Butterfly science fair projects are very popular among middle school students. This is because students can observe how insects transform from one form to another as they mature from egg to adult. The butterfly is also popular because it is not viewed as a "gross" or "creepy" bug, but rather a beautiful and gentle insect. The following three butterfly science fair projects are appropriate for students in grades 6 through 8.
One of the most popular experiments to conduct about butterflies is to see how temperature impacts the development of a butterfly. Most students are going to set up this experiment to see how temperature fluctuations impact the timing of the emergence of the butterfly from its cocoon. However, this not the only option that students have.
Another option is to see how warmer temperatures impact the complete life cycle of the butterfly. Students can see if warmer temperatures delay butterflies from mating and laying eggs, or if warmer temperatures encourage a quicker turn around from egg to adult. Students can apply what they learned in their experiments to the concept of global warming.
The second butterfly project is going to see if food sources impact the color of the butterfly's wings. For this experiment the student will select one butterfly species to work with. They will then divide the butterflies into various terrariums. Each terrarium will contain a butterfly feeder which is supplied with commercial butterfly food. Each feeder will be assigned a different food coloring color.
The students will observe the butterflies and wait for them to lay eggs. The students will then need to wait until the eggs hatch, the caterpillars pupate and the new generation of butterflies emerges. They will then be able to see if the color of food sources impacts the colors of the next generation. This experiment may need to be repeated several generations to see if a change in color occurs.
Students that want to take on the challenges of biology science fair projects can try this project. Every animal has a unique way of using their body chemistry. In this science fair project students will see if butterflies utilize chemical trails to communicate with other butterflies.
In this experiment a black light will be needed. The student will create a space that has a flat smooth surface and that it enclosed. They will then let one or two butterflies loose in the enclosure. They light the enclosure with a black light to see if they leave a chemical trail that is visible. The student may need to use reactants to get the chemical trails to glow in the dark.
Butterflies are a lot of fun to watch. They add beauty to our outdoor living spaces. Students can learn a lot about the evolution of a species and about the development of insects by studying these pretty bugs.
