Recommended for middle school students! A collection of quick science project ideas you can do in a short time.

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.

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sasashina

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pH measurement using vegetables

[Choko-Try] Science Experiment You Can Do at Home: Measuring pH Using Vegetables

Let’s try a pH measurement experiment that tells you whether a liquid is alkaline or acidic.

For preparation, shred some red cabbage the day before and freeze it.

On the day of the experiment, knead it well in water to make purple cabbage water.

This colored water actually contains a pigment called anthocyanin that reacts to pH.

In the experiment, add the liquid you want to test to this colored water and observe the color change.

It turns red if acidic, purple if neutral, and blue or yellow if alkaline.

Gather different liquids and give it a try!

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DNA extraction experiment

DNA Extraction Experiment (Banana) — High School Biology Experiment

Speaking of DNA, you’ve probably heard about it in contexts like criminal investigations or paternity testing.

DNA, the substance that carries genetic information, is contained in the nucleus of each cell.

How about doing an experiment to extract banana DNA over summer vacation? You can make a DNA extraction solution using distilled water, table salt, and household neutral detergent.

Mash the banana, add the extraction solution, and filter it through gauze to obtain a liquid in which the banana’s DNA is dissolved.

Then, by adding well-chilled ethanol, you can precipitate and extract the banana’s DNA.

It’s a genuine experiment you can do during the summer break when you have more time.

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Nakajima Junko

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repeating saline solution

Perfect for a summer vacation science project! ~Repeating Saltwater~ [Buntoku High School]

Let’s try a summer break experiment using everyday items like cups and saltwater.

Make a hole in a plastic cup filled with saltwater at your preferred concentration.

Place the saltwater cup inside a larger cup filled with plain water.

You’ll notice something curious: the saltwater will flow out of the hole and then stop, and after a while it will start flowing out again and stop once more.

It could be fun to experiment by changing the salt concentration or the number of holes in the plastic cup.

Just watching this setup is interesting, but there’s also a proper explanation for what’s happening.

Try to think about that answer, too.

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Nakajima Junko

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Straw thermometer

[Independent Research] Let's make a thermometer with a plastic bottle and a straw!

How about making a thermometer using a straw, water, and paint? You can see changes in temperature by the height the water rises inside the straw, so try placing it in different spots like under direct sunlight or in the shade of a tree.

Although it won’t give you exact temperatures, it’s an interesting experiment where you can visually observe temperature changes.

Dent a plastic bottle without using your hands

☆Mini Science Show☆ Dent a plastic bottle without touching it!?!

Speaking of junior high school students, summer vacation assignments increase, so I think many end up prioritizing other subjects over their independent research projects.

But if you can finish an independent project in a single day, isn’t it worth a try? This time, it’s an experiment to dent a plastic bottle without using your hands.

What you need: a 500 ml plastic bottle, a measuring cup, and 150 ml of hot water.

The steps are simple, so give it a try!

Make a pinhole camera and study its structure

How to make a pinhole camera and a video of shooting with it: welcome to the upside-down world!

For your summer vacation independent project, how about making a pinhole camera? You can easily make one with craft paper, black construction paper, tracing paper, and aluminum foil! First, draw the layouts for an inner box and an outer box on the craft paper and cut them out.

Cut the construction paper to the same shapes and glue it onto the craft paper.

Assemble the boxes so that the black paper faces inward.

Attach tracing paper to the inner box, then sandwich aluminum foil in the pinhole frame and glue it in place.

Make a small hole in the center and attach it to the outer box.

Stack the outer and inner boxes, and your camera is complete! When you look into the box, the world appears upside down—it’s really fun.

Try to use it in a bright place.

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sasashina

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