science fair experiments with bacteria

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Easy & Fun Science for Kids

Bacteria Science Fair Project Ideas

Middle school students can have a lot of amusement working on a science fair project involving a bacteria growth kit. Before the merriment begins though, they must acquire a bacteria test kit. Such kits may be bought from either hobby or educational stores, or can be acquired from various online science sites for around $15. The experiment set should include, at least 6 dishes, cotton swabs, agar (special gelatin used to nurture bacteria), a beaker and a guide or instructions.

When doing a bacteria experiment, a basic bacteria test kit can be used to measure how much bacteria has grown, but not the type of bacteria. Generally, it takes 5-7 days for bacteria to grow, but it can take up to 20 days. For this reason, timing the science fair project is essential. Documentation of the bacteria’s growth should consist of pictures, sketches, and clear descriptions. Keep a few samples for the presentation day, but discard all bacteria afterwards.

Bacteria Experiments for Science Fair Project (Grades 5-8)

Experimenting with bacteria is enjoyable, captivating and could be fairly nauseating. This could be the reason why microbes and bacteria are a captivating science fair topic. Learners can explore bacteria in amusing and unusual areas or do a serious examination to discover how to keep humans free of germs. Kids can select one of the following concepts or be creative and come up with one of their own.

• Antibacterial soap reduces (or does not reduce) the quantity of bacteria on hands.
• Vinegar is just as effective as antibacterial cleaner at removing bacteria from a cutting board.
• There is more bacteria in a public washroom than a private bathroom.
• There is more bacteria in the first stall of a public bathroom than the last stall.
• When chips are double-dipped (bitten and reinserted) in a dip, it becomes contaminated with bacteria.
• There is more (or less) bacteria in a dog’s mouth than a human’s mouth.
• Compare bacteria growth on several surfaces (cellphone, school keyboard, water fountain, bus hand rail. benches at the mall, play structure at McDonalds). Then write a hypothesis (guess) that you can test.
• Food is more contaminated when it stays on the floor for 5 minutes, than 5 seconds (test the 5 second rule).
• A kitchen sink sponge has more bacteria than a dirty floor mop.
• Water in water bottles gets contaminated from saliva back-wash.
• Mouthwash kills bacteria in a person’s mouth. Test several times on several people. Students can test different brands of mouthwash too.
• A prepared sandwich can be left in the fridge for 3 days without growing bacteria.
• There is more bacteria in a person’s mouth than on his/her hands.
• A public bathroom’s outside doorknob has less bacteria than the inside doorknob. Test several times in several bathrooms.
• The most expensive brand is the most effective at killing bacteria. Test different brands of antibacterial hand washes and find out whether money buys effectiveness.

Germs and bacteria are all around us and make a great topic for science projects. Bacteria growth kits are inexpensive and readily available for kids. With a good hypothesis and the correct format, bacteria experiments can make impressive winning science fair projects.

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Science project, growing bacteria.

Grade Level: 4th - 7th; Type: Microbiology

The objective of this experiment is to learn how to grow bacteria in a controlled setting. By using simple materials from home instead of Petri dishes students will learn how to perform sterile technique. The outcome of this experiment depends largely upon their ability to keep their equipment sterile. 

Research Questions:

• What are bacteria? What is mold? What is fungus?
• How do bacteria reproduce? How do molds reproduce?
• How successful was your sterile technique? Did anything grow out in dish #2? If your sterile technique was perfect, you should see nothing growing in this dish.
• How does the control compare to the dish that was exposed to the air? What does this say about the air quality in your kitchen?
• How do your other dishes compare with one another?

Although they are too small to see, bacteria and mold spores fill the air and come to rest on most surfaces. Although some bacteria and molds cause disease, most organisms you encounter every day are generally harmless unless conditions favor their growth. When you see adults cleaning surfaces in the kitchen that appear to be perfectly clean, the adults are really making sure that there are no bacteria, mold spores or crumbs that could feed these organisms.

This experiment is similar to others often performed using Petri dishes. However, this experiment provides you with the opportunity to practice sterile technique. Surgeons and scientists who do tissue culture practice sterile technique because the introduction of molds or bacteria could hurt the patient or destroy the culture that the scientist is growing.

Bacteria are simple one-celled organisms that reproduce by dividing into two. Molds are similar to bacteria, but they reproduce by generating seed-like spores. One common mold is Mucor mucedo.

• One can of condensed tomato soup
• Six small custard cups, ramekins or desert dishes. Any dish will do as long as it has a small top no more that 3-4 inches in diameter.
• Six rubber bands
• Kitchen tongs
• One small saucepan, one large saucepan and one large frying pan that you can boil water in

Experimental Procedure:

• Fill the large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Place the custard cups and tongs into the boiling water. Simmer for twenty minutes.
• Open the can of tomato soup and pour it into the small sauce pan. Add ½ can water and stir. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer very gently for 20 minutes.
• While the tomato soup is simmering, fill the large saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Place the custard cups, tablespoon, and tongs into the boiling water. Simmer for twenty minutes.
• Fill the frying pan with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the temperature so that it is simmering gently.
• Cut six squares of Saran Wrap big enough to fit into the frying pan. Be careful not to get the Saran wrap tangled on it. Gently drop the full sheet you cut into the simmering water. It will immediately shrink. Add all squares to the water. You may have to cut additional squares to use in case the Saran Wrap gets tangled.
• Make sure that you have a tray next to the stove that has adequate room for all six of the custard cups. Write “Dish #1,” “Dish #2,” “Dish #3,” “Dish #4,” “Dish #5” and “Dish #6” on six 3 x 5 cards. Set the cards down individually with the writing facing up.
• Remove the tongs from the boiling water by hooking the handle of a spoon or fork through the handle of the tongs. Carefully rest the tongs so that they are lying flat across a clean glass. Do not let the tongs touch the table or anything else. Do not touch any part of the tongs except for the handle. The object of this step is to keep the tongs sterile until they cool enough for you to handle comfortably.
• Once the tongs have cooled, use them to remove the tablespoon from the water. Place the tablespoon across the glad just as you did in step 7. The object here is to keep the spoon sterile while it cools enough for you to comfortably use.
• Using your sterile tongs, carefully remove one custard cup from the boiling water and set it on the tray. Using your sterile tablespoon, add two tablespoons of soup to the dish. When you set down your tablespoon or tongs, be sure to set them down across the glass to minimize contamination.
• Using your tongs, remove one square of Saran Wrap from the water and place it across the desert cup you prepared in step 9. Set down your tongs across the glass. Secure the Saran Wrap in place using a rubber band. This is dish #1.
• Remove a second custard cup from the water and add soup just as you did in step #9. Wait 30 minutes before covering the dish with Saran Wrap just as you did to dish #1 in step 10. This is dish #2.
• Remove a third custard cup from the water and add soup just as you did in step #9. Since you have very clean hands, get a brother, sister, parent or friend to stick a dirty finger across the tomato soup. Immediately cover the dish with Saran Wrap and secure with a rubber band just as you did in step 10. This is dish #3.
• Repeat step 9 with dishes #5 and #6. For dish # 5, run a finger across the kitchen floor before introducing it to the tomato soup. Immediately cover dish #5, just as you did in step 10.   For dish #6, sprinkle a few break crumbs across the tomato soup and cover promptly.
• Create a table with seven columns so that you have one column for the date and one for each of your six dishes. In the far left column, you will enter the time and date. Write down your observations for each dish. Continue making observations twice a day for a week.

Terms/Concepts: Bacteria; Microbiology; Bacterial growth; Sterile technique; Bacterial reproduction; Mold spores; Mucor mucedo

References:

• Oetting, Judy and Tad Herr . Germs (Rookie Readers) Children’s Press (2007)
• Cole,Joanna, Jon Speirs, and Bruce Degan. The Magic School Bus Inside Ralphie: A Book About Germs . Scholastic Paperbacks, 1995
• DiConsiglio, John. There’s a Fungus Among Us: True Stories of Killer Molds. Children’s Press (2007).
• Viegas, Jennifer. Fungi and Molds (Germs! the Library of Disease-Causing Organisms). Rosen Publishing Group (2004)
• http://kidshealth.org/kid/talk/qa/germs.html

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Growing bacteria in a petri dish {STEM activity for kids}

1st Grade , 2nd Grade , 3rd Grade , 4th Grade , 5th Grade

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Although we often think about bacteria as something we need “wash off” so we don’t get sick, the truth is that bacteria is EVERYWHERE.

