Home >> Science & Nature >> Animals & Science

Animal Science Projects for 11th Graders

Animal science projects can help students learn about different aspects of animal life, such as habits and behavior. Animals can also make fascinating subjects for a science fair--partly due to their potentially unpredictable behavior. Ensure that any animals used in your project are well-cared-for at all times and never uncomfortable or harmed, and you will be sure to have a science fair project that interests observers.

Dogs
- Ensure your test subjects are happy and relaxed throughout.
  
  For this project, you will need a group of different breeds of dogs. You may need to ask friends and family, or even your local dog training center, for their help. Try to obtain a younger and older dog within each breed. Using a high frequency sound generator, take one dog at a time into a quiet room and observe the dog's reaction as it listen to sounds at 5kHz, 10kHz, 15kHz, 20kHz and so on, up to 50kHz. Transfer the results to a chart to clearly display the results. Note any trends, such as the older dogs not hearing as well as the younger dogs.
Rats
- Rats are known for their ability to chew through things like cables.
  
  Gather several different types of wire for this project, such as speaker wire, telephone wire, red PVC wire, black PVC wire and a 3-core power cable, to establish whether rats prefer a specific type of cable to chew. Place the first wire into the cage, leave for 24 hours, and then repeat with the other wires. When all the wires have been in with the rats for 24 hours, examine the bite marks on each wire and investigate whether a specific wire has extra bite marks, or if they are all equally chewed. Display your results in a chart to clearly illustrate your findings.
Birds
- Check your feeders every day and measure the amount in each one.
  
  Discover for yourself whether birds see in color and if they prefer a specific color of food. Select a light-colored bird seed and separate it into bowls, then add a different color food coloring to each bowl. Pour each different-colored bird seed into its own bird feeder, then hang them in the garden, or in a family member's or friend's garden if you do not have a suitable area. Observe the feeders and measure how much seed is left in each feeder at the end of a week. Display your results in a chart to illustrate your findings.
Hamsters
- Demonstrate hamster habits such as playing on a wheel.
  
  Demonstrate that you can train a hamster by training your hamster to navigate a maze for this science project. Place sunflower seeds or your hamster's favorite food along the course of the maze to encourage it to move around the maze. Eventually you will be able to just pop one bit of food at the very end of the maze. If possible, video your hamster training sessions to illustrate the training process. You can also demonstrate hamster habits, such as how it stores food in its cheeks and how it plays on its wheel.

Animals & Science