Starting on STEM projects in middle school is a great way to build toward science fair success in high school. Here are a few ideas and useful guides to get you going.
Renewable Energy: Building a Solar Oven
Description: use the sun to cook with your own solar oven. Build a simple oven from cardboard, aluminum foil, and a few household materials, then experiment with different designs to improve heat absorption and retention. Test it by baking cookies or melting marshmallows for s’mores.
Impact: this demonstrates the principles of renewable energy and shows a practical use of solar power, which can encourage others to explore eco-friendly cooking and heating.
Resources to start the project:
- Cardboard
- Aluminum foil
- Insulating materials (such as Styrofoam or newspaper)
- Clear plastic wrap
- Black construction paper
- Thermometer
- Glue, tape, and scissors
- Optional: food items for testing
Environmental Science: Investigating Water Pollution
Description: take on the role of an environmental scientist and study how water pollution affects aquatic ecosystems. Design an experiment to simulate types of pollution (e.g., oil spills, chemical runoff) and observe their impact on water quality and aquatic life, then propose solutions for preventing and mitigating it.
Impact: water pollution affects communities worldwide, which makes this project relevant. Raising awareness and advocating for sustainable practices helps protect natural resources.
Resources to start the project:
- Large containers or aquariums
- Water samples (tap water, pond water, etc.)
- Pollutants (vegetable oil, food coloring, detergent, etc.)
- Test kits for water quality analysis
- Aquatic plants and/or small organisms (e.g., fish, snails)
- Laboratory equipment (pipettes, test tubes, etc.)
- Safety gear (gloves, goggles, etc.)
Microbial Fuel Cells: Food Waste as a Sugar Source
Description: explore microbial fuel cells (MFCs) using food waste as the fuel. MFCs use the metabolic activity of microorganisms (such as bacteria and yeast) to generate electricity from organic materials. Here, you convert food waste into clean energy through microbial activity.
Impact: this repurposes food waste into a valuable energy source, supporting more sustainable and efficient practices.
- Resources to start the project:
- Materials:
- Food waste: banana peels and sugarcane bagasse (inner and outer layers).
- Soil: used as part of the MFC setup.
- Electrodes: needed for electron transfer.
- Containers: to set up the MFCs.
- Procedure:
- Prepare MFC setups using banana peels, outer sugarcane bagasse, and inner sugarcane bagasse.
- Perform the Benedict’s test (quantitative) and the iodine test to assess reducing sugars in each substrate.
- Monitor each MFC’s power performance, peak power, and average power.
- Materials:
Robotics: Designing a DIY Robot Arm
Description: build your own working robot arm. Using everyday materials like cardboard, popsicle sticks, and servos, design an arm that can do simple tasks such as picking up objects or stacking blocks. Along the way you’ll explore mechanical advantage, kinematics, and programming.
Impact: this is a hands-on introduction to robotics and automation, sitting at the intersection of engineering, mechanics, and computer science.
Resources to start the project:
- Cardboard or lightweight wood
- Popsicle sticks or dowels
- Servo motors
- Joints (e.g., paper fasteners)
- Screws, nuts, and bolts
- Arduino microcontroller (optional)
- Programming software (e.g., Arduino IDE)
- Basic tools (scissors, glue, screwdriver)
Clear Communication: Helping People Speak Better After Hearing Loss
Description: find better ways to help people speak more clearly after losing some of their hearing. This project tests two methods: bone conduction headphones and exercises to strengthen the muscles used for speaking. Trying both together, you look for a way to make speaking easier for people with hearing loss.
Impact: this helps people who have trouble speaking due to hearing loss. Combining bone conduction headphones with voice exercises aims to make communication easier.
Resources to start the project:
Materials:
- Bone conduction headphones: send sound vibrations directly to the inner ear, which can help some people hear better.
- Voice exercises: simple exercises that strengthen the muscles used for speaking.
- Volunteers: people with different levels of hearing loss to try the methods.
Experiment:
- Make a plan: combine bone conduction headphones with voice exercises.
- Find volunteers: recruit people with hearing loss for the study.
- Baseline: measure how clearly they speak before any training.
- Training: have them use the headphones and do the voice exercises.
- Track progress: check whether their speech improves over time.
- Gather feedback: ask them and their friends or family about changes.
- Analyze results: see whether the methods helped them speak more clearly.
AeroRev: A Balloon-Powered Vehicle for Distance and Speed
Description: design a balloon-powered car that uses escaping air to move forward. The twist: aim for a balance of both distance and speed, not just one. You’ll engineer and tune a vehicle that pushes past typical balloon-powered designs.
Impact: beyond being fun, this explores the principles of aerodynamics and mechanics hands-on. Optimizing for both distance and speed takes you deeper into the science of motion and propulsion.
Resources to start the project:
Materials:
- Balloons: a variety of sizes and shapes to experiment with different levels of propulsion.
- Cardboard: the base material for the car body.
- Straws: use as axles to reduce friction.
- Wheels: store-bought or homemade, for smooth rolling.
- Tape: to secure everything and make adjustments.
Experiment:
- Designs: brainstorm car designs that maximize both distance and speed.
- Balloon variations: test different balloon sizes, shapes, and air pressures to see how they affect performance.
- Trial and error: build prototypes and run tests to gather data on distance and speed.
- Optimization: analyze your results and adjust the design and balloon setup to find the best balance.
- Competition: challenge others to see whose car goes farthest or fastest.
- Documentation: keep detailed records of your experiments, measurements, and what worked.
- Presentation: share your findings and your design.
Feel Free to Sleep at School… If You’re a Computer!
Description: could school computers take a well-deserved nap? In this project, you flip the script on energy usage by exploring the benefits of putting school computers to sleep when they’re idle. You calculate the potential energy and cost savings of doing so, rethinking computer downtime and its impact on both the environment and the school budget.
Impact: this helps schools be more environmentally conscious and budget-savvy. Optimizing sleep settings reduces wasted energy and cuts electricity costs, while raising awareness about energy efficiency.
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Resources to start the project:
- Measure the energy usage of school computers.
- Activate sleep mode during idle times.
- Monitor energy usage with and without sleep mode.
- Compare the data to calculate savings.
- Translate energy savings into cost savings.
- Share recommendations for optimal sleep settings.
- Raise awareness about the benefits of energy efficiency.
Using Carbon-Coated Sea Shells for Water Filtration
Description: explore a sustainable filtration method using carbon-coated sea shells to purify lead-contaminated water. Test how well these natural materials filter out harmful lead particles compared with conventional filters.
Impact: this reimagines sustainable solutions for water quality. Tapping into the natural filtration of carbon-coated sea shells can remove lead while promoting eco-friendly methods.
Resources to start the project:
- Sea shells: gather and coat with activated carbon for better filtration.
- Lead water: prepare lead-contaminated samples for testing.
- Filtration tests: measure the carbon-coated shells’ efficiency at removing lead.
Experiment:
- Shell prep: coat sea shells with activated carbon.
- Water prep: contaminate water samples with lead.
- Setup: create filtration systems with the shells and with traditional filters.
- Testing: pass water through each and measure lead removal.
- Analysis: compare shell performance with traditional filters.
- Evaluation: assess whether shells are practical for filtration.
- Applications: consider using shells in larger water systems.
Not sure how to start?
Rishab Jain, who won ISEF, has succeeded across many research competitions and projects. For students eager to start working toward STEM competitions, Rishab offers science fair coaching and a YouTube playlist on how to do research, where he shares his winning strategies.
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