Science Fair Project Ideas For High Schoolers – The great thing about middle school science fair projects is that kids are old enough to tackle some pretty amazing concepts. Some middle school science experiments are just advanced versions of simpler projects they did when they were younger, with detailed calculations or fewer instructions. Other projects involve fire, chemicals, or other materials they couldn’t use before.
Note: Some of these projects are written as classroom labs, but can be adapted to become science fair projects. Consider only variables that you can change, such as materials or other parameters. This turns a classroom activity into a true science experiment!
Science Fair Project Ideas For High Schoolers
To make it easier for you to find the right middle school science fair project idea, we’ve ranked all the projects by difficulty and materials needed:
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Explore the living world with these biology science project ideas, learn about plants, animals, the environment, and more.
You don’t need a lot of supplies to do this experiment, but it’s still impressive. Turn this into a science fair project by trying it with other fruits and vegetables as well.
Gregor Mendel’s experiments with pea plants were among the first to investigate hereditary traits and genetics. Try your cross-pollination experiments with fast-growing plants like peas or beans.
By this age, children know that many plants move toward sunlight, a process known as phototropism. So high school science fair projects on this topic must introduce variables into the process, such as covering parts of the seedlings with different materials to see the effects.
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We’d all like to know the answer to this: Is it really safe to eat food you dropped on the floor? Design and conduct an experiment to find out (although we think we may already know the answer).
How interconnected are all our senses? Does the way you look at food affect how it tastes? Find out with a fun food science fair project like this one!
Bacteria can be divided into two groups: gram-positive and gram-negative. In this experiment, students first determine two groups and then test the effects of different antibiotics on them. You can get a gram stain kit, bacillus cereus and rhodospirillum rubrum cultures, and antibiotic discs from Home Science Tools.
Experiment with the effects of light on the carbon cycle. Make this science fair project even more interesting by adding small aquatic animals like snails or fish to the mix.
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Cell mitosis (division) is actually easy to see in action when looking at onion root tips under a microscope. Students will be amazed to see the theory of science become a scientific reality before their eyes. Adapt this lab into a high school science fair project by applying the process to other organisms as well.
Grow the bacteria in a petri dish along with paper discs soaked in various antiseptics and disinfectants. You will be able to see which ones effectively inhibit the growth of bacteria.
Bunsen burners, beakers and test tubes and the possibility of (controlled) explosions? No wonder chemistry is such a popular subject for high school science fair projects!
O into H and O with this simple experiment. You only need simple supplies for this. Turn it into a science fair project by changing the variables – does water temperature matter? What if you try this with other liquids?
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Are the calorie counts in your favorite snacks accurate? Make your own calorimeter and find out! This kit from Home Science Tools has all the supplies you’ll need.
Forensic science is exciting and can lead to important career opportunities. Explore the chemistry needed to detect latent (invisible) fingerprints, just like they do at crime scenes!
Adapt this basic concept to create a variety of high school chemistry fair projects. Change temperature, surface area, pressure and more to see how reaction rates change.
Are those expensive sports drinks really worth it? Try this experiment to find out. You need special equipment for this; buy the complete kit at Home Science Tools.
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You’ll need to get a few different chemicals for this experiment, but the wow factor makes it worth the effort! Make it a science project by seeing if different materials, air temperature, or other factors change the results.
The mole is a key concept in chemistry, so it’s important to make sure students really understand it. This experiment uses simple materials like salt and chalk to make an abstract concept more concrete. Make it a project by applying the same procedure to different substances, or determine whether extraneous variables have an effect on the results.
This edible experiment allows students to make their own peppermint hard candies while calculating mass, moles, molecules, and formula weights. Adjust the formulas to create different types of candy and turn them into a cute science fair project!
Take a closer look at an everyday object: soap! Use oils and other ingredients to make your own soap, learn about esters and saponification. Handle the formula to find one that matches a specific set of parameters.
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Research the factors that affect evaporation, then come up with ways to reduce or speed it up for a simple science fair project.
When you think of middle school physics projects, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the classic bridge building. But there are many other ways to introduce teenagers to physics concepts. Here are some to try.
You can use a vacuum chamber to make a lot of cool high school science fair projects, but the finished ones can be expensive. Try this project to make your own with basic supplies.
Looking for a simple yet engaging high school science fair project? Make your own mini Tesla coil and wow the crowd!
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Logic tells us that we shouldn’t put a paper cup on a heat source, right? However, it is actually possible to boil water in a paper cup without burning the cup! Learn about heat transfer and thermal conduction with this experiment. Go deeper by trying other liquids like honey to see what happens.
Emulate Edison and make your own simple light bulb. You can turn this into a science fair project by experimenting with different types of filament materials.
Grab an egg and head to the microwave for this surprisingly simple experiment. By measuring the distance between the cooked parts of the egg whites, you will be able to calculate the wavelength of the microwave in your oven and, in turn, the speed of light.
See electricity in action when you generate and record a Lichtenberg figure with polyethylene sheets, wood or even acrylic and toner. Change the electrical intensity and materials to see what kinds of patterns you can create.
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Have you ever tried to pull a piece of paper from half a large pile? It’s harder than you think it will be! This is due to the force of friction. In this experiment, students leave the leaves of two sticky notes and then measure how much weight it takes to separate them. The results are amazing!
Ready to dip your toes into particle physics? Learn about background radiation and build a cloud chamber to prove the existence of muons.
This is a popular and classic science fair experiment in physics. You’ll need a few specialized supplies, but they’re pretty easy to find.
A basic bottle rocket is fairly easy to make, but it opens the door to many different science fair projects. Design a powerful launcher, change the rocket to fly higher or farther, or use only recycled materials for your flyer.
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Many schools are changing their science fairs to STEM fairs to encourage students interested in engineering to participate. Many great engineering science fair projects start with a STEM challenge, like the ones shown here. Use these ideas to start a whole project to build something new and amazing!
Maglev trains may just be the future of mass transportation. Build a model at home and explore ways to apply the technology more broadly.
Wind energy is renewable, which makes it a good solution to the fossil fuel problem. For a smart science fair project, experiment to find the most efficient wind turbine design for a given situation.
Da Vinci designed several models of “flying machines” and hoped to ascend to the sky. Explore his models and try to rebuild one of your own.
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Smartwatches are everywhere these days, so almost anyone can wear a heart rate monitor on their wrist. But do they work better than one you can make yourself? Get the specialized items you need like the Arduino LiliPad board on Amazon.
3D printers are a marvel of the modern age, and budding engineers should definitely learn how to use them. Use Tinkercad or a similar program to design and print racing cars that can support a defined weight, then see which one rolls the fastest! (No 3D printer in your STEM lab? Check your local library. Most have 3D printers available for patrons.)
Hydroponics is the gardening wave of the future, making it easy to grow plants anywhere with minimal soil required. For a STEM engineering science challenge, design and build your own hydroponic garden