At this point in school, students should become increasingly independent while delving deeper into the scientific method. Their work must also be presented more professionally – for instance by typing up a research report.
As part of their educational experience, 8th graders may benefit from engaging science experiments that are easy to set up and teach key scientific concepts – from kitchen chemistry to DIY mini drones! Here is our collection of fun science experiments specially curated for them! From kitchen chemistry to DIY mini drones – each project presents important scientific principles without too much hassle.
1. Edible Spheres
Nothing excites students more than engaging in science experiments that allow them to eat! Kitchen-based experiments such as these teach kids about states of matter, osmosis and irreversible changes through fun yet delicious learning experiences.
This edible STEM challenge instructs kids to use sugar and salt in combination to simulate the process of turning silicon dioxide into glass, while simultaneously teaching them about chemical reactions such as spherification.
One experiment involves crafting edible atoms from candy (or healthier alternatives, like fruit or gumdrops) to explore atomic structure. Students can also conduct an easy candlelight experiment that measures how well various materials absorb heat; or kids can grow plants using various types of soil to see how this impacts plant growth; they could even investigate whether pea plants react differently when exposed to classical music as opposed to other genres.
2. Hand Warmers
If your students are fascinated with science and physics, why not introduce them to this easy experiment that shows them how to make re-usable hand warmers? This exothermic chemical reaction shows students how they can stay warm in winter! It will also teach them the value of staying warm!
This chemistry experiment allows students to assess how starting temperature affects crystal growth and heat production in supersaturated sodium acetate solutions, like those found in disposable hand warmers. It makes an ideal inquiry-based investigation and can easily be tailored towards many topics like “winter” or “body matters.”
This simple physics project explores surface tension using the same principle that causes water droplets to stick to a cup of ice, making it an excellent selection for an 8th grade science fair project on materials and force.
3. Electrolytes
We’ve all seen advertisements for sports drinks promising to replenish the “electrolytes” we lose during intense exercise. But what exactly are electrolytes, and can they really provide any advantage over water?
Growing crystals is an engaging way for students to gain an understanding of saturated solutions and the process of crystallization. Students can experiment with various ingredients that create different crystalline structures or test whether temperature has any bearing on crystallization rates.
Science fair projects can become even more captivating by investigating factors that influence reaction times. Students could explore whether different factors, like food consumption or feeling hungry, impact their reaction times when trying to remove coins from a pile with their dominant hand.
4. Algae
Algae are eukaryotic photosynthetic organisms found throughout aquatic environments such as lakes, ponds and oceans. Algae range in size from single-celled organisms to giant kelp species and can range in thickness from single cells up to several meters wide.
Students take on this science fair project in order to test whether a supply of carbon dioxide promotes algal growth.
Students also test how fertilizers, detergents, nitrates and phosphates impact algae growth in natural bodies of water like lakes and ponds, making students aware of a real ecological issue and its effect on our natural surroundings. Furthermore, this experiment illustrates eutrophication: when excessive fertilizers wash from lawns and golf courses into freshwater bodies where it promotes increased algae growth at the expense of other organisms.
5. Glowing Waves
Students interested in marine sciences will love this project! Students can investigate glow-in-the-dark dinoflagellates and their bioluminescence. By monitoring microscopic changes that follow a circadian rhythm and conducting experiments to explore how different factors impact luminescence, students will have plenty of opportunities to observe microchanges that follow this cycle and conduct further experiments that measure luminescence levels.
Builders! Come together and create something to demonstrate the relationship between mass, torque and inertia! Or make model lungs to learn more about respiratory system function. Students may also delve into owl pellets to uncover what their diet consists of or construct an egg drop experiment to investigate gravity’s effect.
Kids who love chemistry can make their own invisible ink to explore various techniques or watch crystals grow in a saturated solution before turning them on to see them shine!