And when I say that bacteria is everywhere, I mean that we are literally covered in bacteria both inside and out. In fact, we couldn’t live without bacteria as bacteria are instrumental in so many functions. For example, bacteria break down carbohydrates in our guts and prime our immune systems to fight infection.

But how do you teach kids about bacteria when it can’t be seen with the naked eye? And how do you show them that bacteria is literally everywhere around us?

Well, I enlisted the help of my mother (a retired, award winning science teacher) to help us culture and grow some bacteria. Growing bacteria in a petri dish was a very impactful activity for both of my children, making visible to them that which is usually invisible.

Note: Find more science experiments on my Science Activities for Kids page!

We started by talking about how bacteria are single-celled organisms that are neither animals nor plants. They are so tiny that we can’t see a single bacteria with our naked eye, but we can see bacteria when it grows in clump-like groups.

We discussed how there is bacteria ALL OVER. We brainstormed some places we might find bacteria, such as door handles, keyboards, dirt, etc.

Then we told the kids were were going to grow some bacteria so we could see it. We were also going to discover what things carry more bacteria and what things carry less.

My mom showed the kids how to swab items around the house for bacteria. At first, for training purposes, we used q-tips to swab things like our keyboard.

We also swabbed our necks.

Then my mom showed them how they would lightly run the swab over the agar to culture it with bacteria. (During this practice phase they simply ran their q-tips over the lid of our petri dish rather than the agar itself. In this way the agar remained sterile.)

Once we were done learning how to swab for bacteria, we talked a bit about our petri dishes. A petri dish is a round, shallow, clear-colored dish with a lid used to culture microorganisms such as bacteria. I purchased a set of petri dishes  that were pre-filled with agar, a substance that bacteria like to feed on.

We labeled the bottom of our petri dish with the items we planned to culture. In the image below, you can see that we labeled this petri dish to grow bacteria cultured from our TV remote and the bottom of my son’s foot.

(Be sure to label the bottom of the petri dish rather than the lid, as the lid will turn, causing your label to be over the wrong part of your dish.)

Next, we opened the sterile swabs that came with our set of petri dishes .

Now that the kids were experts in swabbing items, they used the sterile swabs to gather bacteria from several objects. In the photo below, my daughter was collecting bacteria from Baby, her stuffed monkey.

The kids then gently rubbed the swab over the agar in the part of the petri dish labeled for each object. It is crucial that you rub gently here so as to transfer bacteria to the agar without poking holes in the agar.

After we cultured our petri dishes with swabs from several household items, we set the dishes under a desk lamp to keep the temperature around 95 degrees F / 35 degrees C.

If the temperature is too low, bacteria will still grow, but the process will be very slow.

If the temperature is too hot (over 100 degrees F / 37 degrees C), some types of bacteria will not be able to survive.

We used a strip thermometer (similar to, but not identical to, this one from Amazon) so we could ensure the temperature was just right.

By the second day, we could see some bacteria growing in our petri dishes. And by day 6 (pictured below), we had a LOT of bacteria.

These photos clearly show growth of multiple different strains of bacteria (as evidenced by the different colors and textures).

Of the four items we swabbed for our bacteria cultures, my daughter’s stuffed monkey, Baby, was the clear winner in terms of how much bacteria we were able to grow from that swab.

We have all had a good laugh over the fact that her stuffed monkey – that she hugs and kisses and sleeps with every night – has more bacteria than the bottom of her brother’s foot. 🙂

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Saliva and Bacteria Experiments for a Science Fair Project

Dog Science Fair Project Ideas

When you think about bacteria, you may think of getting sick, or infected. However, bacteria are necessary for good health. It’s only when bacteria overgrow, or you encounter strains that are harmful, that bacteria becomes a problem. Humans have between six and 30 different types of bacteria in their mouths. Conduct an experiment on saliva and bacteria, for a Science Fair project to which everyone can relate.

What's Growing in Your Mouth?

Did you brush your teeth completely? Check your brushing skills with a pre-made petri dish and a sterile swab. Swab the inside of your mouth, and apply the sample to the petri dish using a zig-zag motion. Incubate overnight at 99 degrees. Observe the sample and record your results. Repeat the incubation, observation and recording of results for the next four days.

Dog vs. Human

Is a dog’s mouth really cleaner than a human’s mouth? To find out, you need six pre-made petri dishes, a permanent fine-tip black marker, individually-wrapped sterile swabs, three human volunteers, three canine volunteers (preferably dogs that drool, such as a mastiff or St. Bernard), compound microscope, six glass slides with coverslips and Gram stain.

Collect the samples of fresh saliva from the human and canine volunteers. One at a time, unwrap a swab, and swipe around the inside of the cheeks, and the gums around the molars. Put the sample on the agar using a zigzag motion. Close the petri dish and label it with the name, and either “human” or “dog.” Place the petri dishes in a warm, dark environment for 24 hours. Use a clean swab to transfer some bacteria from each petri dish, to a labeled microscope slide. Add the stain. Observe the amount of bacteria on each slide. Count the bacteria in a square centimeter. Multiply by the area of the slide. Record your observations and results.

Does Dog Drool Kill Bacteria?

Historical lore tells of hunters and pioneers with injuries that heal after being licked by an animal. Are these just folktales, or are they true? Find out with five pre-made petri dishes, five individually-wrapped sterile swabs, non-pathogenic freeze-dried staphylococcus epidermis bacteria, a permanent fine-tip black marker and fresh saliva from a pet dog that drools, such as a mastiff or St. Bernard.

Sprinkle the staphylococcus bacteria into four petri dishes. Label one petri dish “bacteria control.” Obtain a fresh dog drool sample using a swab, and apply, using a zig-zag motion, to the remaining petri dish, labeled “drool control.” Close the petri dishes, and place in a warm, dark environment for 72 hours. Collect three fresh dog drool samples. Apply each sample to a separate petri dish that is not a control, using a zig zag motion. Close the petri dishes and place them in an area with no direct sun. Observe periodically over the following five days. Record your observations. Does dog drool kill bacteria? Are there negative effects of dog saliva? Could the mechanical effect of licking be involved in the healing process?

Does Mouthwash Kill Germs?

Do mouthwashes “kill the germs that cause bad breath?” Find out using two individually-wrapped sterile swabs, two pre-made blood agar petri dishes, a fine-tip permanent marker, sterile inoculating loops, mouthwash, glass slides with coverslips, Gram stain and a compound microscope.

Swab the inside of your mouth. Apply the sample to a petri dish, rubbing the swab several times in one area of the dish. Use an inoculating loop in a zig-zag motion to spread out the sample. Swish 10 milliliters of mouthwash in your mouth for one minute. Swab the inside of your mouth. Apply the sample to one area of a different petri dish, labeled “mouthwash.” Use an inoculating loop in a zig-zag motion to spread out the sample. Incubate the petri dishes overnight at 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Observe the petri dishes, and record and draw any differences, or changes. Look at the blood agar. An incomplete color change, or green color, indicates the presence of normal streptococci. Streak each bacterial colony to a different area of the agar, using a new sterile inoculating loop for each colony. Incubate at 99 degrees overnight. Perform a gram stain of each colony, and examine under a microscope. Record your results. Is there any bacteria still growing in the mouthwash petri dish?

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About the Author

Annette Strauch has been a writer for more than 30 years. She has been a radio news journalist and announcer, movie reviewer for Family Movie Reviews Online, chiropractic assistant and medical writer. Strauch holds a Master of Arts in speech/broadcast journalism from Bob Jones University, where she also served on the faculty of the radio/TV department.

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Growing Bacteria in Petri Dishes

Take samples around you and see what bacteria will grow in an agar-filled petri dish.

Print this Experiment

This activity will prove that Mom was right… “Wash your hands with soap and warm water!” A Petri dish prepared with nutrient agar (a seaweed derivative with beef nutrients added) is an ideal way to reveal the bacteria hiding all around you. You may not believe what you find hiding in all corners of every home and school and location in the world!

Experiment Videos

Here's What You'll Need

Petri dishes, 3.5" (9 cm), nutrient agar, microwaveable bowl, cotton swabs, sanitizing wipes, microwave oven, zipper-lock bags, adult supervision, let's try it.

You’ll need a clean, microwave-safe container (a quart-sized bowl works great) to mix the agar with water and then boil it. These proportions make enough nutrient agar to prepare two Petri dishes. Stir these together well: • ½-teaspoon agar (about 1.2 grams) • ¼ cup (60 mL) of hot water

Bring this mixture to a boil for three minutes to completely dissolve the agar. CAUTION: Adult supervision is required to boil water. If you are using a microwave oven to boil the mixture, be careful not to let it boil over. The mixture should be clear with no particles floating in it after boiling.

