STEM activities need to be introduced early in a child’s education to plant the seeds for success. Today’s information age demands the average person be able to innovate, be technologically fluent, and understand why and how things work together. Unfortunately, in the face of this pandemic, motivating remote students and cultivating an interest in their schoolwork is challenging even for the best teachers. But when kids are able to get hands-on with topics that interest and challenge them, it makes learning more fun and engaging.
To help you out, we’ve made the search easier and compiled a list of 4 simple and engaging STEM experiments for middle schoolers that they can do at home via online learning.
1. Aluminum Foil Boats
Have you ever wondered how a steel ship can float? And better yet, how can a steel ship carry a heavy cargo without sinking? In a nutshell, it has to do with the density – or the mass per volume – of the ship and its cargo in relation to the density of water. In this experiment, students create little aluminum foil boats and fill them with coins until they sink to see how much weight they can withstand. Through this experiment, students will explore how the size of their boat affects how much weight it can carry and how this relates to water density.
2. Cloud in a Jar
Making a cloud in a jar is a popular kids experiment – and for good reason! Students only need a few common household ingredients to create their own jar clouds: a jar, a lit match, a balloon (with the bottom cut off, so the balloon could go over the mouth of the jar), and warm water. Pour enough water to cover ½ of the jar, and hold the lit end of the match in the jar for a few seconds to allow smoke to enter in. Quickly cover the opening of the jar with a lit balloon, and start pushing on the balloon to create air pressure. When you add warm water to the jar, it creates water vapor. This water vapor is able to collect on the smoke particles from the match, and voilà: a jar cloud!
3. DIY Balance Scale
This STEM project is perfect for students who like to get creative and learn how things work. They’ll need a plastic hanger, two paper or plastic cups, string, and a hole punch. At the top of each cup, punch two holes on opposite sides and run yarn through. Hang the cups on the hanger and fill them with different items to see which one is heavier. Feel free to experiment with the weights to expand on the learning! This activity is a great opportunity for students to learn number comparisons, counting, and thinking skills!
4. Building Structures with Jelly Beans
Here’s an excellent option for creative STEM learning! Building structures with jelly beans is a classic engineering project for every age. All your students need are some jelly beans and toothpicks. Let your students freely explore and unleash their creativity by arranging the jellybeans and toothpicks to create various colorful structures and buildings. Your students’ creations could become permanent art fixtures in your classroom when they return to in-person learning!
These simple STEM experiments for middle school students can ignite a lifetime of interest. You’re now well-equipped to help your students explore the exciting foundations of science, technology, engineering and math!
Written by Krithik Ashokkumar
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