Science Projects Including a Mouse
- A science project can explore the effect of music on mice. Expose one group of mice to heavy metal music; a second to Mozart and a third group will listen to no music at all. Allow mice to become accustomed to living together in separate aquariums and then construct a maze and time how long it takes each group to navigate it. Play the selected music for the first two groups for 10 hours a day, but at a volume where they can just hear it. Put each mouse through the maze three times a week and time how long it takes each group to navigate it. Average this by totalling the group's times and dividing that by the number of mice in the group. Observe behavior changes in each group. Did it take any group more or less time to complete the maze?
- Science projects that explore the growth of mice and how external variables affect this provide a variety of options. For example, examine how different liquids affect the growth of mice. Which liquids promote growth and which do nothing? Separate three mice into identical environments. Feed equal amounts of the same solid food to each mouse and equal amounts of liquid nourishment. However, give one mouse tap water, the second mouse vitamin-enriched water, and the last mouse lactose-free milk. Observe the growth of the mice over a period of four weeks. Weigh the mice daily and measure length, stomach girth and head size as well. Did you prove your hypothesis?
- Does the gender of a mouse affects its learning abilities? Is there a relation between gender and right or left handedness? Develop a hypothesis that answers these questions. You will need five mice of each gender. Construct a classic maze and a T-maze using cardboard. Place a sunflower seed at the end of the classic maze. Let each mouse navigate the maze and time them. Repeat the maze run five times on each mouse, allowing 30 minutes between tests and average your results for each gender. Repeat the tests with the T-maze but place a sunflower seed at both the right and left side of the T. Record the most preferred side for each gender. Run the experiment in darkness as well to determine which gender sees better in the dark.
- Do mice remember taste or smell? Construct a science project that examines whether mice will learn to identify food that is inedible. Separate eight mice into two cages. Feed one group of mice food that contains salt and feed the second group regular food. Did the first group stop eating the food? How many feedings did it take? Expand the experiment by feeding the mice the salted food for several days and then providing them an option between regular food and the salted food. Can mice smell the difference? Use different items to lace the food such as pepper, lemon juice or sugar.