Remove the mixture from the microwave and allow it to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before moving on to the next step.

Take the lid off of the Petri dish (the lid is larger than the dish) and carefully cover the bottom-half of the Petri dish with warm  nutrient agar mixture.

Loosely cover the bottom portion (set the lid ajar so excess moisture can escape) and allow the mixture to cool and harden for at least an hour.

NOTE: Just like gelatin, agar needs to boil for a certain amount of time to properly gel. If necessary, pour any unset mixture in each Petri dish back into the bowl (Cover the empty dishes!) and microwave it again until you see it boil. Watch it boil (but not boil over) for 10-15 seconds before turning off the microwave. There should be no “floaties” in it. Pour the hot agar mixture back into the dishes (cover them!) as you did before and it should solidify within an hour.

It’s time to collect some bacteria on the end of a cotton swab! The classic test is to roll a clean cotton swab in your mouth and then to lightly draw a squiggle with it on the gelled agar. However, many people like to test something even more gross like the keys on a computer, a cell phone case, the pump handle of a soap dispenser, or the TV remote control. Unless someone recently cleaned the buttons on the remote, you may be seeing some real goobers in a short time. Dampen a cotton swab and roll it in your fingers as you pull it across the surface of your choice.

NOTE: You might want to collect a sample from a computer keyboard on half of the Petri dish and leave the other half for the test in Steps 8/9. Remember, you MUST use clean cotton swabs for EACH sample. In order to get a good sample, lightly dampen the cotton swab with water. Be sure to roll the swab in your fingers so all of it touches all of the surface to be tested. You want to cover the entire cotton end of the swab with invisible bacteria. Other things that you might test include: door handles, your hands, under your fingernails, the top of a desk, a pencil or a pen, the area around a bathroom sink, a calculator, or a favorite toy.

Lift the lid off the Petri dish and LIGHTLY draw a squiggly line in the agar with the end of the cotton swab. Roll the swab in your fingers as you draw the line. Replace the lid and label the dish with the date and the name of the item you tested.

NOTE: Moisture coming from the agar can be a problem. Many people turn the Petri dish over during this time to prevent moisture from dripping onto the growing colonies.  A suggestion: Place a drop (no more) of a hand sanitizing gel in the middle of one of the squiggles. The hypothesis is that the antibacterial chemical in hand sanitizer will keep bacteria from growing there.

Use a sanitizing wipe to thoroughly clean one of the surfaces you tested in Step 6, e.g. cell phone

With a clean swab, redo the squiggle test in the other half of the Petri dish from Step 6 to confirm your cleaning efforts.

Before growing anything, some people place each Petri dish into a separate zipper-lock bag. Place the upside down dishes into a warm – about 98°F (37°C) is fine – and totally dark place to grow. In a closed box on a cable box is a great place. In a short time, you’ll be greeted by an amazing variety of bacteria, molds, and fungi. You likely see more and larger colonies over the next few days. You shouldn’t see too much growth where the disinfectants (hand sanitizers) were used. You might even see a “halo” around each location. This halo is called the “kill zone.” Measure and compare the size of the kill zone to determine the effectiveness of different antibacterial agents.

Remember: Do NOT open the dishes once things begin to grow. You could be culturing some serious goobers and not even know it. The comfort is that they were around you all the time anyway and now you can see them. Just be careful!

Goobers like you’re growing will often stink and make their presence known after a short time. These are not toys or curiosities you’re growing. Proper disposal is essential for both safety and sanitation. Seal all the Petri dishes into larger zipper-lock plastic bags. You can add a generous shot of chlorine bleach to the bag before sealing it to add another level of destruction. Remember: do NOT open the zipper-lock bags… ever! When you’re finished analyzing the cultures, dispose of the entire sealed bag in the trash.

Golly, Mom is right! It IS important to wash your hands with soap and warm water whenever you can!

How Does It Work

You’re likely to have a huge variety of colors, shapes, and smells in your tiny worlds. Count the number of colonies on the plate, note the differences in color, shape, and other properties. Getting bacteria to grow can be a little tricky, so don’t get discouraged if you have to make more than one attempt. Allow enough time for them to grow, too. You need millions of them in one place just to see them at all. They’re really tiny! In a lab, you’d use your trusty inoculating loop to pick up a bit of the bacteria in order to create a slide for further study under a microscope.

Most bacteria collected in your environment will not be harmful. However, once they multiply into millions of colonies in a Petri dish they become more of a hazard. Be sure to protect open cuts with rubber gloves and never ingest or breathe in growing bacteria. Keep your Petri dishes sealed in the zipper-lock bags for the entire experiment. When you’re finished with the experiment, some people recommend placing the Petri dish bag in a larger zipper-lock bag along with a few drops of bleach. Seal the larger bag and dispose of it in the trash.

Science Fair Connection

Just growing bacteria in a Petri dish is not a science fair experiment. Yes, it is gross and cool and fascinating, but it doesn’t meet the requirements of a science fair project. If you want to do a science fair project about germs, you have to add a variable, or something that changes in the experiment.

In the Growing Bacteria activity described above, adding an anti-bacterial hand sanitizer is a variable. Make one dish of germs and one dish of germs with a drop of the anti-bacterial sanitizer or, better yet, make three dishes: one as the control (just germs), one with an anti-bacterial sanitizer, and a third dish with another brand of anti-bacterial sanitizer. Then you can see which anti-bacterial sanitizer is more effective in killing germs. Make sure all three Petri dishes have germs collected from the same place in your home or classroom at the same time so you know they are all exposed to the same bacteria. The dishes also need to be grown in the same warm, dark place for the same amount of time so that the conditions are standardized as much as possible.

Growing Bacteria is such a popular activity that we’ve written it as a sample science fair project (see the link below). The sample project describes the swabbing technique to collect the germs and gives you lots of helpful hints about growing things. It makes suggestions about variables and gives you some ideas to make the project your own. What it doesn’t give you is the data. What fun would that be? You’ll want to do the experiment for yourself to test your own ideas and make your own discoveries!

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A Shocking Bacteria Science Experiment: Grow a Germ Farm

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I used to think that my house was clean . It certainly appears clean and tidy.  There are no piles of trash or sticky countertops.   Who knew there was so much bacteria lurking? I’m so glad we did this bacteria science experiment!

We recently studied bacteria in our science program , N OEO Biology 2 , by reading a bit of  The Complete Book of the Microscope .  I love the Usborne science books because they include suggested experiments.  The book suggested taking a bacteria culture from hands, but we decided to take this bacteria science experiment a little further and culture other surfaces around our home as well to create our own little germ farm.

The results were quite shocking.

Bacteria Science Experiment

How to grow your own germ farm.

Growing bacteria cultures requires a few things:

• Agar plates
• Sterile cotton swabs
• Bottled water
• A heat source

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• Label the cover of the agar plates with the surface you intend to swab.
• Unwrap a sterile cotton swab and pour on a little bottled water.
• Swab the surface you want to test.
• Rub the cotton swab on the agar plate.
• Place the labeled lid on top and tape it shut.
• Turn the sealed agar plate upside down so that the name is on the bottom. This lets you observe the bacteria’s growth without the label being in the way.
• Repeat as many times as you would like, using a new agar plate and a clean cotton swab with each surface.
• Place the bacteria cultures in a warm place.  Ideally, the temperature should be kept between 85 and 100 degrees.  We placed our tray of cultures in front of a space heater in the guest room.  The room stayed pretty toasty with the door shut.  I always turned the space heater off when we went to bed, for safety reasons, but the bacteria grew even with the cooler overnight temperature.

We chose surfaces that we thought might harbor bacteria, even though they looked clean.

• Dirty hands
• Clean hands (we expected this to be bacteria-free)
• Refrigerator handle
• Door handle
• Toilet seat
• Kitchen faucet
• Light switch

We looked at our germ farm each day, but let the bacteria science experiment grow for 3 full days before recording our results.

Bacteria Science Experiment Results

After 3 full days, we observed the different cultures.  I couldn’t find a way to determine exactly which bacteria, mold, and yeasts we were growing without a high-powered microscope . We were able to use our microscope that connects to our TV to notice edge lines of the cultures, but nothing really detailed.  That’s okay though.   There was still plenty to observe.

We noticed the shape, size, and color of all the growth.  The colors ranged from a cloudy white to a creamy yellow.  There were even a few spots of fuzzy green.

What surprised us was the amount of microbes growing.  My house is generally clean!  Who knew we were surrounded by so much bacteria?

