Attention science teachers! Get into the Thanksgiving holiday season with your science class with these fun science activities. November is the perfect time to explore scientific concepts with a twist.
So sit back and relax while I give you 25 best science thanksgiving activities for middle school.
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Thanksgiving Science Experiments
These simple science experiments are the perfect way to still cover scientific concepts while keeping in theme with the Thanksgiving season.
25 best science thanksgiving activities for middle school
- Pumpkin Volcano: Create a classic chemical reaction using vinegar and baking soda, disguised as a festive pumpkin eruption.
- Pumpkin Seed Germination: Track the growth of pumpkin seeds under different conditions (light, dark, water, no water) to understand the factors affecting germination.
- Leaf Chromatography: Separate the pigments in colorful fall leaves to learn about photosynthesis.
- Food Miles Investigation: Calculate the distance food travels to reach your Thanksgiving table and discuss the environmental impact of food transportation.
- Thanksgiving Leftover Science: Explore the science behind food preservation and spoilage by observing the changes in leftover food over time.
- Turkey Tiredness Myth: Research the science behind the myth that turkey makes you sleepy and design an experiment to test it.
- Cranberry Science: Test the pH of cranberry juice by adding different household substances (e.g., baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice) and observe color changes.
- Pumpkin Oobleck: Create a non-Newtonian fluid using cornstarch, water, and pumpkin spice (or pumpkin puree for color), and explore its solid and liquid properties. Alternatively, make cranberry slime with cranberry sauce for color!
- Thanksgiving density layers: Layer liquids of different densities (e.g., corn syrup, dish soap, water, vegetable oil, rubbing alcohol) in Thanksgiving colors (using food coloring), and observe how they stack.
- Make corn starch plastic: Make bioplastic using cornstarch, water, and vinegar, then mold it into small autumn-themed items (like leaves or pumpkins).
- Balloon rockets turkey activity: Attach paper “turkey feathers” to inflated balloons and have students race them on strings across the room to see whose turkey flies the fastest.
- Floating Thanksgiving dinner: Test different Thanksgiving foods (dried cranberries, corn kernels, pieces of pumpkin, etc.) to see which sink or float in water.
- Butter making: Shake heavy cream in a sealed jar until it turns to butter, exploring the science behind emulsions and physical changes.
- Popcorn popping: Test how different temperatures and methods (e.g., stovetop, microwave) affect the popping efficiency of popcorn kernels.
25 best science thanksgiving activities for middle school
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Thanksgiving Stem Activities
Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to introduce a themed stem challenge for your middle school students! These thanksgiving stem challenges are easy to set up and require minimal materials.
25 best science thanksgiving activities for middle school
- Turkey Trap Challenge: Design a device to safely “trap” a runaway turkey (a small plush or paper turkey) using only provided materials like popsicle sticks, rubber bands, string, and cardboard.
- Build the Mayflower Boat: Using tinfoil, craft sticks, and plastic, build a mini Mayflower boat that can carry the most “pilgrim” pennies across a basin of water without sinking.
- Thanksgiving Table Towers: Using materials such as toothpicks and mini marshmallows, challenge students to build the tallest stable tower that could “hold” a mini pumpkin on top.
- Thanksgiving Dinner Delivery Zipline: Create a zipline system to transport a small “Thanksgiving meal” (e.g. a plastic spoon with a mini pumpkin or candy corn) from one side of the classroom to the other.
- Pumpkin Catapult Contest: Build a mini catapult using popsicle sticks, rubber bands, and a spoon to launch candy pumpkins as far as possible. Test and refine designs for maximum distance.
- Cranberry Bridge Building: Construct a bridge using cranberries and toothpicks that can hold the most weight (using pennies or other small weights) before breaking.
- Parade Float Challenge: Design and build a “parade float” for a Thanksgiving-themed parade using recycled materials, with wheels that actually roll. The float should be able to travel a set distance.
Which stem activity is your favorite?
