RAG MusicScience
Wonderful independent research

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

Are you struggling to choose a topic for your middle school independent research project? In fact, with a small twist, you can easily do interesting experiments using everyday items like smartphones, mouthwash, and even bread! In this article, we’ll share tips for independent research—from original ideas to classic experiments—that will make everyone say “Wow!” All of these experiments let you experience the wonders of science, such as programming and chromatography.

Through your summer vacation project, you’re sure to make exciting new discoveries!

Recommended for junior high school students! A collection of quick independent research project ideas (41–50)

Handmade guitar

Mickey Mouse March played on a handmade guitar
Handmade guitar

How about trying to make a handmade guitar? All you need are rubber bands, chopsticks, and a box or cardboard for the body.

The pitch changes depending on where you press the string.

Try playing your favorite songs.

The video shows a guitar with one string, but you might also try adding more.

Recommended for junior high school students! A collection of quick science project ideas (51–60)

Kofun Survey

Ancient romance of Goryo: Burial mounds as far as the eye can see! [Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture]
Kofun Survey

If you live in an area with a nearby kofun (ancient burial mound), why not visit and investigate it yourself? By looking into whose tomb it is and why it has that shape, you can experience the romance of history.

You’ll also get a sense of scale that you can’t grasp just from a textbook.

Hot Water Engine

How to Make a Soda Can Stirling Engine, Part 4: An Engine That Runs on Hot Water
Hot Water Engine

How about trying to make an engine that uses hot water? It’s a type called a Stirling engine.

It harnesses the expanding and contracting forces of air.

It’s an especially recommended independent research topic for those interested in cars or motorcycles.

DIY speakers

[DIY] First attempt at building my own speakers! I'll build them while introducing how to make DIY speakers!
DIY speakers

Create your one-and-only original speaker.

Hearing “speaker building” might sound difficult, but the mechanism of a speaker is simpler than you might think.

DIY kits are also available.

It’s a great independent research project for people who like machines.

propeller airplane

Rubber power!!! A master of propeller airplanes!?
propeller airplane

Why not try building a rubber-powered propeller airplane? Be sure to pay attention to both its form and flight performance.

You could even compete with friends to see whose plane stays in the air the longest.

Preparing dedicated tools like the ones shown in the video can be a bit challenging, but try various ideas and enjoy the process of making things.

Lorentz force motor

Simple motor using Lorentz force
Lorentz force motor

This is a motor experiment that uses the Lorentz force, a force generated by the interaction of magnetism and electric current.

It may look like just placing a cup with aluminum foil attached over a battery, but it starts spinning on its own.

It might be interesting to use this force to run a miniature car.

Genealogy research

Understandable History [Muromachi Period]: Genealogy of Daimyo and Samurai
Genealogy research

How about researching your family tree or even making one yourself? Talk to your father and mother, of course, as well as your grandparents and other relatives.

There’s also the option of checking your family registry at the city hall.