In order from least germs to the most –

• Clean hands (!)
• Fridge handle

For the most part, the bacteria amounts were a little unsettling, but likely are not harmful.  There is no way for us to know if the bacteria grown is good bacteria or bad bacteria.  We are rarely sick so I’m not too worried.   Just a bit grossed out .   I have always heard that being too clean is worse for immune systems than living around a little dirt.  I guess that must be true.

We did take this as an opportunity to review proper hand-washing techniques again though.  A friend, who is a nurse, suggested singing “Happy Birthday” twice as a way to not skimp on hand washing time.

Hannah and Ben drew a few of the bacteria cultures in their science notebooks and wrote a few sentences about the experiment and what they learned.

Then we sealed the cultures up in a Ziploc bag and threw them away. They were beginning to smell a bit, which I took as a bad sign.  My husband joked that one day soon the bacteria would take over the house.

All in all, this was a fascinating experiment and one that we hope to recreate again soon.  I would love to test surfaces out in public.  Although, I’m a little afraid to see what is lurking on a Target shopping cart handle.

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Welcome! My name is Jennifer. I am a teacher at heart. Before my children were born I was a public school teacher. Now, I am a homeschooling mom of two.

Hello! Appreciate your post! My 3rd grader is attempting this project for her science fair this weekend. We did the swabs Monday. And have kept then under a lamp for the last three days but nothing has happened …..did yours get condensation?! It’s the only thing I see. 🙁 Hope we didn’t botch her project. Thank you!

Hi! We did have some condensation. The condensation formed under the lid and the bacteria grew on the agar plate. I wonder if maybe the lamp isn’t producing enough heat for the samples. Hopefully something starts to grow soon!

I’m worried about leaving a heat source on all day when we’re at work. We’re going to attempt this for the science fair. Was thinking of an aquarium with maybe two green house lights to heat, but still worried about leaving that on. Any other suggestions or thoughts???

I checked with a scientist friend and she suggested putting the bacteria samples on top of the refrigerator.

We did this with dirty hands in the classroom. I took pictures of what grew and sent them to an expert. He first reminded me not to remove the lids under any circumstances. He then told me some of what was on there. The children in my class had nasty hands. There was staphylococcus, Ecoli, and psudamonis, Just to name a couple.

Sending a photo to an expert was a great idea! It really is shocking to see what kind of germs are all around us.

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The 10 Best K-5 Science Projects for Learning About Germs

Go hands on to learn why we need to keep our hands clean!

Looking for your next great science project? Look no further! These germ science projects and experiments for grades K-5 help students discover what germs really are and how we can protect ourselves against them. Get ready for some good clean science fun!

1. Build 3-D virus models

Have kids research various kinds of germs, like bacteria and viruses. Then provide a variety of materials and ask them to construct 3-D models of specific germs. Older kids can make more detailed models, like the impressive examples shown here . Younger kids can make simple models from Play-Doh like the ones at Reaching Happy .

2. Create edible bacteria models

Raid the kitchen for this germ science project! First, fill Petri dishes (or any small shallow containers) with Jell-O. As it starts to set, add various candies and nuts to represent different kinds of bacteria. Learn more from STEAMsational.

3. Use glitter to simulate germs

Anyone who’s ever used glitter for a craft project knows how very hard it is to get rid of once it’s out of the bottle. That’s what makes it the perfect stand-in for germs! Sprinkle glitter onto some students’ hands, being sure to get it under their nails and even on their wrists. Have them shake hands with other kids to see how germs spread, then head to the sink to try to wash all the glitter off. It takes real effort! Find out more from Gift of Curiosity  or check out our video in action here!

4. Sprinkle toys with flour “germs”

Don’t want to risk glitter contamination of your entire classroom? Try this demo with flour or cornstarch instead. Start by sprinkling it on some toys, then asking one student to pick up the toy for a few seconds. Afterward, have them look at their own hands, imagining that the flour is germs spreading. You can have other kids play with the toys or shake hands too. This is a good start to a more complete discussion on germs and handwashing.

5. Show the effects of soap

This is one of our germ science projects that also teaches kids about surface tension. Sprinkle glitter on the surface of a shallow dish of water to represent germs. Drip a few drops of dish soap on the surface, and watch as the glitter germs spread to the side. Explain that the soap breaks up the surface tension holding the glitter in place, and that’s one reason it helps clean your hands too. Explore this project at Living Life & Learning.

6. Learn the best way to clean your hands

Have kids try a variety of handwashing methods like hand sanitizer, water alone, hot water and soap, and so on, then touch their fingers to the agar on a petri dish. Allow the dishes to sit for a few days to see the results. Discover the details at STEAMsational.

7. Use bread instead of Petri dishes

You don’t need specialized equipment for a good germ science experiment. Try it with bread instead! One teacher’s class was downright horrified by just how dirty their Chromebooks were, as this Buzzfeed article attests . Try it for yourself and find out where the dirtiest spots in your classroom are!

8. Try Bill Nye’s mask experiment

Bill Nye went viral (well, not literally) when he posted this TikTok video demonstrating the effectiveness of face masks. Recreate the experiment yourself, and talk about how some germs spread by breathing, sneezing, or coughing rather than touching surfaces or other people.

9. Simulate an immune system response

If germs do manage to make it into our bodies, the immune system is ready and waiting! Try this experiment with salt, iron filings, and magnetic tape to learn how antibodies bind to invading pathogens. Students will see the initial immune system response and the stronger secondary response, which is a great way to explain how vaccines work too. See how it’s done at Science Buddies.

10. Make those germs glow!

Glo Germ Gel is worth its weight in gold when it comes to showing kids how effective their handwashing is. Let them wash their hands and then have them apply the gel-like lotion. Under ultraviolet light, they can see all the places they missed… and pay extra attention to them the next time they go to wash!

You Might Also Like

8 DIY Activities To Teach Kids About Germs

So they'll actually want to wash their hands. Continue Reading

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• Bacteria Growing

Bacteria Growing Experiments in Petri Plates

Introduction.

Bacteria are microorganisms that grow everywhere. We can collect and grow them in specially prepared petri dishes. Nutrient agar is an excellent medium for supplying bacteria with nutrients and an environment in which we can see them grow.

Sterile powdered agar with nutrients can be mixed with water, heated and then poured into empty petri plates or ready-to-use dishes can be purchased. The undigestible agar is a gelatin-like substance with a semi solid surface on which the bacteria can grow while they consume the added nutrients. Therefore gelatin itself does not make a good growing medium. Some bacteria can digest gelatin, which is a protein derived from animal tissue. This destroys the growing surface in the petri plate making it unsuitable as a bacteria growth medium.

CAUTION. Most bacteria collected in the environment will not be harmful. However, once they multiply into millions of colonies in a petri dish they become more of a hazard. Be sure to protect open cuts with rubber gloves and never ingest or breathe in growing bacteria. Keep growing petri dishes taped closed until your experiment is done. Then you should safely destroy the fuzzy bacteria colonies using bleach.

Below are general outlines of three types of experiments involving bacteria growth. They are offered to assist in designing your own experiment or project.

Experiment 1: Direct Contact

Discussion..

In this type of experiment, bacteria is transferred directly to the prepared petri plate via direct contact. You can test the effectiveness of different soaps by treating different petri dishes with "dirty" hands before washing and "clean" hands after washing. Or, you can press a variety of common objects like coins, combs, etc. on different plates and compare the bacteria growth that results.

What you need.

• Prepared petri plates containing agar medium and nutrients.
• Bacteria on hands, paws, etc.
• Wax pencil for labeling dishes.
• Masking tape.

What to do.

• Prepared petri dishes should be refrigerated until used and always stored upside down (i.e media in upper dish, cover on bottom). This keeps condensation which forms in the lid from dropping onto and disrupting the bacteria growing surface.
• When ready to use, let dishes come to room temperature before taking samples (about one hour).
• Without tearing the agar surface, inoculate the dish by gently pressing fingers, finger nails, coin, etc onto agar surface. (Direct contact of lips or tongue is NOT a good idea.)
• Replace cover on dish, tape closed, and label each dish so you know the source of the bacteria. Store upside down.
• Let grow in undisturbed warm location. Bacteria can grow at any temperature from about ambient room temperature (hopefully around 70°F) all the way up to about 100°F. Do not place in sunlight or on a heating register.
• You should see growth within a couple of days. The dishes will start to smell which means the bacteria are growing.
• Make observations and keep records of what you see growing in each dish. Can you make any conclusions about what objects had the most bacteria?
• Before disposing of dishes in the trash the bacteria should be destroyed. Pour a small amount of household bleach over the colonies while holding dish over sink. Caution - do not allow bleach to touch your skin, eyes or clothes. It will burn!

