Biology Projects for Kids

Plants

• Teachers and parents can show their students and children about the biological composition of plants and how they need and use water to survive and to grow. This project is simple and kids of any age can participate. Teachers simply need to add food coloring to water and place a white carnation in the water. Children can watch as the carnation changes color because of the plant's capillary action. Children can experiment with different color combinations and different types of flowers.

Humans

• Parents and teachers can interest their students by teaching them about the human heart through a biology project. Kids can learn to measure their own pulse rates by locating the beat in their necks or wrists and counting until a minute has passed. Then, the kids can exercise and check their pulses again, comparing the difference. Teachers and parents can explain how the heart works and why the two pulse rates are different.

Adaptation

• Teachers and parents can explain to kids that certain animal adaptations make survival possible. For humans, walking upright is an adaptation. For some birds, the shapes of their beaks are adaptations that help them open nuts specific to their habitats. For some marine animals, a layer of blubber under the skin prevents them from freezing, just as using a blanket or coat will keep a human from freezing. Have students dip their hands in ice water. Then coat their hands in shortening and have them do it again to show how shortening, similar to blubber, keeps the body warm.

Animals

• Most animals have stronger senses than humans do. Parents and teachers can show kids that even their pets have "super senses." Though cats cannot taste sweets, both cats and dogs have strong senses of smell that affect what tastes good to them and what doesn't. It also helps them locate food and other animals. Have students conduct taste tests with their pets to find out which scents and flavors they enjoy best. To do this, present pets with vastly different smelling treats. For example, place something sweet and something fishy before a cat and analyze which the cat goes to first.