With packed schedules for students and their families, teachers require quick and simple science fair projects for 7th grade science experiments that fit within an hour’s work time. These experiments meet this need perfectly!
Bring science and math concepts together by helping your students explore centripetal force with this experiment that blends physics and math concepts, or have them construct a balloon car to test different wheels and materials’ strength.
Pinball Machine
Students explore centripetal force and other physical principles through this hands-on science experiment. Although this project requires some advance preparation, and may produce some discolorations or residue, we advise conducting it outdoors if possible.
Kids learn about forces affecting motion as they construct a simple pinball machine out of cardboard and ice lolly sticks, adding curves, ramps and tunnels as improvements to improve its functionality. This project also serves to introduce children to Newton’s laws of motion.
Helicopter
Discover forces of motion and kinetic energy with this STEM challenge that utilizes simple materials. Budding engineers will love creating their very own balloon car using items found around the house (even bottle caps can make great wheels!).
Utilize a paper helicopter template and cut along its solid and dashed lines, cutting along both solid and dashed lines for best results. When the helicopter begins spinning, a force called lift slows its descent, with students trying to count how often its blades rotated before comparing results against one that was crumpled or had more or fewer paper clips than its peers.
Car
Cars are familiar, yet still provide students with plenty of science and engineering concepts they can explore through car experiments. For instance, the Coke and Mentos soda car experiment provides an illustration of Newton’s laws of motion as well as action/reaction principles.
Educators can explore STEM challenges with balloon and rubber band-powered cars that illustrate how potential energy is converted to kinetic energy for movement, or build a geodesic dome out of paper and tape to observe how material composition impacts its strength.
Electric Generator
An interesting physics science fair project for 7th grade involves creating an electric generator capable of powering a light bulb and testing how its speed impacts its production of electricity.
Help students gain a greater understanding of chemistry and cell membranes with this engaging hands-on experiment that employs an everyday ingredient to demonstrate how carbon filters water to remove impurities.
Are certain colors more effective at aiding memory than others? In this straightforward chemistry experiment using colored markers, this simple chemistry experiment explores this idea.
Biofilm
Biofilms are thin layers of bacteria that form on surfaces to provide self-protective shelter, offering you an opportunity to study their formation through an engaging bacterial growth experiment.
Children can experiment with how soil type impacts plant growth or learn about spherification – an engineering process that transforms liquid into solid balls – as part of engineering a balloon car project, while exploring key physics concepts like energy and momentum.
Students can gain knowledge about greenhouse effect or pond protozoa. Furthermore, they may conduct an experiment to test whether oil floats on water!
Caffeine
Get your students into lab coats and working like real scientists with this project that allows them to compare sources of Vitamin C. Refractometers will allow them to determine which fruit offers the strongest antioxidant benefits.
Make learning about spectral analysis easy for 7th graders with this colorful bubble experiment! An engaging way to demonstrate air temperature’s influence on bubble formation.
This engaging chemistry experiment offers your students a delicious treat they can do at home or in class, whether at school. It explores spherification as an engaging way of exploring density.
Plants
Plants make for excellent 7th grade science fair projects because of how quickly they grow. Students can test different variables like sunlight exposure or soil conditions – Cress is often chosen because it germinates within one day without needing additional care or maintenance.
Swab household and school supplies to discover what lives on them, or build a geodesic dome from simple materials such as paper and masking tape – the latter test might even help people work more efficiently on this project!
Texting
Students interested in biology can use everyday household supplies to investigate the differences between baking powder and baking soda, and learn more about DNA during this fun and engaging experiment.
Squirrels can be an issue at backyard bird feeders. With this project, students can explore potential solutions to address this vexing pest.
Kids can transform a basic water-powered rocket into an engaging science fair project by altering variables like temperature or exploring various materials’ insulating properties.