Experiment 2: Collected bacteria samples

Use a sterilized inoculating loop or sterile swabs to collect bacteria from different locations and then streak each petri dish with your sample. This involves a bit more technique than Experiment 1 but offers a wider choice of bacteria sampling locations. Swabs can be run over doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, animal mouths, etc.

• Prepared petri dishes containing agar medium and nutrients.
• Bacteria collected from doorknobs, bathroom fixtures, etc.
• Sterile swabs or inoculating loop .
• Alcohol burner (source of flame to sterilize inoculating loop).
• Collect bacteria from each location using one swab (or resterilized innoculating loop) for each new spot.
• Inoculate each dish by streaking a pattern gently across the entire agar surface without tearing into it. Another common technique is to divide each plate into four quadrants by marking the lid with a cross. Streak your sample in straight lines starting in quadrant 1. Generally, after a few days, quadrant one will show the most growth. Depending on bacteria abundance on the swab, quadrant 4 may show no grow or only a few colonies. It is sometimes easier to distinguish different bacteria types in this low growth, less cluttered area.
• Let grow in undisturbed warm location, ideally in an environment around 100° F (37° C) - not in sunlight or on a heating register.
• Make observations and keep records of what you see growing in each dish. Can you make any conclusions about what locations had the most bacteria?

Experiment 3: Testing the effectiveness of bacteria killing agents

• Antibacterial agent (soaps, disinfectants, etc.).
• Sterile water.
• Test tubes , 12 x 75mm.
• Filter paper or paper towel.
• Small containers in which to soak paper disks.
• Hole punch.
• Prepare sterilized water by boiling water and letting cool to room temperature.
• When ready to use, let petri dishes come to room temperature before taking samples (about one hour).
• Prepare antiseptic disks by using a hole punch to create paper disks out of a piece of filter paper or paper towel. Soak one disk in each antibacterial agent to be tested. Set aside until step 6.
• Collect bacteria from each location using one swab for each new spot.
• Fill a small test tube partly full of sterilized water. Dip bacteria laden swab into water. This will transfer some of the bacteria you collected into the water. Now, inoculate a petri dish by pouring the water into the dish so the entire surface is covered. Pour out excess water. Repeat for each bacteria sample using fresh water and clean test tube each time.
• Place a pretreated antiseptic disk in each inoculated petri dish.
• Replace cover on dish, tape closed, store upside down. Be sure to label each petri dish with a name or number.
• You should see growth within a couple of days. You should also see a "halo" around each disk indicating a no growth zone. Measure and compare the size of the kill zone to determine effectiveness of each antibacterial agent.

There are many variations of the basic steps outlined above. Let us know what you tested and how your experiment turned out. We'd be delighted to hear from you! Click here and use our Contact Us form.

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56 8th Grade Science Fair Projects – 2024

June 23, 2024

If you teach science to 8th graders, you might be looking for science fair project ideas to inspire your students. Or perhaps you’re looking for fresh classroom experiments to demonstrate biology, chemistry, and physics principles. Continue reading for 60 science fair project ideas for 8th grade with a range of topics and difficulty levels/

8th Grade Science Fair Projects – Things to consider

Each project below comes with a ranking according to difficulty and materials, which you can consider as you decide which projects to share with your 8 th grade students.

Difficulty : As you choose a project for your class, it’s important to consider the difficulty of the project. Do your 8 th grade students have enough time for this project? Have they reached a high enough level in the scientific area? Each of these projects is rated “basic,” “medium,” or “advanced” based on the complexity of the concept involved and the amount of time it will take.

Materials : The projects below also range in terms of materials and setup, and they are listed as “basic,” “medium,” or “advanced.” This can help you determine what kind of preparation is required in order to complete each project.

Biology Science Fair Project Ideas

56 Ideas for the 8th Grade Science Fair:

1) Balloon lung capacity

  Using simply a balloon and a tape measurer, this experiment allows students to measure human health and athleticism. It can be made more or less complicated depending on the measurements taken (circumference only vs. volume of the balloon, for example).

• Difficulty: basic
• Materials: medium
• Learn more: measuring lung capacity

8th Grade Science Fair Projects (Continued)

2) water quality testing.

  Do you have a water-testing kit on hand? If not, you can purchase one for under $30. This simple kit opens numerous possibilities for science fair projects, including testing the water quality of local streams, ponds, swimming pools, and drinking-water taps. Water testing is a great way to teach about pollution and the importance of clean water sources.

• Learn more: water quality experiment

3) Plant maze

  Ever noticed how plants grow towards light? With a simple experiment, your students can watch as a plant grows around obstacles. Your plant maze can be as simple or as complex as you’d like.

• Difficulty: medium
• Learn more: plant light maze

4) Animal track casting

Are your students up to a bit of detective work? In this experiment, they can track animals and study their tracks using a homemade plaster mold, and then comparing them for size, shape, and location.

• Learn more: find & collect animal tracks

5) Nitrogen and plants

  Explore how nitrogen aids plant growth with this 8 th grade science project, which involves comparing the growth of pea plants with and without nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

• Learn more: nitrogen and plants

6) Your plant’s favorite music

  Do plants appreciate the music you play? This experiment determines whether classical music affects the growth and health of plants (though you can use any genre you’d like, or test multiple different genres).

• Learn more: plant responses to music

7) Crime scene fingerprinting

This project is especially great for students interested in forensic science. It can be completed using a purchased fingerprinting kit and simple household supplies.

• Learn more: crime scene fingerprinting

8) Myers-Briggs and memory

  Are your students interested in exploring questions of psychology, memory, and mental health? This experiment involves asking volunteers to take a Myers-Briggs personality test, followed by a simple memory exam. They only need internet access and willing volunteers, no extra materials needed!

• Materials: basic
• Learn more: memory and personality

9) Tooth decay with eggs

  Since eggshells share similar properties to teeth, your students can use them to test how different beverages erode tooth enamel. This project teaches biology concepts while also encouraging healthy eating and dental care.

• Learn more: tooth decay egg experiment

10) Water your plants

  For an easy experiment on plant growth, try watering plants with different liquids. You can test different water sources (tap water, rain water, etc.), different salt-levels in water, or even the difference between water and soda.

• Learn more: plant growth with different liquids

11) Cooking and Vitamin C

  For a nutrition-focused experiment, see whether cooked fruits and vegetables have less Vitamin C than raw ones. This involves a slightly more complex procedure, so it’s perfect for your advanced 8 th grade classes.

• Difficulty: advanced
• Materials: advanced
• Learn more: Vitamin C determination

12) Algae growth

  Have you taught your students about fertilizer runoff and its harmful impacts on local waterways? In this experiment, students can test the effects of pollutants on algae growth using household fertilizers and other materials.

• Learn more: algae and pollution

13) Hydroponic vs. soil plant growth

  Perfect for students with a green thumb, this experiment allows students to test whether plants grow faster hydroponically or in soil.

• Learn more: hydroponic vs. soil

14) Bioluminescent bacteria

  For the glowing students out there (as well as the future marine biologists), this project allows 8 th graders to understand how glowing waves are caused by microscopic organisms in the ocean.

• Learn more: ocean bioluminescence

15) Extracting DNA from onions

  In this experiment, students can use a variety of household supplies to see if DNA is able to survive separately from other cell components.

• Learn more: onion DNA extraction

16) Sleep and memory

  Can sleep deprivation affect memory? Have your students ask volunteers a series of trivia questions after getting 8 or 5 hours of sleep. While this project takes some planning, organization, and willing volunteers, it’s a fun way to promote healthy sleep habits.

• Learn more: sleep and memory (plus a few more sleep-related experiment ideas)

Chemistry Science Fair Project Ideas

17) Starch test with iodine

  For a simple chemistry experiment, help your 8 th grade students to understand properties of starch and its presence in various foods.

• Learn more: starch test

18) Carbon sugar snake

  Through the simple chemical reaction of sugar and baking soda, you can make a fiery snake rise from the ground. Take note of safety while doing this experiment, since fire and lighter fluid are involved.

• Learn more: carbon sugar snake

19) Juice spherification

  Try this for a fun and aesthetically-pleasing experiment, which allows your students to create edible spheres, or to “spherify” water and other liquids.

• Learn more: spherification of water

20) Hand-warming chemistry

  Ever wish you could heat up your hands on a cold day? Instead of buying a commercial warmer, try making one of these. This experiment offers a practical solution to an everyday problem.

