5th Grade Science Fair Project Help Needed!

[lizdotcom99]

My niece is in 5th grade and needs an awesome idea for her science fair project. Thanks to the suggestion of a very nice DISer for her third grade science fair project we simulated blubber using crisco to show how polar bears keep warm. Her younger sister just did a science fair project showing how wool rubbed on plexiglass make Rice Krispies dance. Now, I am asking agian for help from all of yuou to help find a creative idea for a science fair project for a 5th grader. This project needs to be a bit difficult and can not use comparisons such as which laundry soap works better, what popcorn pops better or any of those ideas. They have also been told they can not use models...such as the volcano.

So please let me have your best ideas! Me, Ashley and her parents would be very appreciative. Thanks in advance!

 

[lewdyan1]

Subscribing, as I too, am interested in new ideas!

 

[N.Bailey]

You could do homemade perfumes. It's cool because you pull the oils out of various plants, then show how it's mixed with alcohol, but when you put it on, how the alcohol evaporates and only the oil remains on the skin. It's a project that I'd think most girls would love to do at your niece's age.


You could visit lots of websites for help.

 

[N.Bailey]

Just bumping this back up in hopes of getting more replies. We also have science fair coming up and I was hoping to maybe get an idea or two from the thread as well.

 

[lizdotcom99]

Bumping once more for all of us...... How is it that the kids get the homework and the adults have to struggle to get the ideas? For all of the teachers reading this, you have my utmost respect. I have no idea how you do what you have to do on a daily basis. And I am sure at times there are kids you just want to firmly discipline...but I am guessing there are more times when you would rather firmly discipline the parents!!

Anyway, off to look for some more interesting topics for science fair projects!! Wish me luck!

 

[Poohlovr]

My grandson did his science fair project last year on the effect of different types of music on plant growth.
It involves three plants -one is a control and gets no music-one is subjected to heavy metal and the third is subjected to classical music.

The outcome was surprising.

Edited to add--Here is a site with science fair project ideas. You can find many others by googling science fair projects.

 

[Sparx]

This one is probably a little dangerous, but you can create a plasma cutter (as is used with motercycle building) by simply taking one of those electricitiy balls and covering it with tin foil and molding the tin foil to a point at the top. When you run paper or more tinfoil over the top of the point it'll melt or catch on fire. You could tie safety with electricity into it somehow?

 

[yeartolate]

This worked and it was easy. (Remember the science fair is about method and not about breakthroughs )

We did it on the mileage differance between high octane and low octane gas.

We ran the car to the empty light, filled it up with 2 gallons of low octane --we ran it on surface roads until empty light, checked the mileage and filled it up with 2 gallons of medium octane.....and so on.

We repeated this with mostly freeway driving.

We did some math equations and calculated the mileage difference between octane ratings

My son also calculated yearly cost difference between low and high octane gas.

It did nicely on the standard display board.

He got a first place for this. It generated alot of interest as well.

 

[lizdotcom99]

Keep those ideas coming!!! We need all the help we can get!!!

About the octane one...did better octane get better milage? Just curious?

Thanks!

Liz

 

[laura001]

I know you are looking for ideas...but one thing I have never understood, why are science fair projects even done and who ends up really doing them? I put them in the same category as speeches!

 

[ntburns22]

I remember when I was in 8th grade my dad helped me with one on smoke. Burning different materials has different colored smoked. I guess it helped that my dad was the cheif of the arson unit.

 

[OceanAnnie]

This website looks pretty good:
http://school.discovery.com/sciencefaircentral/scifairstudio/ideas.html


Or try these:

http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/resources/cf/ideas.html
http://www.scifair.org/
http://www.cdli.ca/sciencefairs/
http://www.scienceproject.com/

HTH!

 

[gr8tpanther]

My DD had to do this last year. We did color changing flowers....

Went to the florist and got WHITE carnations, about 10 of them, although we ended up not using them all.

We had 8 vases (glasses)
We cut the stems in different lengths
Put each flower in it's own NUMBERED glass
We filled each glass half way with water, and put different color food coloring in each glass.
We took pictures the first day and kept a daily log of each one, noting any color changes.

The object of this is to see what colors these flowers will absorb, and how long it takes. Used neon colors and regular colors....

The COOLEST one was the one that we cut the stem half, putting half in one color and half in another....

This was a REALLY cool project and we both had fun doing it.

 

[lizdotcom99]

I know you are looking for ideas...but one thing I have never understood, why are science fair projects even done and who ends up really doing them? I put them in the same category as speeches!

Agreed!!!!

 

[yeartolate]

Keep those ideas coming!!! We need all the help we can get!!!

About the octane one...did better octane get better milage? Just curious?

Thanks!

Liz

No real difference.

My son did the math on the savings over a year (using low octane vs high) and showed how if you drove an SUV and you used low octane vs. high that you could save enough for a WDW trip.

Like I said, science fair is about scientific method....not breakthroughs.

We also included a blurb on which cars actually benifited from the high octane gas.

 

[tinatark]

My sixth graders' project is about the fire extinguishing properties of dry ice - it ended up being easier than it sounds! We used an aquarium with a little water, candle, and dry ice - looks cool, a cloud forms, taking the oxygen out of the air, putting out the candle.

My fifth graders' is about clouds - whether more form in low or high pressure areas and why. We'll use 2 liter bottles and a match for that one.

 

[golfgal]

DS was going to do a comparison of sunscreens last year but the weather didn't cooperate. You could test different SPF factors and see if there is a difference.

Our plan was to use equal amounts of sunscreen in a taped off section of DH's leg, he burns the easiest in the family , have him sit outside for how ever much time and then compare the spots to see if one worked better then others.

On the other leg we were going to test the "best" SPF that we found with 3 different priced sunscreens to see if the more expensive brands were better. Maybe when they are in 6th grade and have to do their next project the weather will be better.

 

[McKelly]

I remember my 5th grade science project because I took first place! It was if gravity affects how plants grow. I grew two bean plants in the same controlled environments. But one was on a record turntable, which was kept on constantly for two-three weeks. And yes, the plant on the turntable did not grow as well. It was a pretty simple project, I guess that is why I was so surprised to see the ribbon! However, it was original, no one else did it.

That was a looonnnggg time ago, but I think to take up space on the backdrop I made a poster on how plants grow, from seed to plant. And then on the other side I had a poster with a graph showing the growth of the plants on a daily basis. And then I had my two plants sitting in front of the backdrop on the table.

Good Luck! My kids are only 4 and 6, I have this to look forward to!