[Middle School Students] Easy One-Day Science Projects and Crafts Ideas

Making an instant cold pack

Mini Mini Science Show Vol. 16: “Handmade Cooling Pack”

Are you familiar with instant cold packs that get cold when you smack them? They’re really handy in the hot summer—basically the cool version of a hand warmer.

In fact, you can make one yourself! The necessary material, urea, is sold as a fertilizer, so it should be easy to get.

When water and urea mix, an endothermic reaction occurs.

Let’s put together a report on how that works!

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

Hane Keisuke

Report a problem

Telescope Making

[Lunar Eclipse] Observe the night sky with a handmade telescope! [How to make one]

Let’s try making a telescope that lets you see distant objects large and clearly using materials that are easy to get.

Precisely because we’re building it with familiar items, it helps dispel the idea that it’s difficult while also teaching how a telescope works.

The tube section will be made from cardboard and a potato chip can, and the lenses will come from a magnifying glass and reading glasses.

It’s a simple process of mounting each lens inside the tube, but small touches—like surrounding the lenses with black paper—are also important.

It’s recommended to make small adjustments as you go, thinking about how to achieve a clearer image.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem

Let’s make a leaf vein specimen

[BCS Project] Let’s Make Leaf Vein Specimens! / Suzukake Science Day 2021

Let’s make a leaf vein specimen using leaves you can find around you.

First, bring water with 3 tablespoons of baking soda to a boil and add the leaves.

Simmer for about 15 minutes, then when the water turns brown and the leaves become limp, remove the leaves.

This softens the pigments other than the veins.

Next, rinse the leaves under running water and gently tap them with a toothbrush to scrape away everything except the veins.

Be sure to choose sturdy, relatively tough leaves for this experiment.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

sasashina

Report a problem

Make ice cream with salt and ice

[Independent Study] Make it with salt and ice! Homemade Morinaga Cocoa Ice Cream [Cooking]

This is a study that lets you make ice cream—an essential summer treat—while also experiencing elements of science through a cooking-based method.

Put ice in a large bowl and sprinkle salt over it, then place a smaller bowl containing the ice cream mixture on top so the cold can transfer, and stir.

Use a thermometer to record how the temperature changes with the combination of ice and salt, and think about what you can do to lower the temperature even more.

The key is understanding the mechanism that lowers the temperature, and a fun bonus is that you can make your favorite kind of ice cream.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem

Optical illusion art

Middle school art: simple 3D trick art

Let’s draw trick art that looks as if it pops out in three dimensions.

We’ll use a technique called one-point perspective, drawing holes and pillars as cubes or rectangular prisms by using lines from the vanishing point as guides.

How you draw corner lines and apply shadows is also crucial, and imagining how the light hits the objects helps make the drawing look more three-dimensional.

It’s also important to be creative not only in how you draw but in how you present it—have viewers look from the vanishing point, or cut the paper so the pillar appears to protrude.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem

An experiment to make a raw egg float in water

A fun experiment! Let's make a raw egg float!

This is an experiment to test how to make a raw egg that sinks in water float.

The procedure is simple: mix table salt into water and place a raw egg in it.

Gradually add more salt and record the amount needed until the egg floats.

The point at which it floats can vary depending on the condition of the egg, so it’s recommended to try several eggs and take the average.

It could also be interesting to explore variations, such as whether you can make things float using substances other than salt, or whether you can float objects other than raw eggs.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem

spectrometer

Build a spectrometer

Let’s build a spectroscope that clearly shows a gradient of light using simple materials: a CD and thick paper.

Place a small piece of a CD inside a box made from thick paper with a hole in it; by peeking through the hole, you can see the colors of light.

The key is to bring light into the box and reflect the captured light off the CD, so be mindful of the position of the hole and the angle of the CD.

Because it’s a simple craft where you just look into the box, it could be fun to put extra care into decorating the outside, too.

expand_lessRaise the rankingexpand_morelower

kappamaki

Report a problem