Science fairs often provide students with their first opportunity to design experiments outside of a teacher-led lab period and present them to an audience of peers and the general public.
These simple fourth grade science projects will give them the tools they need to excel both academically and athletically. Each one relies on known scientific laws or simple observations and can be completed quickly.
Colored Sugar Water
At fourth grade, children move beyond simply testing a hypothesis and begin using their results to develop scientific arguments. This is an exciting time for introducing them to data analysis from multiple perspectives.
Students can engage in engaging physics and engineering activities such as this marble drop activity, as well as Oobleck experiments to enhance their minds. Biology experiments such as blood jar experiments are also fun ways of stimulating brains; optics activities like Benham disks and zoetropes provide further opportunity for engagement.
Crystal creation is an engaging science project for 4th graders that helps them learn about water cycle dynamics, density and evaporation. Growing copper sulfate crystals provides extra interest as they look so pretty!
Sundials
Sundials provide an engaging way to learn how to tell time. These ancient devices used the sun’s position to cast shadows that indicated hours passing.
Conduct this hands-on science experiment on a sunny day; otherwise, shadow tracing won’t be possible between your arm and the gnomon.
Place your arm into the chalk foot outline, and have someone mark its edge following your shadow line with chalk. Write the hour next or underneath each mark each time. Repeat this experiment at different times throughout the day.
Casein Plastic
Students participating in this kitchen science experiment create casein plastic, an adaptable material used for buttons and decorative buckles, fountain pens’ back covers and fancy comb and brush sets. Made from milk and vinegar fermented curds transformed into moldable dough that can then be colored, molded into figures or simply left to dry over 48 hours for full drying of this casein plastic material.
Students can gain an introduction to chromatography – which studies how colors appear in various solutions – through this hands-on experiment that also serves as paper art. It provides an engaging way for them to visualize all seven rainbow hues.
Explore engineering experiments with this classic project that illustrates Boyle’s Law – which connects pressure and volume of gasses – this classic engineering project can serve as an incentive for engineering explorations.
Pulley System
The pulley is an ingenious machine that allows heavier loads to be lifted with less effort, by exchanging force for distance. This science experiment not only educates students on engineering design, but it’s also an engaging way of reinforcing basic physics concepts.
Start this experiment off right by pairing it with the Hands-On Physical Science: Simple Machines activity pack to help students better comprehend lever, fulcrum and force arm mechanisms. Have them make a KWL chart to organize their learning. Divide teams of two students between them each receiving one spool of string and an object for lifting.
Clouds
Create your own clouds in a jar with this fun and easy weather science experiment and watch as they form raindrops with this delightful weather science activity! Perfect for cloud units or reinforcing weather vocabulary. Included with instructions with pictures as well as recording sheets so students can tally up observations of various cloud shapes observed during this activity.
Explore capillary action with this blossoming milk project designed to teach kids about absorption. This plant biology science project shows how plants absorb water from their environment. Children also learn about acid and base interactions through Science Buddies’ classic celery experiment; an interesting chemistry experiment involves levitating objects using magnets.
Volcano Slime
Kids who enjoy making slime will enjoy this fun experiment that showcases scientific process at work: baking soda reacting with vinegar in order to form slime. Furthermore, it offers an ideal opportunity for educators to teach children about NGSS 2-PS1-1 acids and bases.
This hands-on science activity shows the power of inertia. Watch as beads stacked on a bead garland roll down an inclined plane before creating a simple pulley system to lift an object.
Plants provide us with oxygen, food and paper materials. In this engaging science project, students can explore how plants grow with an interactive model of a plant cell cell!