiment, you’ll also learn about aerodynamics and safety when working with rockets.

Terms and Concepts You’ll Need to Know
When you work on this model rocket, you’ll need to know about the four forces that impact flight. They are weight, thrust, drag, and lift. You’ll also need to know the equation for drag. This experiment will also help you to learn about how to stabilize a rocket by using center of gravity and center of pressure.

Materials You Will Need
You will need to buy a model rocket and related components for the rocket. You should be able to find a model rocket between $50 and $100 online or through a local toy store. Make sure the rocket you purchase is reusable!

Procedure Tips
In order to perform this procedure, you’ll be testing the rocket based on variables that you choose, such as flight duration, distance, and more. You can choose your own variables. This is one of the cool science fair project ideas because you are able to customize the project for your own needs and interest. For example, if you are interested in what will happen to the launch of your rocket if you remove a propeller or modify the tip of the rocket, you can experiment.

Here are some specific tips for you, no matter what variations you use.

Plan several launches for each variable. In order to complete this experiment, you’ll need to perform the rocket launch several times. Each rocket launch will measure a different variable. For all rocket launches, you should use the same engine (or an identical engine) to ensure that the launch is the same as the others. It may also be best to take an average of three flights per each different variable that you measure in order to ensure that your reading is as accurate as possible. Use trackers to measure altitude. Unless you are able to get on top of a very high building or latter, it can be difficult to measure the altitude of your rocket. However, by using trackers on taller items, such as trees, you may be able to get a close estimate. Look for rockets that have radio attachments on them (as long as they are within your budget). Consider wind and thermal lift conditions when measuring flight duration. If you are measuring flight duration as one of your variables, be sure that you consider environmental conditions as well as conditions directly related to your experiment. Only change one variable per flight. By changing only one variable, it will be easier to measure how those variables actually impacted the flight of your rocket.

Remember: this is one of the science fair project ideas that I like the most because it is fun to build and execute. Safety should always come first. It might also be good to have a back-up rocket in case your rocket gets lost or damaged during the experiment. Most of all – have fun!

If you’re ready to get going with your own rocket project, your next step is to download a free copy of “Easy Steps to Award-Winning Science Fair Projects” from the link below right now.”

By: Aurora L.