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TOPIC: Science, STEM GRADES: 6th Grade, Middle School:

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Balloon rockets, naked eggs, and apple wrecking balls … so many hands-on ways to learn! Email
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Kids of every age love hands-on science! Teachers do, too, because the
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This roundup of sixth grade science experiments and activities has a little
something for everyone–from biology and ecology to physics and
chemistry. Bring on the science!

1. Build a Ferris Wheel

Most of your students have probably ridden on a Ferris Wheel, but can
they build one themselves? Stock up on wood craft sticks and nd out! Let
them play around with different designs to see which one works best.

Learn more: Teachers Are Terri c and eHow

2. Make motorized tiny dancers

Build a homopolar motor to make little spinning wire dancers. It takes a

little practice to get it right, but the instructions at the link below walk you
through the process.
Learn more: Babble Dabble
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3. See the effects of an oil spill

Learn why an oil spill is so devastating for wildlife and the ecosystem with
this hands-on activity. Kids experiment to nd the best way to clean up oil
oating on water and rescue the animals affected by the spill.

Learn more: Kitchen Counter Chronicles

4. Make naked eggs

Students dissolve the calcium carbonate eggshell in vinegar and discover

the membranes beneath that hold the egg together. It’s a unique and
intriguing way to learn about acid-base reactions.

Learn more: Making Memories With Your Kids

5. Experiment with naked eggs

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Now, submerge those naked eggs in corn syrup and water to learn about
osmosis. The eggs shrink or grow, depending on the liquid they’re placed in
—so cool!

Learn more: Steve Spangler Science

6. Send water traveling down a string

Explore the properties of cohesion and adhesion with this simple

experiment using only water and cotton string. Expand your learning by
trying the same experiment with different materials and liquids.

Learn more: Rookie Parenting

7. Grow your own geodes in eggshells

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The magic of crystals never fails to amaze! Crystal experiments are a
favorite way to teach about supersaturated solutions. In this one, they’ll
wind up with an amazing eggshell geode to take home.

Learn more: Sweet Paul

8. Make tissue paper stronger

Tissue paper is so thin your students will have no trouble pushing a

wooden dowel through it when it’s stretched over the end of a toilet paper
tube. But add salt to the tube, and everything changes, thanks to the
increased surface area.

Learn more: Steve Spangler Science

9. Launch a two-stage rocket

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The rockets used for space ight generally have more than one stage to
give them the extra boost they need. This experiment uses balloons to
model a two-stage rocket launch, teaching kids about the laws of motion.

Learn more: Science Buddies

10. Grow a carbon sugar snake

You’ll probably want to take this giant carbon sugar snake experiment
outside, but it’s surprisingly easy to do! Kids will be amazed, and they’ll
learn about chemical and thermal reactions.

Learn more: KiwiCo

11. Assemble a steady-hand game

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This is such a fun way to learn about circuits! It also brings in a bit of
creativity, adding the “A” to STEAM.

Learn more: Left Brain Craft Brain

12. Change the color of a liquid in an instant

Want to see your kids gasp in amazement? Perform the iodine clock
reaction. You only need a few drugstore chemicals to change the solution
from clear to dark blue faster than students can blink.

Learn more: Science Bob

13. Turn milk into plastic

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Use simple kitchen supplies to create plastic polymers from plain old milk.

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Kids will have fun sculpting the casein polymers into shapes while learning
about the polymerization of plastics.

Learn more: Science Buddies

14. Engineer a cell phone stand

Your sixth grade science students will be thrilled when you let them use
their phones in class! Challenge them to use their engineering skills and a
small selection of items to design and build a cell phone stand.

Learn more: Science Buddies

15. Do the Archimedes squeeze

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It sounds like a wild dance move, but this sixth grade science experiment
helps kids understand Archimedes’ principle. All you really need is
aluminum foil and a container of water.

Learn more: Science Buddies

16. Levitate a ping-pong ball

Kids will get a kick out of this experiment, which is really all about
Bernoulli’s principle. You only need plastic bottles, bendy straws, and ping-
pong balls to make the science magic happen.

Learn more: Steve Spangler Science

17. Use a dget spinner to understand inertia

Learning about the Laws of Motion? This experiment uses a dget spinner
with three lights to show how mass and torque affect inertia.

Learn more: From Engineer to Stay at Home Mom

18. Look for iron in your breakfast cereal

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The human body needs iron to be healthy, and many breakfast cereals
boast they contain it. Find out if that’s really true with this sixth grade
science experiment that’s bound to surprise with its results.

Learn more: Steve Spangler Science

19. Fire catapults to learn about trajectory

Sending stuffed animals ying in the name of science? Sixth grade students
will be all over it! This simple catapult activity focuses on the trajectory of
objects based on force and other factors.

Learn more: Education Possible

20. Build a heart pump model

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Students gain a deeper understanding of the cardiovascular system when
they construct a working model of a heart ventricle.

