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Science Fair Projects for 8th Grade Dance

Interdisciplinary connections are important for students to learn, so that they can see how different subjects are applicable in everyday life. Have your eighth-grade students engage in a science fair project on dance, so that they note the connections between fitness, health, body structure and the art form.
  1. Research Projects

    • Assign the students a particular scientific topic, and have them investigate the connection between this topic and dancing. For example, ask them how muscle tone and balance affect the ability of a person to perform specific dance moves. Encourage them to use research from the Internet, as well as interviews with specialists such as dance school teachers and doctors to find the answers to their questions. Have them create a report and present their findings as a science fair project.

    Dance and Aerobics

    • Have students determine how dance functions as an aerobic exercise. They should measure the heart beat, pulse and muscle tone of individuals performing different types of dance such as ballet, jazz, hip hop and tap. For the science fair, the students can put together a display that shows heart beat, pulse and muscle tone for various types of dance compared with other aerobic activities such as jumping jacks, running or playing soccer.

    Dance and Emotions

    • Have students demonstrate the ways in which different types of dance affect emotions. They should speak to a doctor to find out about the links between dancing and emotions and include the interview results at the science fair. At the the fair, students can show videos of random bystanders asked to describe their moods, dance specific steps and then describe how they feel afterward. Charts and graphs indicating how many people felt better after dancing are useful as well.

    Dance and Muscles

    • Assign each group of students a different type of dance to study. Have them research the muscles that are strengthened during the dance movements. For example, they may find that belly dancing helps to tone muscles in the trunk and pelvis region. For the science fair, the students will make a diagram of the human body and color in and label the muscles that are strengthened and worked out during their assigned type of dance.

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