Science projects are usually supposed to demonstrate the student using a form of scientific method. This requires that she choose a topic of interest, then choose something she could use as a variable and then measure the change in a particular outcome. For example, if she were curious about plants, she could use as a variable the acidity of water and then measure the height of the plants that result. This would require litmus or pH paper, which you could find at a hobby shop, some potting soil, seeds of the same type, and pots of the same type. An important thing to remember is that there should be only one variable. If the acidity of the water is the thing that is being changed for the different set-ups, then each planted seed must have the same amount of soil, amount of water (though it will have different acidities for the different pots), amount of sunlight, etc. Also, you want to be sure you know what you are going to be measuring before you start. Are you going to measure the height of the plants? How long it takes them to sprout? How many sprouts?

Hi Adrian,

Nice to know you too.  I always suggest Science Buddies first to students doing a science project.  They help you pick out a project, give you instructions for how to do the experiment(s), and tell you how to put the pieces together to display how you used the scientific method.  Science Buddies has projects for every area of science and every grade level.  Start here:

http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/recommender_register.php

Answer the questions about what grade you are in, when your project is due, and if the teacher requires your project to be in a specific area of science, like biology.  After you submit your answers, they'll give you another set of questions and ask you what your interests are.

Then they give you a list of projects that are suited to your grade level, due date, teacher requirements, and your interests.  Each project has step by step instructions.  There is a forum on Science Buddies, too, where you can ask questions as you do your project and a teacher or other students can help you.

You may not find anything on Science Buddies that works for you, or you may need help with learning more about the scientific method, which is important to doing any project.  There's another website where I describe other sites I've used that provide free help and science projects.  That site is here:

http://www.squidoo.com/k12interactivescienceprojects

Good luck on your project!

Education.com also has an excellent and extensive collection of science activities that you can sort by grade. Here's the link to all the middle school science activities.
Good luck!
http://www.education.com/activity/middle-school/science/

First of all, I agree that Science Buddies is an excellent resource.  I've been a judge for 12 years for science fairs and also coordinate them for one of our local schools.  Please make sure your daughter has the following elements and she'll do very well.  She needs a hypothesis, experiment using scientific method, bibliography, and research paper.  Make sure she the results of her experiments can be SCIENTIFICALLY MEASURED.  If there's something she's interested in, it always helps.  Check with her teacher on specific requirements, as different schools will vary in their project requirements.  Good luck and have fun with the project.

What Sylvia says about science projects is true if the project is needed for a standard science fair, in which "winners" will go from local to regional to national, etc. But if it is just a project for a science class, the project doesn't need to be an experiment. I think it is important for both parents and teachers to know that there is no single scientific method - in different scientific fields different methods are used. Observational investigations such as suggested by Wayne are legitimate projects. Of course, it does matter what grade level we are talking about too. Michael Bentley, EdD, Expert Panelist: science education

i see u asked this abt 2 months ago so ur daughter probably already got one. i am in similar crisis. got one though. anyway maybe for her next year (gr 9) the following website may be helpful. if i had my other computer i would hav given more b8r sites.

lipmus-paper tests in water...you can get the paper off of a science teacher...then test differnet bottled water and tap water with it, to see the level of acid or basic is in the water.

i am going through the same thing go to google and type in science fair projects another idea is trying out which batteries last longer this is a good project and you may spend about 20.00 hope this helps

Different breeds of dogs got different hair or a coat. Check out which hair goes with which dog, which climate he llives in and what the original intention for breeding this dog was. (i.e. huskies have very warm fur, the upper layer beeing water repellant ...). This may be supplied with hair samples of different dogs of the neighborhood and hair may be observed under a microscope.

Greetings!

The hardest thing for us was finding an experiment. It seemed all the books and sites had  were instructions for "how to make a volcano" projects. Our project had to have a hypothesis. Anyhow, there are a few sites that steer you right.

You need some thing fast but inexpensive how about the Egg In A Bottle Science Experiment. You need eggs, bottle, 3 matches and there is your experiment. This is a great one as it teaches physics (Thermodynamics). Your daughter can use the big words and impress. Simple but tried and true.