Learn more: Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus

21. Construct a pair of model lungs

Kids get a better understanding of the respiratory system when they build
model lungs using a plastic water bottle and some balloons. You can modify
the experiment to Spring
demonstrate the&effects
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Learn more: Surviving a Teacher’s Salary

22. Dissect an owl pellet

Dig into an owl’s undigested meals (it’s not as gross as it sounds!) to

discover what their diet consists of. Owl pellets are readily available online,
and kids will be intrigued by what they nd.

Learn more: Gift of Curiosity

23. Turn a potato into a battery

This project is an oldie but a goodie! This experiment uses the potassium in
the potato to conduct energy and can also be done with lemons or other
high-potassium fruits and veggies.

Learn more: Kidzworld

24. Study sound waves with a spoon

 y p
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With just yarn and a metal spoon, learn how vibrations create sound and
explore the role of conductors.

Learn more: Edventures with Kids

25. Engineer a craft stick bridge

Challenge groups to build a bridge with Popsicle sticks and push pins and
nd out which design can bear the most weight.

L S h l ti
Learn more: Scholastic
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26. Make sparks with steel wool

All you need is steel wool and a 9-volt battery to perform this science
demo that’s bound to make their eyes light up! Kids learn about chain
reactions, chemical changes, and more.

Learn more: The Homeschool Scientist

27. Extinguish ames with carbon dioxide

You’ll have to heavily supervise this one, but there’s so much to be learned
that it’s worth it. Create an acid-base reaction and “pour” the carbon
dioxide onto lit candles to extinguish the ames. Students will learn about
the elements needed to make re, how gasses can act like liquids, and
more.

Learn more: Steve Spangler Science

28 Shake it up with earthquake science

28. Shake it up with earthquake science
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Build simple model structures, then experiment to see how the actions of
earthquakes affect them. Different simulations show how engineering can
create buildings that withstand serious shocks—or not.

Learn more: Love To Know

29. Create a colorful cell model

There are lots of cell model projects out there, but this might be one of the
cutest ones we’ve seen! And it’s easier to assemble than you might think.

Learn more: Angelicscalliwags

30. Extract DNA from a strawberry

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It’s surprisingly easy to pull a strand of DNA from this sweet fruit. Teach
your kids about genetics and DNA with this 6th grade science project that
uses only basic household supplies.

Learn more: Steve Spangler Science

31. Learn why leaves change colors in the fall

As chlorophyll breaks down, other leaf colors appear. This experiment

helps explain the process. It’s a really neat hands-on tool for teaching
about photosynthesis.

Learn more: How Wee Learn

32. Drop parachutes to test air resistance

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Use the scienti c method to test different types of material and see which
makes the most effective parachute. Your students also learn more about
the physics behind air resistance.

Learn more: Education.com

33. Design a biodome

There’s so much to learn in this sixth grade science project. Kids build a
scale-model biodome to learn more about different environments and
ecosystems, decomposition, the food web, and more.

Learn more: Teach Engineering

34. Create compost in a cup

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Discover how nature recycles organic material by making and observing
mini compost piles. Students will learn about ecology and decomposition
with this useful sixth grade science project.

Learn more: The Happy Housewife

35. Dissect a ower

Take a ower apart bit by bit to learn more about botany. Grocery store
lilies are inexpensive and large enough for kids to see and identify the
various parts.

Learn more: The Oakland Toy Lab/Instructables

36. Turn an apple into a wrecking ball

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This engineering project explores concepts like potential and kinetic
energy and Newton’s third law of motion. Kids will have fun building an
apple wrecking ball to knock down marker pins, testing their devices for
force and accuracy.

Learn more: Feel-Good Teaching

37. Clone some cabbage

Cloning isn’t just for horror movies or hi-tech labs. A leaf of cabbage can
easily grow a clone of itself. Students learn about asexual reproduction in
this easy sixth grade science project.

Learn more: Education.com

38. Find out if tea and cola stain teeth

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Use eggshells to explore how various beverages can stain teeth. This
chemistry experiment also teaches important lessons about dental
hygiene.

Learn more: Education.com

39. Clean up some old coins

Use common household items to make old oxidized coins clean and shiny
again in this simple chemistry experiment. Ask students to predict
(hypothesize) which will work best and then do some research to explain
the results.

Learn more: Gallykids

40. Pull an egg into a bottle

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This is another classic science experiment that never fails to delight. Use
the power of air pressure to suck a hard-boiled egg into a jar; no hands
required.

Learn more: Left Brain Craft Brain

Need supplies for your sixth grade science experiments? Check out these 16 Science
Kits for Middle and High School That Make Hands-on Lessons Easy.

Plus, get all the latest teaching tips and tricks straight to your inbox by signing up for
our newsletters!
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Posted by Jill Staake
Jill Staake is a writer living in Tampa, Florida. She's spent most of her life teaching in
traditional classrooms and beyond, from 8th grade English to butter y encounters,
and believes learning is a life-long process.

 All Posts

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