Creating a Middle School Science Fair Project in Time

Werent those science experiments fun when you were in school? You had to run around like crazy to get it done because you had waited so long. Did your parents remind you that they had to do all the running around for you? Your kids will have to do the science fair projects too and now you can be the ones running around like crazy.

If you need some ideas here are some that require more display than work: Consider gathering some shells and seeing what animals live in them, these can be glued to your poster board or you can draw them. Obtain pictures of different types of clouds and then describe the different types. Instead of just labeling pictures of clouds consider making your own from cotton and glue them on the poster. Do some fruits ripen quicker than others? Find out with this experiment. Most any fruit will do for this experiment; leave one out at room temperature, another in a really warm area and one in the fridge. Be sure to check all three places daily and keep a record of how they change. Do you think the shape of ice will affect how it melts? Before you put the containers in the freezer put equal amounts of water in them and freeze. After taking the containers out of the freezer and letting them melt write down how long it took each one. Consider making a tornado for your science fair. Pour some water in a jar about way up; Take the jar and add some food coloring along with a teaspoon of dishwashing detergent. Shake up the jar really good after putting the lid on it. The liquid inside the jar forms a vortex and acts just like a real tornado. Monopoly houses placed in the jar before shaking it adds a little fun to the project.

One project that won 2nd place is actually a failed experiment. If using plain water on one plant and sugar water on the other plant which would grow better? It was predicted that the sugar water would make the plant grow better. Using sugar water with one and plain water with the other take identical pots with several sunflowers planted in them. If they sprout take some pictures or be sure to keep very detailed notes. Both plants did sprout and the one that used regular water grew very well, yet the one with sugar waters seemed to rot more each day. She was a little nervous having to present it to the judges because her hypothesis had been incorrect, she compared the failed experiment do having your teeth rot with too much sugar or sweets. The judges told her that science is all about finding what does or does not work so her experiment was not really a failure and she won 2nd place. Even though she was kind of upset that her experiment failed she put on a great show and the judges liked that.