Animal Studies and School Project Ideas

From Science Fair Project Ideas on Mammals to Experiments About Insects

Tadpoles

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Animal research is important for understanding various biological processes in animals, humans included. Scientists study animals in order to learn ways for improving their agricultural health, our methods of wildlife preservation, and even the potential for human companionship. These studies also take advantage of certain animal and human similarities to discover new methods for improving human health.

Learning From Animals

Researching animals to improve human health is possible because animal behavior experiments study disease development and transmission as well as animal viruses. Both of these fields of study help researchers to understand how disease interacts between and within animals.

We can also learn about humans by observing normal and abnormal behavior in non-human animals, or behavioral studies. The following animal project ideas help to introduce animal behavioral study in many different species. Be sure to get permission from your instructor before beginning any animal science projects or behavioral experiments, as some science fairs prohibit these. Select a single species of animal to study from each subset, if not specified, for best results.

Amphibian and Fish Project Ideas

  • Does temperature affect tadpole growth?
  • Do water pH levels affect tadpole growth?
  • Does water temperature affect amphibian respiration?
  • Does magnetism affect limb regeneration in newts?
  • Does water temperature affect fish color?
  • Does the size of a population of fish affect individual growth?
  • Does music affect fish activity?
  • Does the amount of light affect fish activity?

Bird Project Ideas

  • What species of plants attract hummingbirds?
  • How does temperature affect bird migration patterns?
  • What factors increase egg production?
  • Do different bird species prefer different colors of birdseed?
  • Do birds prefer to eat in a group or alone?
  • Do birds prefer one type of habitat over another?
  • How does deforestation affect bird nesting?
  • How do birds interact with manmade structures?
  • Can birds be taught to sing a certain tune?

Insect Project Ideas

  • How does temperature affect the growth of butterflies?
  • How does light affect ants?
  • Do different colors attract or repel insects?
  • How does air pollution affect insects?
  • How do insects adapt to pesticides?
  • Do magnetic fields affect insects?
  • Does soil acidity affect insects?
  • Do insects prefer the food of a certain color?
  • Do insects behave differently in populations of different sizes?
  • What factors cause crickets to chirp more often?
  • What substances do mosquitoes find attractive or repellent?

Mammal Project Ideas

  • Does light variation affect mammal sleep habits?
  • Do cats or dogs have better night vision?
  • Does music affect an animal's mood?
  • Do bird sounds affect cat behavior?
  • Which mammal sense has the greatest effect on short-term memory?
  • Does dog saliva have antimicrobial properties?
  • Does colored water affect mammal drinking habits?
  • What factors influence how many hours a cat sleeps in a day?

Science Experiments and Models

Performing science experiments and constructing models are fun and exciting ways to learn about science and supplement studies. Try making a model of the lungs or a DNA model using candy for these animal experiments.

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Bailey, Regina. "Animal Studies and School Project Ideas." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/animal-projects-373332. Bailey, Regina. (2023, April 5). Animal Studies and School Project Ideas. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/animal-projects-373332 Bailey, Regina. "Animal Studies and School Project Ideas." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/animal-projects-373332 (accessed March 19, 2024).