• Learn more: homemade hand warmer

21) Sports drink challenge (for electrolytes)

We’ve all heard sports drinks advertised as having electrolytes. What does this mean, exactly? Is drinking Gatorade really much better than a glass of orange juice? Try this experiment to find out. You’ll need a few special supplies, including a multimeter and an ohm resistor .

• Learn more: electrolytes in sports drinks

22) Find the best detergent

  Test which laundry detergent is really cleaning your clothes. After making coffee, ketchup, and makeup stains on white handkerchiefs, students will test several laundry detergent brands for effectiveness. For an extra challenge, they can analyze the ingredients in each detergent to see which is the most active.

• Learn more: laundry lab

23) Color-changing beads for UV resistance

Through this experiment, you can use color-changing UV beads to test the protective power of various household objects against the sun.

• Learn more: UV bead experiment

24) Taco sauce penny cleaner

  Can you really clean pennies with taco sauce? Have your students collect their most tarnished pennies and test the theory. Then, see which ingredient (or combination of ingredients) in taco sauce is the most effective by testing them separately.

• Learn more: taco sauce penny cleaner

25) Effects of acid rain

  In order to understand how acid rain affects buildings and other structures, students can use chalk for a stand-in for stone. For a more complex project, they can explore ways of protecting the structures, thereby mitigating the effects of acid rain.

• Learn more: effects of acid rain

26) Hot yeast experiment

  Discover how temperature impacts yeast fermentation. The ingredients are simple: clear glasses, 3 balloons, 3 packets of yeast, sugar, and water.

• Learn more: hot yeast experiment

27) Root beer brewing

  Root beer, a favorite soda for many, is actually just a combination of water, sugar, and flavorings (plus carbonation, which comes from carbon dioxide gas). For a delicious 8 th grade science fair project, test ingredients for the best root beer brew (students can test for fizziness, sweetness, or best flavor by popular vote).

• Learn more: root beer science

28) Extract bismuth from Pepto Bismol

  For a more complex chemistry procedure, grind some Pepto Bismol pills and extract bismuth, its active ingredient. This experiment takes a while, so make sure you leave time for multiple trials.

• Learn more: extract bismuth from Pepto Bismol

29) Homemade ice cream

  The secret to making ice cream is to lower the freezing point of ice. The secret to this secret? Salt. With this experiment, you can have delicious vanilla ice cream ready in about 20 minutes. Test different ingredients and times for the best results.

• Learn more: homemade ice cream

30) Rock candy

  Here’s another delicious one, which only requires dipping a string in some sugar water to create a beautiful candy crystal.

• Learn more: homemade rock candy

31) Waterproof fabric

  In this experiment, you can test different clothing materials (nylon? Wool? Polyester? Silk?) to see which is the most water resistant.

• Learn more: put your fabric to the test

32) Soap and surface tension

Surface tension, put simply, causes the molecules in the surface of a liquid to cling together. In this 8 th grade science fair project, you can test how soap affects surface tension.

• Learn more: soapy surface tension

Physics and Engineering Science Fair Project Ideas

33) build-a-lightbulb.

  Teach your 8 th graders about electricity with this simple lightbulb project. By experimenting with simple materials, students can explore how to create the longest-lasting and brightest light source.

• Learn more: build a lightbulb

34) Built-a-platform

  Any aspiring architects in your class? In this physics and engineering challenge, students create a paper cup structure (with three or more platforms for an extra challenge) that can support their weight.

• Learn more: paper cup structure

35) Solar-powered oven

  Food-related projects aren’t reserved for chemistry. Your students can make s’mores by engineering their own ovens, changing up the construction process for different results.

• Learn more: solar oven

36) Engineer a roller coaster

  Challenge your students to create a roller coaster, loops included. They can experiment with the height and size of the loops, as well as marble weight.

• Learn more: roller coaster building

37) Crash cars

  This experiment involves building cars out of basic classroom materials (plus miniature wheels and axles, which can be found easily online). Then, students can crash-test their cars with raw eggs inside as “passengers.” What structures best protect the egg?

• Learn more: car crash project

38) Find your center

  Help unexpected objects balance in unexpected places with this center of gravity experiment. Using pipe cleaners and clothes pins, play with raising and lowering an object’s center of gravity. Though this project is simple, but it certainly isn’t easy.

• Learn more: center of gravity experiment

39) Spinning glasses of water

While you might think that swinging a bucket of water over your head would leave you soaked, if you swing it around fast enough, you might actually stay dry. Your students can understand the physics behind this phenomenon by building homemade “centrifugal force boards.” Change variables such as speed and cup shape for added complexity.

• Learn more: spinning glasses of water

40) Power homemade batteries

  This experiment offers an excellent intro to electricity using materials that your students likely already have at home.

• Learn more: DIY batteries

 41)  Graphite circuit

  For another electricity-focused experiment, challenge your students to create an electrical circuit using pencil graphite. Since it involves drawing, students can put their art skills to use for a beautiful result.

• Learn more: graphite circuit

42) Homemade projector

  This experiment is a great way for students to understand the science behind light. All they need is a smartphone with videos, a cardboard box, a magnifying glass, and a few basic tools. Different box and magnifying glass measurements can be used as variables.

• Learn more: homemade projector

43) Parachute egg-drop

  Help an egg reach a safe landing by creating a homemade parachute. Test multiple kinds of parachutes to learn about force and gravity, and see which one protects the egg most effectively.

• Learn more: parachute egg-drop ideas

44) Coin tower

  In this demonstration, students build towers of coins and use physics concepts to remove the bottom coin with a butter knife. For experimental variations, use different amounts and sizes of coins.

• Learn more: coin tower challenge

45) Wind-powered car

  By creating a sort of sailboat-car-hybrid, students can learn the engineering behind basic vehicles, adjusting its components to test for speed and distance.

• Learn more: wind-powered car

46) Balancing water glass

  For another architecturally-relevant exercise, create a system of knives and bottles that can balance a full glass of water in the middle. Play with different design elements to conduct a challenging engineering experiment.

• Learn more: balancing glass trick

More Ideas for Classroom Learning – 8th Grade Science Fair Projects

47) newton’s cradle.

  Your 8 th grade students might have seen a Newton’s cradle, but have they created one? Teach them about energy transfer and momentum using only simple materials such as marbles, string, and popsicle sticks.

• Learn more: making a simple Newton’s cradle

48)   Floating compass

  With only a cork, a needle, and a glass of water, teach your students about magnetic forces and Earth’s poles.

• Learn more: floating magnetic compass

49)  Relight a candle

Once a candle goes out, it may seem impossible to relight it without a new match. Think again! This experiment teaches students about the seemingly magical workings of hydrogren, carbon, and oxygen. Take it a step further by changing the variables of wax temperature, wick size, and candle type.

• Learn more: magic traveling flame

50) Ring of Pringles

  This edible STEM challenge is perfect for a fun break mid-semester or for the last day of school . Though it seems easy, it will likely take students multiple tries to figure out.

• Learn more: ring of Pringles

51) Light maze

  Create a maze of objects and work to get a beam of light through. This is a great way to engage your students using objects you already have sitting around.

• Learn more: light maze

52) Build a cup holder

  For a challenging engineering exercise, give your students 5-minutes to create a device that can balance and carry two cups of water. Have them test their cup holders as a fun outdoor activity.

• Learn more: cup holder STEM challenge

53) Take DNA extractions

  DNA, found in the nucleus of cells, acts as a sort of blueprint for the development and functioning of organisms. While this may seem somewhat inaccessible to 8 th grade students, it’s actually possible to extract using classroom lab materials, soap, and mouthwash solution.

• Learn more: how to extract DNA

54) Separate water into hydrogen and oxygen

  For the 8 th grade chemistry teachers out there, you can demonstrate how water is actually formed out of two gases using electrolysis, a process that reduces H20 back to H and O.

• Learn more: separate water into hydrogen and oxygen

 55)  Unpoppable balloon

It may surprise your 8 th grade students that you can hold a balloon up to a flame without popping it. Thanks to water, a great absorber of heat, the rubber barely even weakens when it touches a flame.

• Difficulty: easy
• Learn more: fire water balloon

56) Grow garbage plants

For an ongoing class experiment that you can track over a series of weeks, grow plants using different kinds of compost and garbage to see which kind of matter facilitates the quickest growth. This project is a great way to promote collaboration and sustainability in your classroom.

