Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Interpreting Area Data From Maps vs. Graphs

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Graphical methods of data presentation are a key feature of scientific communication. This project asks the question, "What's the best way to compare the land area of states: a map or a bar graph?" You'll be measuring performance on two...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Rock On! Recording Digital Data With Magnets

For Students 3rd - 8th
This is a straightforward project that shows you how data can be digitized and stored on magnetic recording media. You'll learn how alpha-numeric characters are digitized, and you'll use bar magnets to represent the individual data...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Using Laser Pointer to Measure Data Track Spacing on C Ds, Dv Ds

For Students 9th - 10th
You've probably noticed the colorful patterns "reflecting" from the shiny surface of a CD disk. What you are seeing is actually diffraction of white light, and the rainbows of color are diffraction patterns. In this project you'll learn...
Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: An Experiment in Visual Perception

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Graphical methods of data presentation are a key feature of scientific communication. This project will get you thinking about how to find the best way to communicate scientific information.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Catch the Wave!

For Students 3rd - 8th
In this energy science fair project, the student will use ocean buoy data to determine if any locations along the coasts of the United States are appropriate for building wave energy power systems.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Gaming?

For Students 9th - 10th
In this science fair project you will examine real data from a California research scientist of over 3,000 video game players. The objective is to see if there is such thing as a videogame addict.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Are We There Yet? Test How Migratory Birds Navigate

For Students 9th - 10th
How do you figure out how to get places? Do you ask for directions, look at a map, or consult a compass? There are many ways for people to figure out how to travel from one place to another, but how do other animals do it? In this...
Activity
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: Science Fair Central: Investigation Set Up and Collect Data

For Students 9th - 10th
A brief overview of how to gather both quantitative and qualitative data, complete with a sample data table.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Sunspot Cycles

For Students 9th - 10th
Sunspot activity has been monitored continuously since about 1700. The historical data shows that sunspot activity rises and falls in a roughly 11-year cycle. This project shows you how you can use both graphical and statistical analysis...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Dry Spells, Wet Spells: How Common Are They?

For Students 6th - 8th
Here's a project that looks at what the weather was like for over a hundred years. The goal of the project is to compare long-term precipitation patterns in different regions of the country. You will work with historical climate data,...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: The Milky Way and Beyond: Globular Clusters

For Students 9th - 10th
Globular clusters, compact groups of about a million stars that move around together in galaxies, are among the oldest objects found in the universe. Since they are found most galaxies and since they've been around for so long, globular...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Fast Do Seismic Waves Travel?

For Students 6th - 8th
Here's a geology project that uses historical seismograph data that you can collect from the comfort of your own computer. You'll use a web interface to a network of seismometers run by the Northern California Earthquake Data Center, at...
Lesson Plan
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Locating the Epicenter of an Earthquake

For Teachers 9th - 10th
When an earthquake happens, how are scientists able to determine the original location of the quake? In this project, you'll use archived data from a network of seismometers to find out for yourself. You'll create your own seismograms...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Harbor Porpoise Movement

For Students 9th - 10th
In this project you can use archived satellite tracking data to learn about activity patterns of harbor porpoises. How far do they travel? Can you find patterns in the routes individual animals take? Can you correlate their route with...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Which Animals Have Genome Projects?

For Students 3rd - 5th
All animals have a genome, but do they all have genome projects? Find out which animals are currently having their genomes sequenced and how much we know already by performing some simple bioinformatics data digging.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Do Warmer Seas Make Stronger Hurricanes?

For Students 9th - 10th
We've all heard that hurricanes draw their immense power from warm ocean waters. Of course, many factors contribute to the formation and growth of a hurricane, but can we expect to find that the warmer the water, the stronger the...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Do Hurricanes Cool the Ocean?

For Students 9th - 10th
If you've ever so much as watched a news clip about a hurricane, you probably know that hurricanes draw their power from warm ocean waters. If that is true, does it mean that hurricanes actually cool the ocean down when they pass...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: How Atmospheric Temperature Affects the Water Content of Snow?

For Students 9th - 10th
If you're lucky enough to live in a place that gets snow in winter, you know that the feel of the snow can vary a lot. Sometimes it can be light and fluffy, and other times heavy and wet. This project shows you how to use data from daily...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Ring of Fire 2: What Earthquakes Tell Us About Plate Tectonics

For Students 6th - 8th
The theory of plate tectonics revolutionized geology in the 1960's. In this project you can explore the connection between plate tectonics and earthquakes by mapping historical seismic data.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Locating an Earthquake Using a Global Seismic Network

For Students 9th - 10th
When an earthquake happens, how are scientists able to determine the original location of the quake? In this project, you'll use archived data from a global network of seismometers to find out for yourself. You will make your own...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Find Center of Milky Way Galaxy Using Globular Star Clusters

For Students 9th - 10th
The Milky Way is the edgewise view of our home galaxy, a disk made up of billions of stars. The Sun resides on one of the spiral arms of the disk, 30,000 light-years from the thick hub of the galaxy. The actual center, with a black hole...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Ring of Fire 1: What Volcanoes Tell Us About Plate Tectonics

For Students 6th - 8th
The Ring of Fire is a region of volcanic and earthquake activity that surrounds the Pacific Ocean. In this project you can explore the connection between plate tectonics and volcanic activity by mapping historical data.
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Scientific Method Conclusion

For Students 3rd - 8th
The conclusion of a science experiment summarizes how your results supported or contradicted your hypothesis. See a sample of a conclusion and find out what makes a good conclusion.