Science fair projects for fifth grade give students hands-on learning experiences in areas like biology, chemistry and physics. Furthermore, these experiments serve as invaluable practice in using the scientific method – by creating hypotheses, testing variables and reaching conclusions.
Learn thermal and kinetic energy by creating an eye-catching volcano, or conduct an experiment comparing regular and diet soda to see which float or sink in water.
Trampoline Bounce Height
Jumping onto a trampoline exerts an upward force that causes them to jump upward, thus demonstrating Newton’s law of motion: for every action there will be an equal and opposite reaction.
Students conducting this science project use a trampoline and digital camera to observe how high an individual can bounce on it, taking note of their body weight’s effect on this measurement.
After using their graphing skills to sketch how velocity changed between two full jumps, students use graphing skills to use this data for analysis and presentation purposes. They may draw a line representing trampoline acceleration. Furthermore, students can investigate how initial drop height impacts final bounce height by calculating coefficient of elasticity for balls they drop from different heights – providing an excellent introduction into measurement and data analysis concepts.
Water Bag
Students can study water cycles and density with an engaging science experiment: fill eco-friendly plastic bags with water before inserting pencils from one side into the bag through both holes without going all the way through — your bag won’t leak!
This experiment provides an effective explanation for why cold beverages such as water, soda and tea tend to maintain their shape for longer than warm ones, and serves as an introduction to convection currents.
5th graders looking to explore the role of sunlight in the water cycle can perform an old-fashioned classic: the lava lamp. Not only will it provide them with an engaging learning experience, but it will also teach about acids and bases as they conduct this project.
As part of an interactive project to teach kids about germs and hand hygiene, kids can swab their own hands with cotton swabs before comparing them with those belonging to their dog(s). Any bacteria colonies formed can then be checked using agar plates.
Airplane
Students will love exploring how wing flaps function on an airplane and learning about air resistance, lift, and gravity with this engaging experiment. It makes a fantastic science fair project idea for fifth grade that helps kids understand the role that wings play in flight.
Conduct an exciting hands-on STEM challenge that introduces basic aerodynamic principles by tracking and measuring paper airplane flights with this hands-on STEM challenge for 5th grade science fair projects or classroom activities.
Children will be amazed as they witness the amazing Iodine Clock Reaction, an easy chemistry experiment designed to demonstrate chemical properties through simple use of drugstore chemicals. Be prepared for jaws to drop at science fair judging time!
Mini Tornado
Thunderstorm tornadoes can wreak havoc, uproot trees, obliterate buildings and send vehicles soaring hundreds of yards – but kids can learn about their formation using this engaging experiment in a bottle! They will observe centripetal force at work as air circulates around its center to form the vortex.
With this fifth grade science project, encourage your budding engineers to think like engineers! Students construct a catapult out of wood craft sticks and string, testing its ability to launch objects far. This activity serves as an excellent way to teach about potential and kinetic energies.
Hands-on projects provide fifth graders with invaluable opportunities to engage in all of the core aspects of scientific inquiry, including questioning, testing hypotheses and analyzing data. Provide guidance in selecting a research topic, devising testable experiments, gathering materials and recording observations. Also emphasize that “failed” experiments offer valuable learning experiences: for instance, what changes could enhance subsequent attempts – an invaluable lesson about iterative research processes!