Hold onto your lab coats, kids – it’s science fair time! These exciting experiments will get your 8th graders engaged with science in an engaging new way.
Discover fertilizer runoff through this exciting experiment, then brainstorm strategies to reduce it. Or get your children involved by having them relight a candle without touching its flame to demonstrate energy transference.
1. Fertilizer Runoff
Students completing this project will explore fertilizer runoff and its effect on drinking water sources – an issue which affects all forms of life on Earth.
Students participating in this experiment will investigate soil samples collected from various areas to discover which one provides ideal growing conditions for plants, while also discovering how different soil types aid erosion control or support natural processes.
Rube Goldberg machines provide students with an enjoyable way to use creativity and explore the science behind everyday tasks. Students can utilize this hands-on challenge to demonstrate their engineering knowledge while discovering which materials act as thermal insulators against temperature changes.
2. Newton’s Cradle
Newton’s Cradle is a beloved toy of physics that illustrates both Conservation of Energy and Momentum. When one ball is pulled away and released it will swing down towards another ball and transfer its energy and momentum onto that last end ball causing it to rise back up again.
Ideal balls to use in the cradle should all have identical size, weight, mass and density (though different-sized balls will still work), enabling demonstration of near-elastic collisions.
An atomic scale Newton’s Cradle would be extremely challenging to accomplish; however, chemistry researchers have recently developed a simulation showing that molecular energy can still be conserved effectively in this manner.
3. Candle Relighting
Scientists use questions and observations around them to spark their curiosity, which this blog post offers as 10 Science Fair Projects that students can pursue to expand their interests and hone skills.
Check how fast a candle burns with this experiment using an engaging visual. Students will gain valuable experience practicing their math and engineering skills!
This simple chemistry experiment will amaze kids, providing an effective demonstration of density! Plus, its results serve as an excellent teaching aid!
4. Lung Capacity
Opting for a science fair project that engages your student is key to making their presentation engaging, while making sure they continue researching it and complete it successfully. Eighth graders could test different laundry detergents, grow plants with various liquids or examine how jumping jacks affect lung capacity as potential topics of research.
This experiment helps students understand the importance of creating and testing hypotheses before conducting investigations, as well as accurately measuring results. For instance, students may discover that exercise increases lung capacity while smoking reduces it – helping them recognize why it is essential to avoid cigarettes altogether.
5. Ice Melting
With today’s busy lifestyles, parents and students need science fair projects that are quick and simple to set up. One such experiment is this ice experiment!
Make predictions regarding how quickly an ice cube will melt. Students should check back every 10 minutes in their jars to observe and record its melting process and results.
This activity can serve as an excellent introduction to physical change, specifically shifting from liquid to solid state. Furthermore, this can demonstrate how adding certain substances – like salt or sugar – reduces its freezing point – known as freezing point depression.
6. Fingerprints
Engage your eighth grade students in forensic science through this engaging fingerprint project! They’ll investigate whether identical twins share similar fingerprints and learn the types of prints people possess (Arch, Loop or Whorl).
Kids will have great fun testing powders designed to reveal more of a thumb print. After testing them out, they’ll make a bar graph to display their findings and identify which types of fingerprints are the most frequently seen among their classmates.
This fun science experiment is an engaging way to introduce chemical reactions. Kids will delight in watching their colors bleed out from various candies – and best of all, the resultant candy cane is edible!