25 best science thanksgiving activities for middle school
Science Thanksgiving Activities for middle schoolers
Give your lesson plans a little thanksgiving flavor with these low prep thanksgiving worksheets, escape rooms and games.
25 best science thanksgiving activities for middle school
1. Thanksgiving Digital Escape Room – Scientific Method
Want a fun Thanksgiving science activity that is zero prep? This Thanksgiving scientific method digital escape room has you covered! No matter what topic you are up to in your science curriculum, it is always relevant to review the scientific method.
This engaging Thanksgiving digital escape room is suitable for years 6, 7 and 8.
Understanding the scientific method is so crucial for students continuing to study science in later years. This Thanksgiving science escape room provides an interactive way to revise their understanding of the scientific method.
Why use this digital escape room for Thanksgiving?
1. It is zero prep! Just share the link with students and away they go!
2. It is a fun and engaging way for students to review content.
3. It builds student skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration.
4. It can be used in many environments, including in the classroom, online learning, homeschooling, and distance education.
5. Full teacher answers included.
6. Its Thanksgiving theme will keep in theme for your lesson!
From secret messages to decoding and mazes, digital escape rooms are always so much fun!
Purchase the thanksgiving science activities bundle for middle school here.
25 best science thanksgiving activities for middle school
2. Thanksgiving Digital Escape Room – Measurement
Want a fun way to review science measurement that is zero prep? This Thanksgiving science measurement digital escape room has you covered! No matter what topic you are up to in your science curriculum, it is always relevant to review science measurement and the metric system.
This engaging Thanksgiving science digital escape room is suitable for years 7, 8, and 9.
Understanding the measurement in science is so crucial for students continuing to study science in later years. This Thanksgiving science escape room provides an interactive way to revise their understanding of scientific measurement and the metric system.
Why use this science measurement digital escape room?
1. It is zero prep! Just share the link with students and away they go!
2. It is a fun activity and an engaging way for students to review content.
3. It builds student skills in problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration.
4. It can be used in a wide range of environments including in the classroom, online learning, homeschooling, and distance education.
5. It is self-marking.
6. Full teacher answers included.
7. Its Thanksgiving theme will keep in theme for your lesson or provide some extra fun at any time of year!
25 best science thanksgiving activities for middle school
3. Science Thanksgiving Worksheet Scientific Variables
Struggling to incorporate Thanksgiving into your science lessons? This Science Thanksgiving Worksheet on scientific variables is perfect! In this engaging activity, students will explore and identify the independent variable, dependent variable and controlled variables for a series of Thanksgiving themed scenarios. This worksheet is perfect for middle school science students, combining fun with scientific variables!
Science Variables Thanksgiving Worksheet Features:
- 3 student activity pages of 10 thrilling scenarios
- Printable PDF version for traditional classroom use.
- Digital version for online use.
- Teacher answer key for easy grading and assessment.
4. Thanksgiving 2-player racing games
Want a fun, no-prep science Thanksgiving activity to help students review key terms for the scientific method and branches of science? These THREE engaging digital 2-player racing games are perfect for helping students revise the scientific method and the various branches of science. Suitable for years 6, 7, and 8.
Each game contains a set of definitions or descriptions and students must fill in the key term for each one. Each correct answer (in any order) will move their image upwards. The player who answers all questions correctly first and gets their thanksgiving character to the top, wins.
Why use science thanksgiving activity 2-player race games?
1. They are zero prep! Just share the link with students and away they go!
2. They are self-marking which means no marking for you!
3. They are fun and engaging for students.
4. They can be used in many environments, including in the classroom, online learning, homeschooling, and distance education.
5. Full teacher answers included.
25 best science thanksgiving activities for middle school
Conclusion
November is the perfect time to explore scientific concepts with a twist. These 25 best science thanksgiving activities for middle school are low prep, fun and work with the thanksgiving theme!
25 best science thanksgiving activities for middle school
Note: Always consult your school’s specific internet usage guidelines and policies, and seek guidance from experienced colleagues or administrators when in doubt about safety protocols.
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