Science fair projects with an intriguing design often make a statement about science itself. Build and experiment with your own microscope to explore optics principles or compare potential and kinetic energies with this simple pump experiment.
Explore a unique spin on the classic bubbling lava lamp! Students can create an interesting chemical reaction simply by changing the ratio between baking soda and vinegar.
Plants and Soil
Students can explore plants and soil with these engaging 7th grade science fair projects. Experimentation using various seeds planted in different soil types allows students to witness how the plants develop over time and compare results, or they could investigate the relationship between soil composition and plants by visiting a park or schoolyard and making observations in person.
Students interested in chemistry can try these fun experiments that demonstrate the role of gases and liquids in reactions, mummify a hot dog as part of an interactive food chemistry experiment or develop their own version of classic game Tic Tac Toe for a hands-on geometry experiment.
Kids can use chalk as an illustration of water vapor turning to rain by simulating its physical transformation from air into raindrops, testing ingredients for root beer brew to explore how temperature affects yeast fermentation or simply holding up a balloon close to a flame as an interactive thought experiment.
Bubbles
Bubbles can be both entertaining and educational! A bubble is made up of soapy water surrounded by air pockets. Attracted molecules within this film pull in air from different pockets within it to form one big bubble that moves along its container’s path; hence chasing its container, creating an interesting way of studying our world!
This easy science experiment is an engaging activity to do with children and can serve as an introduction to concepts like freezing point and properties of ice crystals. Experiment with different recipes of bubble solution or try adding ingredients such as vinegar or salt to see how these changes alter its behavior.
Conjure up a giant bubble using a large wand, and watch it expand before your very eyes. Add corn syrup to your bubble solution to see if adding it makes the bubble last longer. Perform multiple experiments using various additives in order to compare results.
Earthquakes
Science fair projects allow students to observe their world, ask questions, and create their own experiments. Here are a few resources to get your students started with seismology or earthquake science projects!
Test Your House
Determine which soil best amplifies side-to-side earthquake shaking motion by testing identical houses on different types of soil. This hands-on experiment employs a shake table to simulate P-waves and surface waves and compare the ability of structures to withstand shaking in each type of soil.
Explore seismic wave behavior through an investigation into building materials’ relative strengths, such as timber, brick and concrete on a shake table to compare their ability to absorb seismic vibrations and survive earthquakes. For an advanced earth science project, try investigating seismic wave behavior by investigating seismic wave behavior between materials. This project tests different kinds of timber, brick and concrete for how well they absorb seismic vibrations or can withstand earthquakes.
Are You Curious About Chemistry? Explore How Acid Rain Affects Marble Buildings with This Exciting Science Fair Project by National Geographic! Alternatively, discover how music affects plant growth or discover how much sugar there is in popular beverages with these great projects from Scientific American!
Engineering
Students explore the role of air in weather patterns through this straightforward experiment that only requires clear glass containers, hot and cold water sources, food coloring and some clear markers. Not only is this activity fun and educational but it’s a perfect science fair idea that also teaches kids how to isolate variables for maximum effect!
With this creative project, teach kids about surface tension. Start them off using soap to make objects float or sink and expand their knowledge by trying different materials and studying their properties as molecules of liquids.
Eighth graders can utilize the principles of physics to construct and test catapults for this engineering project that marries math and physics. Furthermore, Hooke’s law can be applied to pendulums using basic materials along with a stopwatch or timer in order to examine how length affects period.