• Learn more: multimeter

8th Grade Science Fair Projects – Additional Resources 

Whether you’re teaching your 8 th grade students about plant biology, discussing chemical properties, or helping them understand what it takes to engineer a car, these science fair projects and classroom learning activities are great ways to challenge your students. For further classroom resources relevant for middle school learning, we recommend the following articles:

• 124 Good Icebreaker Questions for Students/Adults
• 141 Fun, Weird, & Interesting Facts
• 60 Team-Building Activities for Kids & Middle/High School Students
• 150 Journal Prompts for Kids, Middle, & High School Students
• 60 Easy Science Experiments for Kids
• 62 Best Research Opportunities for High School Students 
• Teacher Tools

Sarah Mininsohn

With a BA from Wesleyan University and an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Sarah is a writer, educator, and artist. She served as a graduate instructor at the University of Illinois, a tutor at St Peter’s School in Philadelphia, and an academic writing tutor and thesis mentor at Wesleyan’s Writing Workshop.

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Bacteria Science Kit: Pre-poured LB Agar Plates and Cotton Swabs, E-Book for Science Fair Project with Award Winning Experiments

• Biotech Quality, Fresh and Ready-to-Use: Factory-direct fresh 10 100-mm Pre-poured sterile LB-agar plates and 10 sterile 6-inch long swabs (in 5 pouches), 2 sterile dilution tubes and 2 transfer pipets. Our plates are manufactured in USA using the biotech GMP standards. Each plate has a fresh and thick layer of agar. Fresh plates promote faster and more bacterial growth as compared to aged stored plates. Re-sealable packaging is convenient for re-use.
• The Safest Agar Plates On Amazon: Luria Broth(LB) agar plates are used to detect environmental microorganisms all over the world. They are the safest agar plates to be used by students in the classroom or at home.
• Free Science Fair Project E-Book: Packed with easy-to-do science fair experiments with clear step-by-step instructions to help you win a science fair competition. These experiments are scientifically designed and tested to ensure your success.

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Product Dimensions	4 x 4 x 7 inches
Item Weight	1 pounds
ASIN	B004MKHNJK
Item model number	PD-100-LB
Manufacturer recommended age	5 years and up
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Factory-direct fresh 10 100-mm pre-poured sterile LB-agar plates, 10 sterile 6-inch long swabs (in 5 pouches), 2 culture tubes and 2 transfer pipets. Our plates are manufactured in the USA using the biotech GMP standards. Each plate has a fresh and thick layer of agar. Fresh plates promote faster and more bacterial growth as compared to aged stored plates. Re-sealable packaging is convenient for re-use.	Not all agar plates are made with the same nutrient formula. The LB agar plates in the EZ Bacteria Science Kits are the safest for kids/students to use in school or at home. LB agar plates support the growth of non-fastidious bacteria while the other agar plates such as TSA plates and blood agar plates allow the growth of more dangerous semi-fastidious and fastidious bacteria, respectively. We recommend that you check the ingredients of the agar plates from the other sellers. Learning science is fun, but the safety of students is more important.	Any questions? No worry. Inside the kit, you will find a toll-free number that you can call in case you have a question about the product. You will receive immediate live support from PhD scientists with extensive hands-on experience. Before you buy or try, check out the vendor to see whether it has a telephone number or just an email address. You do not have to wait for the email which may or may not come in time for your experiments.

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Customers say

Customers like the performance, quality and ease of use of the kit. For example, they mention it works well, is of high quality and is easy to follow directions. They appreciate the projects it can be used for and that it's educational. They also appreciate the value, condition and swabs. Opinions are mixed on contamination.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Customers are satisfied with the performance of the product. For example, they mention that the agar plates and swabs work well for science projects, and the petri dishes work just fine. Some say that the results look satisfyingly disgusting.

"...the absolute best lab quality, but they are rather good quality and work well ...." Read more

"...grow good bacteria or molds, these plates are pretty generic and work very well ...." Read more

"...said, these EZ BioResearch Pre-poured Agar plates worked great for my child's science experiment ...." Read more

"...They came super fast, were well-packaged, and worked great . We used them within 3-4 days of receipt and didn't have to refrigerate at all...." Read more

Customers are satisfied with the quality of the product. They mention that it is a high-quality kit that arrived well packaged and complete. The plates are durable and can withstand being taken to school on a backpack. The kit has everything that they need and saves them a lot of time.

"...They may not be the absolute best lab quality, but they are rather good quality and work well...." Read more

"...up these plates, the agar level was pretty consistent and resisted damage pretty well ...." Read more

"...Results were fast ( 28 hours) and perfect! The plates were so durable that they withstood being taken to school on a school bus and eventually..." Read more

"... They are great ! I haven't had any problems with them at all. They work just like they should...." Read more

Customers find the instructions for using the agar a fun and easy to follow. They also appreciate the convenience of the ready-to-use dishes and the 'no mixing' aggar solution.

"Got for kid’s science fair project,came as expected and with easy to follow directions . Was fun to do" Read more

"...Overall a very convenient product that was well worth the purchase price. Very highly recommend." Read more

"This is a set of 10 Petri dishes which come with pre-poured nutrient agar ...." Read more

"Purchased these for a fifth grade project and were very easy to use . Placed them under a lamp and saw growth on the plates between 24-48 hours." Read more

Customers find the projects with the agar plates and swabs to be great for science experiments at school. They also say it's very educational, and a great tool for teaching. Customers also mention that the results are fun to see and that the cultures grow successfully.

"... Was fun to do " Read more

"...These were perfect for our needs . They came super fast, were well-packaged, and worked great...." Read more

"... Watching the samples grow was fun ...." Read more

"...These are a great way to let children learn about bacteria (or the agar plates the show viruses), and they work amazingly well for science projects!..." Read more

Customers find the science project well worth the price, and it's a great and affordable science project.

"...And the price is pretty reasonable - again, I have spare plates in my fridge and nothing has grown on them for at least a year..." Read more

"...Overall a very convenient product that was well worth the purchase price . Very highly recommend." Read more

"...This was an easy way to get a few pre-poured agar plates for fairly cheap . If you only need a handful, this is the way to go." Read more

"...They may not be the absolute best lab quality , but they are rather good quality and work well...." Read more

Customers are satisfied with the condition of the agar plates. They mention that the plates and swabs are excellent, and got the job done. Some say that the quality is good, but not terrific. Overall, most are happy with the product's condition.

"...With respect to these plates and swabs, the quality is good , but not terrific...." Read more

"... Very good plates !" Read more

"...The agar plates worked perfectly. Quality ! I highly recommend this product." Read more

"...They loved how official it looked and really enjoyed dropping and swabbing...." Read more

Customers like the swabs. They mention that they are a great addition to the product, and that they worked great for their purposes.

"...The sterile swabs worked great for our purposes ...." Read more

"...faster than I expected it to, wrapped in bubble wrap and everything was completely sterile ...." Read more

"...pleased with the dishes I received; they were well-packaged, free of contamination , and most definitely ready to go...." Read more

"...They came with sterilized qtips to swab things and innoculate the plates with...." Read more

Customers are mixed about the contamination of the agar plates. Some mention that they grew plenty of bacteria, fungus, and mold. The aggar in these plates is very sensitive to bacteria and shows the best results. However, others say that on the 4th day the bacteria started to smell pretty badly, and that the plates were easy to expose and contaminate.

"...until we were ready to use them, but they seemed fresh and clear of any contamination . The sterile swabs worked great for our purposes...." Read more

"...I did not use a thermometer.4. The wiping process is easy , you just slightly press on the agar and trace some zig-zag lines all over the plate...." Read more

"...These plates do not have any extra stuff on them - no antibiotics , no nutrient media, nothing special...." Read more

"...them for my thesis for my master program and they did a really great job at growing bacteria as you can see in the pictures provided...." Read more

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June 26, 2024

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Unlocking the world of bacteria—researchers introduce new approach to make bacteria amenable to genetic engineering

by Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

Bacteria populate virtually every habitat on Earth, including within and on our own bodies. Understanding and engineering bacteria can lead to new methods for diagnosing, treating, and preventing infections. Additionally, it presents opportunities to protect crops from disease and create sustainable cell factories for chemical production, reducing environmental impact—just a few of the many benefits to society.

To unlock these advantages, scientists need the ability to manipulate the genetic content of these bacteria. However, a longstanding bottleneck in genetically engineering bacteria has been the efficient transformation of DNA, the process of introducing foreign DNA into a cell. This has limited its application to only a small subset of microbes.

A major obstacle is the presence of restriction-modification systems. These protective systems mark the bacterial genome with a unique methylation pattern and destroy incoming foreign DNA lacking this pattern.

Overcoming this barrier requires adding the bacterium's pattern to the DNA, a process that is strain-specific and involves multiple DNA methyltransferases. These enzymes attach methyl groups , small chemical groups containing one carbon atom bonded to three hydrogen atoms, to DNA bases. Current methods to replicate or circumvent these DNA methylation patterns are labor-intensive and not easily scalable, necessitating new approaches.

