Students should always wear the correct safety equipment when carrying out science projects.
Suggestions for sixth grade science projects can be divided into the three core disciplines of science while also taking into consideration more diverse themes, such as earth science. Sixth-graders should look to develop more advanced science projects, having mastered the basics during elementary school. However, fun and creativity can also be encouraged when preparing presentations and projects.
Biology
As students enter middle school, they will find that the range of subjects covered in biology class becomes almost infinitely extensive. One example is a project assessing which fruits contain the most antioxidants. Instruct your students to cut apples into slices and squeeze different fruit juices on the apple slices. For example, take some pomegranate juice and spread it onto an apple slice, and repeat the process with lemon juice, orange juice, etc. Then cover each apple slice with 1/2 teaspoon of vitamin liquid. Allow the slices to sit for a set amount of time. Check back each after 15, 30, 45 minutes, one hour, 12 hours, a day, two days, etc., and assess how brown the apple has become (as a result of oxidizing). Have students record their findings, draw graphs and assess which fruit contains the most antioxidants.
Chemistry
Chemistry is one of the most difficult subjects to teach at middle school, as it often involves the use of potentially dangerous equipment to generate potentially dangerous chemical reactions. Students should always be carefully supervised and educated about safety in the lab. (See Resources.) A sixth grade chemistry project can be carried out to examine the impact of salt on the boiling temperature of water. Have students first measure the boiling temperature of regular water, heating water in a beaker on a Bunsen burner before introducing salt to the boiling water and watching the results. Once the salt water reaches the boiling point, record the temperature once more. Students should be encouraged to write up the experiment and include a hypothesis, methodology, results and conclusions.
Earth Science
Although not one of the core scientific disciplines, earth science is now a key component of the curriculum. Projects in this discipline could focus on how the angle of a slope affects soil erosion. Get your sixth-graders to build an erosion box that delivers a constant source of running water from the top that runs down the soil and collects the runoff soil in a sieve. Have students measure and adjust the angle of the box and weigh the amount of leftover soil after a set amount of time and see how the angle of the box affects the amount of erosion.
Physics
Physics is typically seen as both the most difficult and least interesting branch of science. There are several student projects that will surprise students and perhaps challenge their perceptions of the discipline. One example of this could be regarded as something of a classic: measuring the electric charge in different fruits and vegetables. Have students first measure the electrical flow in the different fruits and vegetables using the micro amp scale on an amp meter. Second, measure the resistance in the fruit and vegetables using the ohms scale on the meter. During this portion of the experiment, adjust the distance between the amp meter probes and assess how resistance is affected. Have students record their findings and generate graphs of their results.
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