High school science fair projects demand extensive research, experimentation, and presentation skills. Encourage teens to adhere to the rules of their science fair competition while selecting a project they find interesting and compelling.
Use this classic science experiment to explore what factors affect melting ice, or study how acid rain affects local wildlife with this environmental science project.
Engineering
Students interested in engineering can explore different concepts through high school science fair projects. Engineers use math, physics and other sciences to solve real world issues; try fun experiments for eighth graders that show air density or reveal whether birds eat differently depending on color!
Build a plastic bottle bridge and explore what forces cause it to sway, with this project using everyday materials. Or explore if plants respond to music with this horticulture experiment that incorporates observational science!
Observational and behavioral science projects make great high school science fair topics. For instance, examine whether cats react differently when exposed to bird sounds from local vs exotic locations with this simple observational project.
Optical Illusions
Finding an experiment that both interesting and unique is often a difficult challenge at the high school level.
One surefire way to grab attention is with an optical illusion. These spectacles demonstrate how our brain creates our perception of reality.
Information gathered through our senses is sent directly to the visual cortex, which creates what we see when we look. However, sometimes this information is misinterpreted by our brain.
An iconic example is the Necker cube illusion. Another is Ponzo illusion, in which two lines appear to have different lengths.
Physics
Physics projects can be one of the more difficult science fair projects to produce a great idea for. A project that showcases an idea in physics requires extensive research in order to grasp its theory before creating something tangible that displays it well.
Newton’s Cradle provides an entertaining and educational way to demonstrate force and momentum concepts, as well as show off creative engineering capabilities.
Find out how forensic scientists collect fingerprints at crime scenes with this eighth grade experiment that uses muriatic acid (adult supervision required). As this chemical experiment requires a safety sheet, its fascinating science will become apparent over time.
Chemistry
High school science fair projects demand both creativity and scientific rigor. Although many experiments repeat themselves year after year, there are several innovative ideas that can help students create original projects for this competition.
Becoming a cosmetic scientist begins with exploring the dyes that color candy. Learn how to isolate cells without needing a microscope with this biology experiment, while eighth graders explore surface tension physics with this eighth-grade project. Can water really freeze without turning solid? Explore this question through chemistry!
Be sure to speak with teachers of chemistry, biology and physics for assistance sourcing materials for your experiments. Most teachers are willing to share the classroom materials they possess with their students. You could also contact local hardware stores and grocery stores and see if any items could be useful in conducting science fair experiments.
Biology
Undergraduate biology-themed science fair experiments demonstrate students’ comprehension and creativity. By making biology more engaging for teenagers, these experiments may inspire them to consider pursuing a career related to this branch of science.
Biology science projects can be fun and educational experiments for kids that teach about plant life, animal behavior and the human body. Experiments may include dissection or simply testing out how water cycles with plastic bottles.
11th grade students should conduct an experiment to see whether natural substances, like garlic and other natural antibiotics, can outshone synthetic antibiotics at killing bacteria. Chromatography analysis can also be used to analyze candy colors – an approach which can also provide valuable nutritional insights.