Addressing this challenge, a team led by the Helmholtz Institute for RNA-based Infection Research (HIRI), a site of the Braunschweig Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research (HZI) in cooperation with the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU), has introduced a novel approach to recreate such patterns and enhance DNA transformation. They called it IMPRINT, which stands for Imitating Methylation Patterns Rapidly IN TXTL.

As part of this method, the researchers use a cell-free transcription-translation (TXTL) system—a liquid mixture that can produce ribonucleic acids (RNAs) and proteins from added DNA—to express a bacterium's specific set of DNA methyltransferases. The enzymes are then used to methylate DNA prior to its delivery into the target bacterium.

A wholly new application

"IMPRINT represents an entirely new use of TXTL. While TXTL is widely employed for various purposes, including producing hard-to-express proteins or as affordable diagnostic tools, it has not previously been utilized to overcome barriers to DNA transformation in bacteria," says Chase Beisel, head of the RNA Synthetic Biology department at the HIRI and professor at the JMU Medical Faculty. He spearheaded the study in collaboration with researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State) in Raleigh, U.S. Their findings were published today in the journal Molecular Cell .

Compared to existing methods, IMPRINT offers speed and simplicity. "Current approaches require either laboriously purifying individual DNA methyltransferases or expressing them in E. coli, which often proves cytotoxic," says Justin M. Vento, first author of the study who completed the work as a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State. "These methods can take days to weeks and only reconstitute a fraction of the bacterium's methylation pattern."

The researchers demonstrated that IMPRINT could express a diverse array of DNA methyltransferases. Furthermore, these enzymes could be combined to recreate complex methylation patterns. This greatly enhanced DNA transformation in bacteria such as the pathogen Salmonella and the probiotic Bifidobacteria, including a challenging-to-transform strain of the latter, less-studied bacterium.

The basis for new antibiotics and cell-based therapies

The potential applications in modern medicine and research are extensive: IMPRINT can improve DNA transformation in clinical isolates of bacterial pathogens and in bacteria that combat infections, such as commensal bacteria or those producing antibacterial compounds. Genetic modification of these microbes could lead to new classes of antibiotics and cell-based therapies.

The research team aims to expand the use of IMPRINT. "We want to make a wide variety of bacterial pathogens genetically tractable for research," Beisel says. He hopes that IMPRINT will be widely adopted by the research community.

"Until now, certain bacteria have been favored as models simply because they are easier to genetically manipulate. We are hopeful that, by using IMPRINT, researchers will be able to focus on the most important bacterial strains, such as those with increased virulence or antibiotic resistance," Beisel concludes.

Journal information: Molecular Cell

Provided by Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres

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Dietary fiber found to regulate gut bacteria's use of tryptophan, impacting health

by Technical University of Denmark

We get healthy dietary fiber from consuming fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. But why is fiber so good for us? A team of researchers has discovered that dietary fiber plays a crucial role in determining the balance between the production of healthy and harmful substances by influencing the behavior of bacteria in the colon.

Dietary fiber benefits our health, and scientists from DTU National Food Institute and the Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports at the University of Copenhagen have now uncovered an essential part of why this is the case. Different types of bacteria inside our colon compete to utilize an essential amino acid called tryptophan. This competition may lead to either good or bad outcomes for our health.

The research, published in the journal Nature Microbiology , reveals that when we eat a lot of dietary fiber, gut bacteria help turn tryptophan into healthy substances. But if we don't eat enough fiber, tryptophan can be converted into harmful compounds by our gut bacteria.

"These results emphasize that our dietary habits significantly influence the behavior of gut bacteria, creating a delicate balance between health-promoting and disease-associated activities. In the long term, the results can help us design dietary programs that prevent a range of diseases," says Tine Rask Licht, a professor at DTU National Food Institute.

Dietary fibers determine the battle over tryptophan

Researchers have long known that dietary fiber is directly converted into healthy short-chain fatty acids by gut bacteria in the colon. However, the new study surprisingly shows that dietary fiber also contributes to good health by preventing the conversion of the amino acid tryptophan into harmful substances and promoting its conversion into beneficial substances in the colon.

"The gut bacterium E. coli can turn tryptophan into a harmful compound called indole, which is associated with the progression of chronic kidney disease. But another gut bacterium, C. sporogenes, turns tryptophan into healthy substances associated with protection against inflammatory bowel diseases, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and neurological diseases," says Anurag Kumar Sinha, a DTU National Food Institute researcher.

Through multiple experiments in bacterial cultures and mice, the researchers demonstrated that fiber-degrading gut bacteria, such as B. thetaiotaomicron, regulate the indole-forming activity of E. coli.

"B. thetaiotaomicron assists by breaking down fibers into simple sugars, which E. coli prefers over tryptophan for growth. The sugar components from the fibers prevent E. coli from turning tryptophan into indole, thereby allowing C. sporogenes to utilize tryptophan to produce healthy compounds," says Anurag Kumar Sinha.

Understanding the behavior of gut bacteria

It is well-known that dietary fiber can alter the composition and quantities of bacteria in our gut microbiome. However, looking merely at the composition and abundance of gut microbial species will not tell us much about their impact on our health.

"The gut microbiome research field has had a strong focus on assessing effects, e.g. of diet on the quantity of potentially good or bad gut bacteria, but often neglect that diet can regulate the gut bacteria's activity without necessarily making major changes in the number of bacterial species in the colon," says an associate professor at DTU National Food Institute, Martin Frederik Laursen.

So, dietary fiber not only helps modify the types of bacteria in the gut, leading to a healthier composition, but also influences the behavior of gut bacteria in ways that promote health.

"As a research community we need to change focus from viewing gut bacteria and their abundances strictly as either good or bad—to understand instead how we make our gut bacteria behave good or bad," says Martin Frederik Laursen.

This understanding can help scientists develop better dietary recommendations that keep our gut healthy and prevent diseases.

Essential amino acids, such as tryptophan, must be obtained through the diet since the body cannot synthesize them. Protein-rich foods serve as sources of tryptophan . Examples include chicken, turkey, salmon, tuna, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Dietary fiber is present in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

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Teaching Resources & Guides > What is a STEM Fair Project  

What is a STEM Fair Project

What is a stem fair project.

A STEM fair project is similar to a science fair project. It focuses on science, technology, engineering, or math. STEM fair projects are a fantastic way to introduce young scientists to the world at large and provide opportunities for scholarships and employment. 

STEM fair projects are exciting but require some fundamental knowledge. A fantastic way to teach kids the basics of science and engineering is with a STEM educational toy or an experiment.

Once a student comprehends the broad concepts, it’s time to look into attending or even competing at a STEM fair.

Choosing a STEM Fair Project

The beauty of STEM is its vastness. STEM project ideas can be found in everything from biology and bridge engineering to artificial intelligence and algebraic algorithms. A student should choose a field that they are passionate about. Some students dislike math but love chemistry–the key is ensuring the project is enjoyable. 

STEM fairs aren’t run-of-the-mill science fairs. They showcase cutting edge ideas from young minds around the world. Ideas should be original in concept or significantly improve existing systems. This is at the heart of what a STEM project is.

Sometimes, a working product is not necessary, only proof of concept or experimental results. Projects like this require significant evidence and a flashy sales pitch to entice judges and investors. Knowing how to stand out is important.

If possible, solving a real-world problem is the holy grail of a STEM project. Passionate minds can study the world around them for inefficiencies. With a bit of thought and some experimentation, they can win a scholarship and maybe change the world while they’re at it. Even if a student manages to solve a problem or prove their hypothesis, however, they still need to convince others.

Showcasing the Project

Everything about a STEM fair project should draw people’s attention. Things like math theorems don’t often have a line of people waiting to see them. There are ways to help give a project life and keep people interested. 

Make eye-catching displays that provide a broad outline of what your project is about. Eye-popping cryogenic glass clouds aren’t always necessary; sometimes, a clear and colorful diagram that showcases the work is all that’s needed. The goal is to have attendees ask questions–this is what makes a quality STEM fair project. 

From a crowd-interest perspective, interactive projects are perhaps the best of all. Anything that fair attendees can touch, feel, or engage can be a standout. Consider color-changing fluids, interesting textures, and unique inventions to make people take notice.

STEM for Starters

Geniuses aren’t made overnight, but they can be taught. Home Science Tools has everything a parent needs to help foster their child’s interest in science and technology. Chemistry, biology, medicine, robotics, and electrical engineering are just a few of the kits available.

Teaching Homeschool

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