Fifth graders take greater ownership in designing and performing their own science experiments, instilling curiosity, creating learning passions, and teaching essential STEM concepts.
Kids will discover acids and bases by creating an eye-catching lava lamp or testing density using an eye-catching density jar experiment.
1. Mini Trampoline Experiment
By fifth grade, children are ready to tackle more intricate hands-on science experiments that captivate their curiosity and ignite learning passions. These engaging experiments introduce concepts like chemistry, biology and physics while simultaneously imparting math and problem-solving skills.
Make an engaging STEM experiment out of gravity and kinetic energy that shows children the relationship between weight and bounce height on a mini trampoline and potential energy and kinetic energy, water density, molecular science and molecular science principles.
Students explore osmosis with this simple yet engaging experiment, designed to demonstrate its power while encouraging comparison of results after 1, 2, 3, 6 and 24 hours.
2. Leakproof Bag
Kids of all ages will delight in this fun science experiment that makes them feel like Las Vegas magicians as they poke sharpened pencils through a bag full of water with sharpened pencils. It introduces children to polymers (long chains of plastic molecules) while they attempt to figure out why the bag doesn’t leak!
Before children start poking the pencils in the bag, have them make predictions and record observations about what will happen based on those predictions. This pre-experimental activity helps kids develop hypothesis as well as logic skills.
To conduct this experiment, fill a resealable plastic bag with water and then insert a sharp pencil or bamboo skewer through it. Children must be extremely cautious so as not to accidentally stab themselves!
3. Slime Experiment
At fifth grade, students become increasingly independent when designing and conducting science fair experiments. They’re capable of working on independent projects within one week with little help from either parents or teachers.
Homemade slime can be an engaging science experiment for kids that offers many insights into chemistry concepts such as mixtures, substances and polymers, states of matter and elasticity. Students can adjust the amount of borate ions (from contact lens solution) used in the recipe in order to explore how different amounts affect its feel as well as properties like viscosity or stretchiness.
What distinguishes something as liquid or solid? Students can explore this question with this non-toxic, kid-friendly experiment using household chemicals to repel insects in this non-toxic experiment. They can even build their own marshmallow heartbeat model to see how pumping their body causes “marshmallow jump.” This project makes an excellent activity on days with low humidity.
4. Water Conductivity Experiment
Fifth graders can go beyond baking soda volcanoes and solar system dioramas by conducting experiments that produce raw, measurable data. This project introduces students to electrical conductivity by showing how electricity can flow through water to power a light bulb.
Begin by instructing students to test the electrical conductivity of tap water samples brought from home using a commercially available electric conductivity tester (part 1 of the worksheet). Have groups record results in their class table before answering questions provided on the worksheet to analyze and interpret results.
Some substances dissolved in water produce ions that conduct electricity while others do not. The specific conductance of any substance reported as siemens per centimeter at a given temperature is directly proportional to both resistance and concentration of dissolved ions found within it.
5. Marker Stick Man
Students are ready for more independent science experiments that explore biology, physics and chemistry. These hands-on science experiences promote curiosity while nurturing learning passions – ideal for classroom use or the science fair!
Create a floating marker stick man to demonstrate capillary action and leave kids delighted by its results! Additionally, this simple experiment teaches density by comparing cubes made from copper and aluminum that have the same volume but differing masses; students will discover how copper atoms fit more closely together giving it greater density.
Students can simulate tooth decay using eggshells and water to understand why brushing daily is so essential, while learning about acids, bases, chemical reactions and their effect. This experiment also covers Ratios and Proportional Relationships as a math standard.