Easy Science Projects for High School

When students are just starting off in a particular field of Science, a good ice breaker can be an easy science project. Though these projects may be easy, they still should require thought and ought to be related to the topic of study. They can be fun, engaging, encourage teamwork and of course foster learning.

Environmental Science

The threat of an oversupply of greenhouse gases trapped in our atmosphere is highly evangelized that virtually every young Science student is well aware. A good introductory project would be to research, design and build a small greenhouse in which a couple plants could be put. Designs are plentiful, and students can unleash their creativity with this one. Naturally, students will need to understand the how the greenhouse effect works, the greenhouse gases, the negative effects and how it can be used to increase plant growth and productivity.

Biology

Students can investigate how temperature affects the growth of mold on food. A common food item to use is bread. From the data collected, a graph can be plotted and a conclusion drawn. Further follow-up experiments can be done in which other variables besides temperature can be tested to see if they affect the growth of mold, such as lemon juice.

Chemistry

It’s often assumed that students need access to a laboratory filled with chemicals for them to do any worthwhile Chemistry experiments. Nothing could be further from the truth, because there are tons of projects that they can do even with basic chemicals in the home. One such experiment is using an acid based solution (dilute vinegar + table salt) to retrieve copper from copper-based coins such as pennies. It doesn’t end there, because the acid solution with copper residue can be used to plate an iron nail. This project can be the basis for the topic of Electrolysis and the movement of ions. For more details on how to do this, you can check out: http://chemistry.about.com/cs/demonstrations/a/aa022204a.htm

Physics

Building a simple replica of an ancient Trebuchet (massive catapult) for studying projectiles can incorporate a number of different skills. Design, construction, measurement and the application of Physics formulae can all be exploited in such a project. Students may even get a ‘kick’ out of whose projectiles go the furthest. One fundamental question that can be answered through doing this project is:

“What are the factors that must be met for a projectile to go the farthest distance?”

Computer Science

An introductory project to the world of computer programming could be to use Java programming to create calculators, animations, spell checker or even a birthday card maker. Even on a more basic level, an entire class could embark upon a Search Engine Optimization project in which the search habits of individuals are used as data for the proposal of a search engine.

Science projects can be a lot of fun, and with each project, which may either be an investigation or experiment, the scientific method ought to be emphasized. An old theory can be tested, or new theories can be formed. With simple projects, they may be more about the former which can still be quite engaging. Tons of other projects exist, and it’s great to let students decide what they’d like to do at times. After all, they are the Scientists who grow through exploration.