There many topics that can be used for middle school science fair projects, covering a range of scientific disciplines. Below is a list of scientific questions that can be adapted for use by the middle school students:
o What kinds of single cell animals live in the water? How are they different from viruses and bacteria? How do they reproduce?
o What is the life cycle of the common butterfly? Name the stages that it goes through from egg to mature adult.
o Explain what DNA is. What is a chromosome? What is a gene? What is inheritance?
o Name four major glands in the body. Make diagrams for them and explain what their function is.
o Name the major classifications for different animal species. How are they different from one another? What are the names of some of the animals in each classification?
o What are the main classifications for rocks? How are they differentiated and what are the different characteristics that make them unique? How was each type formed?
o Using edible ingredients make a sample aquifer. Show how pollutants can get into the water. Show how the water table can be reduced by pumping.
o Get a telescope and observe the night sky. Draw the constellations that you see and explain which time of the year it is based on what ones you see in the night sky.
o Pick a favorite dinosaur and research what kind of environment it was likely to live in. What kinds of food did it most likely eat? What geologic period in time did it come from?
o Research how much goes into our landfills each year that can be recycled or composted. What kinds of environmental advantages could be gained if every American could be convinced to do his part and stopped throwing away reusable items?
o What is a carbon footprint? What are some things that the average person could do to reduce the carbon footprint he makes in a year? How are these changes likely to benefit the environment?
o What kinds of renewable energy sources are being investigated currently? How will these alternatives help the environment? What can be powered using these alternatives?
o Yeast are single celled animals that are used in baking and brewing. What function do they serve? How do they perform their work?
o What are the different cells found in blood? What function does each kind of cell perform for the body?
o What are the four blood types found in humans? What is an Rh factor? Which blood type is the most common? Which is the least common? What is an allele?
o What is lightening? What conditions in the atmosphere are necessary for it to form? Why is it so dangerous?
o What is wind? What causes it to move across the face of the earth?
Telescope
These are just a few of the many questions you can base your middle school science fair projects on. Choosing a category of interest by which to base your hypothesis is a good starting point. Finding a topic interesting to you is the key to a winning science fair project.