Fourth graders enjoy exploring science through experiments, creating incredible projects to show off their knowledge. From electricity and magnetism to geology and rock cycles, 4th graders have no shortage of projects covering an impressive spectrum.
This experiment may appear like magic, but it teaches students about light refraction. Kids will delight in witnessing its colorful spectacle!
Hovercraft
Fourth graders will adore this hands-on science activity which introduces friction and air pressure, while also teaching about scientific method.
Students of all ages will love exploring this non-Newtonian fluid that exhibits both liquid and solid properties, making it the ideal project for school-wide science fair projects or class demonstrations of states of matter.
This intriguing science experiment shows how adding salt or sugar changes the density of water, and also how objects may sink or float depending on their density. This makes an engaging Earth Day lesson or introduction to gravity activity.
Projector
An easy hovercraft project can provide 4th graders with an engaging introduction to air pressure, friction and force concepts as well as scientific method principles.
Explore surface tension with this enjoyable and visually-appealing science experiment using colored sugar water, perfect for teaching Boyle’s Law and solubility.
Students can build a model seismometer as part of this hands-on engineering project to learn about gravity. Or they could try creating a tornado using magnets and water; this project provides an ideal way for students to grasp Newton’s laws of motion.
Pulley System
Use this easy but effective experiment to help students grasp the function of pulleys in everyday life. They learn about fixed vs movable pulleys as well as mechanical advantage gained when multiple/combined pulleys are combined to move objects uphill.
Engage students in working in pairs. Have each pair complete a KWL chart on levers and pulleys, listing what they know, want to know, and have learned about these simple machines.
Soap Bubbles
Science behind soap bubbles teaches children about the properties of air and what makes different gases denser than others. Furthermore, this experiment helps them understand what happens when two gas molecules collide, forcing them together and creating larger masses.
Kids love slime! And this exciting scientific activity combines it with learning about light refraction refraction to provide a fun learning experience at both school or home. Plus it’s super simple!
Blind taste tests offer children an engaging way to learn about the senses of smell and taste while building critical thinking skills and stimulating discussions on how different food and flavors affect our bodies.
Lemon-Baking Soda Reaction
Kids will enjoy using this hands-on science experiment to explore chemical reactions. Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) reacts with lemon juice containing citric acid to produce carbon dioxide gas and salt water, providing both entertainment and education! Watch your children become fascinated with this fizzing experiment!
This fourth grade science project introduces kids to different types of light energy and serves as an opportunity for them to practice making predictions, an essential aspect of scientific inquiry.
Solar ovens are fantastic STEM projects to show how the sun’s energy converts to heat energy – students can even use one for cooking! A great activity to integrate into lessons about solar systems and Earth sciences.
Human Lungs
Your lungs are one of the most critical organs in your body, covering an expansive area inside your chest cavity known as the thorax (THOR-aks). Air enters through your nose or mouth through windpipe into two main bronchial tubes that branch off into several smaller passages called bronchioles before reaching microscopic alveoli where oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange place.
Use licorice sticks, four colored candies or fruits and toothpicks to construct an edible DNA strand and teach fourth graders about chemical bonds and the helix shape. It’s a fun way to introduce science concepts.