Halloween Science Activities for Middle School

Michelle Rudolph — Wed, 11 Sep 2024 16:19:21 +0000

As Halloween season is upon us, you may be starting to think about ways you can incorporate some Halloween science activities in your middle school science classroom. There are plenty of fun ways to throw in some of those spooky themes while still making sure that you’re either hitting those standards, staying in line with pacing or just simply just trying to have some science fun with your students! I’ve rounded up a couple of my favorite ideas and experiments that you may want to try this school year.

Pumpkin Dissection (Life Science)

Many of your students might hear the word “dissection” and cringe. But when it’s just a pumpkin, they may think a little differently. Carve a pumpkin with your students and explore the different parts such as the seeds, pulp, stem, skin, etc. Ask students questions about how pumpkins grow, the conditions needed, the importance of the seeds and structure of the pumpkin. Throw in those questions about ecology, reproduction in plants and photosynthesis to get students thinking. Add an extra layer of fun by making that mess worthwhile by carving your own class jack o lantern!

Glow Stick Thermal Energy (Physical Science)

Turn out the classroom lights for this lab! It’s easy, less messy and can cover a lot of topics! Have students crack various glow sticks and place them in different environments such as hot water or ice water. Ask them how the reaction speed changes with the differing temperatures. Ask them what they think is actually occurring in the glow stick and what signs tell them that a chemical change is occurring. How is thermal energy involved? There’s so much you can do with this simple lab! Many glow sticks come with connectors that students can use to make bracelets with their glow sticks once they’re done which is a fun little souvenir for them! You can find the glow sticks I use here: https://amzn.to/4egLDAN

Moon Phases with Oreos

Add food to a lab and you know your students will be HOOKED. They love labs and they love food so when you add the two together, you know you’ve got an activity they are 100% invested in! This is a simple lab you have probably already heard of where students work individually or in small groups to make oreo cookies to represent the lunar cycle. This helps them remember the individual phases and I like to have them predict what phase the moon would be on as an extra bonus. You can grab a freebie template below to get the same lab that I use. It even includes a short activity students can complete beforehand to review the moon phases as well as solar eclipses and lunar eclipses.

Dry Ice Fog (Physical Science)

Dry ice is always a hit with students on Halloween! It’s a great way to review changes in states of matter with students and give them a real life example of sublimation in which CO₂ turns directly from a solid to a gas, skipping the liquid phase when it is warmed up. This creates a fog that really gives off the spooky vibes in your classroom. If you coat the rim of the bowl with dish soap, soak a piece of string or fabric with the dish soap and then drag it across the rim to seal the opening, you can create fog bubbles!

Halloween Science Stations (Earth/Space, Life Science, Physical Science)

These Halloween Science Stations are the perfect way to review a bunch of standards in one day while still having that Halloween theme. These stations activities are perfect for spiral review in your middle school science class in that there are 9 stations that review Earth/Space, Life Science and Physical Science topics. They are low prep, engaging, and can be done in 1-2 class periods.

The 9 stations include:

Batty Limbs – Students will compare bat limbs to human limbs to describe homologous structures.
Ghoul’s Goo – Students will explore states of matter with oobleck.
Disappearing Candy Corn – Students will explore physical changes with dissolving candy corn in warm water,
Pumpkin Mass & Weight – Students will obtain the mass and weight of a mini pumpkin to explore the difference between both measurements in matter.
Spider Ecology – Students will discuss the ecology of spiders and their role in the ecosystem.
Sweet Erosion – Students will perform a mini experiment in which they simulate erosion with sugar cubes and a spray bottle.
Moon Phases – Students will identify different phases of the moon in the lunar cycle. Students will also research to see what phase the moon will be on Halloween night.
Monster Genetics – Students will create their own monster using Punnett squares.

9. Candy Rock Cycle – Students will simulate the rock cycle using candy.

These stations will help refresh your students on topics they have previously learned which, if you teach a class that is standardized tested in science, is something you need to focus on during the year. I find that these stations’ activities help jog my students memories about previous topics and allow me to address any misconceptions that students have. Learn more about how I utilize stations in my middle school science classroom here.

However you choose to celebrate Halloween in your classroom, remember that including those essential topics in your celebrations doesn’t have to feel like you are missing a day of instruction. There are plenty of ways to make Halloween themes fit into your science instruction!