[Middle School Students] Easy One-Day Science Projects and Crafts Ideas
Have you already decided on your summer vacation independent research project? It’s easy to panic when you feel you have to do it but don’t have much time.
For junior high school students like that, here are some simple research and craft ideas you can complete in a day.
Once you gather the necessary materials, you can start right away! For example, there are experiments using everyday items and fun crafts you can make.
If you enjoy it, you’ll finish in no time.
After the experiment, write up your summary and reflections in a report.
That’s the most important part of the project.
Start thinking about it early so you can enjoy your summer vacation!
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[Middle School] Easy One-Day Independent Research and Craft Ideas (21–30)
pH test solution
Since this is a science experiment, we usually use BTB solution to measure pH, but you can actually measure pH with liquid made by boiling purple cabbage as well.
Purple cabbage contains a pigment called anthocyanin, which changes color in response to acidic or alkaline solutions.
I recommend using this indicator solution to test the pH of various everyday items and to explain how anthocyanins work.
Extract the DNA of vegetables
The word “DNA” is often used in everyday conversation, but very few people have actually seen it.
So let’s try extracting DNA as a science project! You’ll need things like sodium chloride, water, a surfactant (detergent), ethanol, and a beaker.
Specifically, you can crush the vegetable cell walls with a mortar and pestle, then use a surfactant to extract proteins and isolate the DNA.
It would be good to research and summarize what role each material plays and how it works.
[Middle School Students] Easy One-Day Independent Research and Craft Ideas (31–40)
sprinkling water (on the ground)
Do you know about uchimizu? It’s the practice of sprinkling water on the ground or roads on hot days.
In recent years, fewer households do it and there are fewer opportunities to see it, so many people may not be familiar with it.
In fact, uchimizu has the effect of lowering the air temperature.
So how about actually trying uchimizu and measuring the changes in temperature and humidity? You could also look into the mechanism behind it.
By the way, there are many videos and websites that explain the mechanism of uchimizu in an easy-to-understand way, so even those who aren’t comfortable with science can feel at ease.
paper airplane
As its name suggests, it’s an airplane made of paper—something almost everyone has made and flown.
This experiment explores the deceptively simple yet profound world of paper airplanes.
By tweaking how you fold them, you can change how they fly and extend their airtime—one sheet of paper holds infinite possibilities.
There are published instructions for planes that fly well, so researching and reproducing those is a good approach, and it’s also fun to experiment with your own new folding methods and throwing techniques.
Liquefaction phenomenon experiment
Precisely because Japan experiences many disasters such as earthquakes, why not investigate in a free research project what happens during an earthquake? Liquefaction refers to the phenomenon where vibrations from an earthquake cause the ground to behave like a liquid.
When the ground becomes liquid-like, houses that once stood normally can sink into the soil, and water pipes buried underground can rise to the surface.
Using a model, try applying vibrations to see how liquefaction occurs!
PET bottle water purifier
Many people are looking for simple science projects.
In such cases, a PET-bottle water purifier is recommended.
In this experiment, you create a purifier by filling a plastic bottle with materials like charcoal, gravel, and cloth.
You can test the purifier’s effectiveness and explore how it works, or focus your study on themes like designing a water purifier that’s easy to make during disasters.
Lemon battery
When you think of batteries, dry cells and smartphone lithium batteries are common, and I think you learn about fuel cells in school.
But have you heard of a fruit battery? You can generate electricity by inserting a zinc plate and a copper plate into a lemon.
Let’s also try summarizing whether it works with fruits other than lemons and with combinations of metals other than zinc and copper!
