Hands-on science experiments are an ideal way to foster 5th graders’ enthusiasm for learning and discovery. From biology, physics, chemistry to earth science – these projects cover it all!
Many of these projects feature an engineering element. They challenge children’s design and construction abilities while teaching them about kinetic energy, potential energy and simple machine chemistry.
Rubber Eggs in Vinegar
Are you searching for an engaging STEM activity at home? Rubber eggs in vinegar could be just the ticket! Just two everyday kitchen ingredients – white vinegar and an egg! – will do!
This project educates kids on calcium, the mineral responsible for hardening materials like egg shells and bones. Furthermore, students learn how calcium reacts with acid to change its properties – all in just an egg’s lifespan!
Chemical reaction between vinegar and calcium carbonate causes the shell of an egg to disintegrate, allowing liquid inside to escape through osmosis and leaving behind no trace. Over time, its surface becomes soft and the egg no longer shelled; leaving behind something far less fragile – something called “bouncy eggs”.
This egg-in-vinegar experiment is an engaging way to introduce 5th graders to chemistry and osmosis, as well as getting them thinking about ways they can get involved with science activities. Plus, children love exploring it! Furthermore, students will gain knowledge about recording data and presenting findings at science fairs!
Candles in Water
Hands-on experiments are one of the best tools you have at your disposal when it comes to 5th grade science fair projects, providing engaging experiences for your students while they discover new concepts while having fun.
Candles made with water look impressive yet are surprisingly easy to make. Requiring just a few key ingredients, they provide children with an opportunity to learn about heat capacity and density of various liquids.
Soapstone stones also look beautiful and are useful in many different environments – pools, vases, bowls, dishes, martini glasses, fountains and bathtubs are just a few examples where this beautiful material could come in handy!
When using floating candles at an event, take care to prevent their wicks from getting wet and burning down – this can greatly extend their burn time while improving the quality of light produced. Also be sure to leave space on the surface of the water so they have room to move around freely.
Eggs in Salt Water
Eggs float when their density is less dense than that of water, so you may see them bobbing around in salty ocean waters. Water density depends on its concentration of salts.
Salt increases density, meaning an egg will float in salty water but sink when placed in regular tap water.
Students can use this easy science fair project to explore the density and behavior of water, including why it floats or sinks, surface tension, and how weight influences ability to float.
Begin by filling two cups with fresh water and an egg. In one of them, mix some salt into it before pouring it into another cup.
Screaming Balloons
Screaming balloons provide a fun way to demonstrate the science of sound. Plus, they make noise without anyone hearing!
Utilizing a hex nut and balloon, kids will discover how centripetal force forces its way inside of a balloon, forcing it to circle it’s circumference with an audible click as its sides vibrate against its inner wall causing its sides to resonate against it and vibrate against each other causing its sides to vibrate against one another, producing a screaming sound as its edges rattle against it.
Newton’s first law of physics states that bodies stay in motion until acted upon by forces. By changing the amount of air inside balloons, children will learn this scientific principle in an engaging and hands-on way.
Music in Salt
Fifth grade science fair projects are an excellent way to engage students while helping them learn about their world. You can even use the project as a launching pad for cross-curricular discussions.
If you want to teach your students about light refraction, this easy experiment may be just the thing! With just some math and magic involved, they will see first-hand how light can bend to their will!
Use a foil-covered fork and balloon to demonstrate static electricity! Not only will your students see this scientific principle at work, but this experiment can show them what happens when electricity is bent to their will!
Rubber band guitar projects allow students to explore sound in a novel way while learning about all of the various sounds a rubber band can create, including wind chimes, drums and strings.
Electrochemical Batteries
Electrochemical batteries are chemical energy storage devices used in numerous electronic applications such as cell phones, watches, torches and more.
Batteries use redox reactions to convert chemical energy to electrical energy, taking place between two electrodes (positive and negative) immersed in a conductive liquid called an electrolyte.
A battery consists of multiple half-cells, each containing its own electrolyte. As part of charging, electrodes add electrons to ions present in the electrolyte; during discharging they remove these electrons again.
Each half-cell in a battery contains both positive and negative electrodes. A variety of materials may be used as the cathode and anode respectively in these batteries.
Batteries can be divided into two distinct groups: primary and secondary. Primary batteries should only ever be used once before being disposed of; on the other hand, rechargeable secondary batteries can be reused repeatedly.
Light and Plants
Light is one of the key elements to plant life, essential for photosynthesis – their process that turns carbon dioxide and water into food sources for themselves. Without light, plants could not survive.
Plants require both quality and quantity of light. Some species flourish under more direct lighting while others thrive with lower levels of sunshine.
Students can conduct an experiment to determine the ideal lighting conditions for particular plants. They could do this by planting different seeds each day and altering the amount of light received each day.
Students can investigate how different wavelengths of light impact color. When they use a flashlight to shine red, green, or blue cellophane onto a plant using red, green, or blue light from their flashlight, their vision depends on which parts of light reflect back off while others absorb.
Color Change in Leaves
As summer transitions into fall, trees must produce less chlorophyll for photosynthesis to take place, thus leading to reduced green pigment in their leaves and an emergence of yellow xanthopyhll, orange carotenoids, and red anthocyanins.
Color of Leaves Dependent upon Amount and Proportion of Pigments as Well as Location Elevation Sun Exposure and Nutrient Content of SoilSome trees such as Maples and Sumac produce anthocyanins abundantly during autumn which produce stunning red leaves displaying stunning beauty in autumn.
Although most trees begin their journey toward changing color before rainstorms arrive, extreme weather conditions such as drought or early frost can thwart this process. Therefore, it’s essential to monitor weather trends in your area in order to best enjoy when colors appear and take the time to enjoy their beauty – they truly are breathtaking sights! Don’t forget to take time and be still when seeing them; these displays of nature truly deserve your attention!
Tornado in a Bottle
Fifth grade is an ideal time for challenging your students with science fair projects, as they’ll be eager to gain more knowledge of the world around them and will enjoy getting hands-on with their experiments!
Tornadoes can be an intriguing phenomenon that many children find hard to comprehend, which makes this experiment an excellent way to demonstrate how tornadoes work safely and imaginatively!
Start by gathering a bottle or container that can hold approximately 3/4 of water, adding some dishwashing soap, and filling it up with 3-4 tablespoons of sand.
Once the sand and soap are in their proper places, fasten the lid securely before spinning it quickly in a circular motion for several seconds – this should create a swirling vortex of water that resembles the shape of a tornado.