Junior High Science Fair Ideas
Junior high science fair projects can be a daunting assignment. Students need simple project ideas that stimulate their curiosity and introduce them to the scientific method. The ideas need not be completely original, but students should strive to incorporate at least some original element to make the project their own. If you are trying to choose a science fair project idea, pick a theme or topic that interests you. From there, you should be able to find a suitable experiment for your science fair.
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The Pet Taste Test
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For this experiment you must have a pet, preferably a dog or a cat. Dogs are particularly good because they have a strong sense of smell. The project is fairly simple and involves the use of bottled water and tap water. You fill two separate bowls with water, one with chlorinated tap water and one with purified bottle water that has no chlorine content. The bowls should be filled to the same level and placed in an area in the house away from where the dog normally drinks. Make sure the bowls are clearly marked. The experiment is designed to see whether or not the pet will prefer purified water over chlorinated, non-purified tap water. Form a hypothesis about which bowl the dog will drink from the most. Record your data every day for one or two weeks. Presumably the dog's sense of smell will play a role in determining which water it chooses. The chlorinated water will have a more objectionable smell than the purified water.
To Freeze or Not to Freeze?
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Another simple water experiment is determining how mineral content affects the ability of water to freeze. This particular project can be completed in just a few hours, but should be repeated once or twice to verify the results. To begin, you will need a few small plastic containers, salt, tap water and some purified or distilled water. Fill one container with purified or distilled water, another with an equal amount of tap water and the third with an equal amount of salt water. Form a hypothesis about which one will freeze first, second and third, then place each container in the freezer. Check the containers every ten minutes and record the data until the experiment is complete.
Watering the Plants
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This experiment involves evaluating the effects of water pollution on plant growth. It will require the collection of lake or river water from a water source known or believed to be affected by industrial pollution. For that reason, the data collection should be supervised by a parent. You will also need two plant pots, potting soil and some grass seed. Place equal amounts of potting soil in each pot with an equal number of grass seeds on top. Cover the seeds with another light layer of equal soil in each pot. Label each pot with the type of water used and set the pots in direct sunlight. Water the seeds every other day until they germinate, one group with purified or distilled water and the other with the lake or river water. Once the grass has begun to grow, continue to water every other day with the same water for two weeks. Measure the length of the grass blades each day until the end of the two weeks. Record your results and compare them to your hypothesis to explain which water source was beneficial and which was detrimental to plant growth.
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