Science Fair Projects for 8th Graders
Science fairs are fun ways to study and showcase a concept that you are interested in, while keeping it simple so that the general public can still understand the topic. In elementary school, you’ll see a lot of the same ideas because they are mostly easy to pull off, and have been done many times before. In middle school, you might see more complicated ideas, but they’ve also been done before, so what can you do to stand out? In this blog post, we are sharing tips for 8th graders interested in creating winning science fair projects.
Tips for Science Fair Projects for 8th Graders
As you get started on creating your 8th grade science fair project, consider the following tips:
Tip #1: Take a look at previous winning science fair projects
If the science fair that you are participating in has been established for many years now, they will likely have a website where you can view the winners for each category from previous years. While you do not want to copy the experiments of these winners, you should understand why they won, and the process they took to get there. How did they present their data? Did they use eye-catching fonts/colors? Did they make certain details stand out among the rest of their poster/trifold? Understanding what has been done before is important, not only so you do not inadvertently conduct a similar experiment to someone from a previous year, but so you can stand on the shoulders of those before you.
Tip #2: Select a project topic
As far as picking a topic goes, as long as it is allowed by the competition that you are participating in, go for anything. The only restriction you should put on your search for a topic is being interested in it. You will do better work if you are having fun and learning while creating your project! Also, if your project is research related, conduct research on something that has real world application, and make it clear that your research is important and should be regarded highly.
Tip #3: Plan out your project
Even if you have understood how past winners won and have chosen a topic that you are interested in, you will still need to plan out the project. Do you have other commitments? Do you have a teammate that might not be available on certain days? You should have a rough outline of which parts of your project you want to have completed by what time. Keep the due date in mind and try to stay on track with the plans that you made. If you end up being ahead of schedule, you will have extra time to refine your project and make sure that everything you want has been completed.
Tip #4: Consider finding a project mentor
Finding a mentor that is well versed in the topic that you are intent on working on is a good idea for all types of science fairs. While you will be doing most of the work yourself or with teammates, a mentor can help you keep moving when you get stuck, and provide helpful suggestions when you are starting out. Also, they can help you understand how possible the project you would like to complete is. The mentor should have lots of previous knowledge regarding your subject of choice, so they know how long certain types of projects will take. If you are looking for a mentor now and you are conducting a research project, Inspirit AI can help provide you with someone who can help.
Tip #5: Draw conclusions from your data
Your experiment can be the most creative in the entire fair, but it won’t matter if you cannot draw a firm conclusion using data. To stand out, make sure your data is presented in a clear and concise fashion, and then explain the significance. Also, if you have to give a speech regarding your project, make sure you completely understand every part of your process and that it is replicable, science is only credible with repetition!
8th Grade Science Fair Project Ideas
Are you looking for project ideas to help you get started on your 8th grade science fair project? Check out our ideas below!
Conducting Research: As stated earlier, after deciding on a general topic, you can conduct research on something specific that you are interested in. This could be an analysis of a new topic, an experiment on something new in that field that you are interested in, or an experiment similar to one already done, but aiming to change the result. This idea works great with the tips provided earlier, every single one of them can be used as part of a research plan, and some past winners have definitely conducted research.
Environmental Sustainability: An environmentally sustainable project always draws attention and produces good results if done well. An environmentally sustainable project will make better use of our current natural resources, introduce a creative/more efficient way of doing something(ex: growing crops), or introduce a completely new method of doing something. Environmentally sustainable projects that aim to do the third option might be significantly more difficult and require more time to complete, but will produce incredible results. Remember, even if you do not place well at the science fair, the important part of the fair is the time you put in to complete your project, and what you learned while doing it.
Healthcare: A healthcare related project is another topic that can achieve strong results in a science fair. You don’t have to invent a cure for a disease or something of that magnitude, but you can analyze a disease that has been prevalent(ex:COVID-19), or popularize a method of staying safe from that disease. If you have an interest in computer science, you could figure out how to create an algorithm that can accurately diagnose a disease based on certain factors. All of these ideas may sound complicated, but if you find a topic that you are interested in and work on it with one of your strengths, you will be able to produce a strong project for your science fair. Again, remember that you need to put in time, and progress won’t always be steady, but as long as you follow through, and make sure that you are having a good time, then participating in the science fair will be worth it.
Looking for even more ideas? Check out this blog post on 100 Science Fair Projects for 8th Graders.
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
