Science fair projects allow 8th graders to delve deeper into scientific concepts, test hypotheses and gain hands-on experience through exciting experiments. These projects provide them with invaluable learning opportunities!
Get your students singing along to music as they explore how it affects plant growth! This science fair project idea brings biology and physics together for an exciting experience.
Biology
When selecting a biology science fair project idea for 8th grade, allow kids’ curiosity to guide them. Suggest they read about topics that interest them or make observations of their surroundings and community for inspiration.
Allow students to investigate the advanced properties of liquids through this engaging hands-on experiment. They’ll observe as different liquids separate into distinct sections on a density column and gain scientific knowledge that can assist them in recognizing what makes up mixtures.
This science experiment is an engaging way for students to get excited about DNA and genetics while also teaching good hygiene practices. Additionally, this experiment illustrates how plants require proper nutrition in order to thrive – teaching students an invaluable lesson about ecology and horticulture! Kids will love watching how the plants react to various kinds of music with this easy set-up physics experiment that also offers lessons in physics engineering optical illusions as well as making their own Rube Goldberg machine!
Chemistry
Your student who’s interested in chemistry will have plenty of experiments she can perform. She could learn how to make a chemical hand-warmer, test detergents’ cleaning power with iodine and discover fireworks science behind Fourth of July celebrations or investigate crystal growth or explore osmosis saturation surface tension and molecular bonding through hands-on experimentation.
As part of an engaging engineering project, she could design and construct a Rube Goldberg machine out of everyday items like paper cups. Or she can experiment with Newton’s cradle to determine how much force is required to relight a candle without touching its wick – perfect for testing optical illusions! Furthermore, creating tunnels of color-changing UV beads or testing how different types of music impact plants is another exciting experiment that is sure to impress.
Physics
An 8th grader should select a topic of their interest when selecting their science fair project topic to ensure a positive experience and interesting results.
The most engaging physics science projects offer kids an exciting, hands-on learning experience that’s hard to replicate or comprehend without conducting an experiment.
Newton’s Cradle, an accessible demonstration of energy transfer, is one example. Another fantastic STEM activity for kids to engage with is building their own homemade catapult using washers and other inexpensive materials – children will have fun launching everything from paper scraps to marshmallows using this fun STEM project!
One great physics science fair project involves testing the amount of electrolytes present in various sports drinks. This activity can take place over an extended period, enabling students to observe how their bodies respond differently to various fluids.
Engineering
Choose a project that is engaging and interesting to the student to appear more passionate during their presentation. Therefore, it is crucial that they choose topics which peak their curiosity instead of forcing them into something they won’t enjoy doing.
Students can design hand warmers using calcium chloride and iron fillings in an interesting chemistry experiment, or they could explore how stress impacts body temperature by asking volunteers to perform timed math tests, measuring their temperatures before and after this high-stress activity.
Students interested in spherification can create a scientifically interesting snack by mixing baking soda and sugar to form “mortar.” They can combine engineering and physics for this paper towel tube water slide experiment or build an elevator that can support their weight. Or as an environmental experiment they can test how pollution impacts water quality.