Middle School Science Projects Made Easy

Wondering what to choose for your middle school science fair project? Relax. In this article I'll take you through the steps to choosing, conducting and presenting an experiment that will impress your teacher and fellow students alike.

My top tip for choosing a middle school science project is to select something that is somewhat challenging, shows a scientific phenomena in action, and answers an interesting question or problem.

What project you take on will also be confined by your environment, and what equipment, substances, etc you have at your disposal. And certainly choose something you are likely to enjoy working on. That way, you won't need the dreaded deadline to motivate you to get it done. If you're stuck for ideas, here are a few issues you may wish to explore:

1. How much of a fruit is made up of water? Find out the water percentages of fruits like oranges, lemons and watermelons.

2. Is all mold the same - i.e. does the same kind of mold grow on old vegetables compared with old bread?

3. Does sticky tape stick to some surfaces and not to others?

4. What kind of cooking destroys oxidants, vitamins, minerals, etc and what rate?

5. How does magnetism affect how plants grow?

6. What different factors cause seeds to germinate? Test things like the: intensity, duration or type of light; air temperature; the amount of water; presence or absence of certain chemicals; or soil type.

Some experiments may require you to carefully control the surroundings. If so, try to get rid of anything (or any person!) that may impact on your findings.

Also, if your project actually yields findings you didn't envisage, you may need to check whether there were some factors you hadn't taken into account. Alternatively, if everything was as it should be and the results have still diverged from what you thought would arise, that's worth discussing in your presentation.

When speaking about your project, I suggest you take it slowly, and be as cool, calm and calculated as possible. If you need notes, by all means use them, but try not to read them. Start off by introducing yourself and what your project is about, then explain the process and results, concluding by discussing the implications. By all means practice your presentation in front of parents, siblings and friends, and try to work out what questions the audience is likely to ask.

As your teacher and parents have probably told you, the middle school science fair is an opportunity to explore something you don't know, discover how remarkable our planet is, and have fun too. So be sure to choose a project you're interested in, and try to enjoy yourself.

Robert Watson is a Middle school math and science teacher with over four years experience as a science fair judge at his school. Visit his website for more information about Middle school science fair projects and ideas for helping complete them.
http://www.sciencefair-ideas.com