Science project ideas - help!?!

[Minnie's Pal]

My 4th grade DD has to do her first science project this year. She has to have her plans turned in within 2 weeks. HELP! I need some good, non-expensive project ideas. I don't even know where to start!?!

 

[tchrrx]

When I was in 4th or 5th grade I did a project that everyone made fun of. But, I did win a ribbon for it.

I took 3 green plants that were about the same size. I talked to one, I sang to another, and I left the other alone. I tracked the growth rate to see if the old cliche' "plants grow better when you talk to them" was actually true.

 

[An_Island_Girl]

Hmmm... I think a fun (inexpensive) project is to make bread! Explore how yeast works in the rising process, and make some bread with and some without the yeast to "taste test" at the science fair.

 

[zachsmomie]

Your school system may have some info on their website under the science dept. but if not, here is a link to the info available to parents in my county.
http://www.bcps.org/offices/science/STEM/intro/students.htm

Hope this helps!

 

[meliss8599]

I was a judge at a Science Fair for a local school and this one seemed fairly cheap to do and had some intersting results!:

"Which fertilizer works best?"

Students bought and planted grass seed in different containers (same size and shape just different containers). All got the same amount of sun, light, and water. The only variable was the type of fertilzer (e.g. Scott's lawn fertilzer, generic, etc.) The student had samples of the grass seed, the actual grown grass, and samples of his fertilzers/packaging along w/his poster and display.

Believe it or not, the generic, cheapest fertilizer worked the best. Keep us updated on what you chose to do and how it turns out. Best of luck!

 

[RobinFabulous]

We're the Queens of Science Projects over here. Hannah is at a Science Magnet & for some reason we've had to do a science fair project every year. then after she got out of 2nd they decided only 3rd grade and up had to do them. Some of our favorites.............

Which brand of popcorn pops the most ? We tested three different ones and counted the unpopped corns, then displayed them in Ziploc bags on the board

Which diaper holds the most? (Done the year Allie was a newborn) Again we tested 3 types to see how much liquid each could hold

Does the temp of soda effect the amout it spews? One was room temp, one was cold, one sat in the sun until the can was warm.... Shake for 30 seconds, let spew and measure the amount left after it's done


What can you use to dye clothing with? We used differnt veggies (red cabbage, etc) and boiled a cut up shirt

 

[StephMK]

At that age, DD did one with plants also. She put one in a window, one under a red lightbulb & one in a dark closet. She took pics along the way to show the progress of each. I don't remember much about the results but she got a good grade on it.

 

[summerrluvv]

When I was younger I did which laundry soap works the best. I put choco syrup on three different pieces of white fabric then washed them each in a different detergent. I'm planning on helping DS do this when his science fair rolls around in the spring. Unless of course he has another idea!

 

[The Princess]

My dds science fair project is which type of candle burns the longest.

 

[peytonsmomie]

Here's one that's as cheap as a couple rolls of lifesavers, cause it is!

When lifesavers (wint-o-green only) are bitten into, a breakdown of the chemicals causes a sparks of bright greenish-blue light to flash.

It's called Triboluminescence, and it's really easy to demonstrate and to learn about.

I used to do it as a science trick with the kids I babysat once apon a time, and now I do it with my own kids. Your DD could study what it is, why/how it works, and why some candies do it and others don't.

Then, for her presentation, judges and classmates could all "sample" wint-o-green lifesavers, fruit flavored ones, and peppermint lifesavers. For the cost of a couple rolls of candy, your daughter would be learning something highly technical, but easily grasped.

Plus, what kid isn't more popular after she's provided her classmates candy!?!?!?!?

 

[DebMcDonald]

My DD this year is doing what stain spray works the best. She's going to use four different stain sprays on four different shirts with chocolate on it.

 

[TheBigBadWolf]

MY DD's blue ribbon science project showed the effects of using antiseptic on a cut on skin. She used 3 apples for her example. The first apple she left undisturbed. The other two apples she cut the skin off in a one inch by one inch area. One apple she "doctored" with an antiseptic ointment, the third apple she didn't put antiseptic on. The apple that received the antiseptic ointment healed over cleaner and showed little signs of rot. The third apple that was not treated showed typical browning and rotted where the skin was removed. DD won a blue ribbon at her school's science fair with this project, and got to go on to the district science fair where she won a red ribbon. This was a VERY easy and inexpensive project.

 

[Lovemydog]

Which type of sled is the fastest--he/she and friends clock each other going down a hill on different types of sleds.
The popcorn one already mentioned also a hit.

 

[PrincessKsMom]

DD's science project was a little expensive, but we enjoyed it. We used Alka Seltzer and ran different tests -- i.e., which it dissolve quicker in: hot, cold or room temperature water; soda, juice or syrup; whole, halved or crushed tablet. It was expensive because we ran each test 4 times, then averaged out or tests to make a determination.

 

[coastermom]

We did the life saver one too but the one that won the prize was
with vitaman C . We took two banana's we crushed up some vit. c and put it on one and then left the other one alone. The vit.c does not let the banana go brown . Has something to do with the antioxidents I believe we found it in a book called Help my science project is due tomm. It was a great little easy ,cheap project . I am sure you could find it on line as well. It has been a while since we did that one . It was called the Brown Banana my DD says .

GOOD LUCK .

 

[musicdude]

DS did one year that asked the question "Where is the best place to store microwave popcorn?" I went to Walmart and bought the biggest box of cheap popcorn and we stored three packs each in the fridge, freezer, counter top and cabinet(control). You then pop the control packages until you get the ideal popping time. Mark down the time and use it to pop each of the other bags. Pop each bag and measure how many cups of popped corn you get and how many kernels are left over. You pop each storage area three times to repeat the data. The fewer the kernels the best place to store. They can look up on the internet to figure out what it takes to make a kernel pop. Ds displayed the bowls of popped corn and kernels. It was a very cool and easy project that the results could easily be seen by all. Good luck!

 

[Higginsgirls]

My DD has had to do Sci Fair every year - sometimes just a report (which is sometimes worse!) Once she did which drink is better to take aspirin with - based on adults taking daily aspirin. She used milk, water, soda, coffee, etc and the one that took the longest to disolve was the best b/c it meant less negative affect on the stomach. She took pictures of the work to post on the board - she got a ribbon for it. Had my dad's pic on it as her inspiration.

This year is a bit more expensive - she is doing "Which one is sweet" comparing poisons to sweets. We bought a wood display frame and she put in candies and matching pills as well as 2 drinks and corresponding cleaners. She will test a variety of young children to see if and at what age they can determine which is which. When she is done with the fair we will donate the display to our church health ministry for its fairs.

 

[alliedogsmom]

This one cost us nothing and was a big winner for my daughter, she even presented it at a state teacher's conference.

Which store brand plastic grocery bag supports the most weight without breaking?

We got new plastic grocery bags from several different stores, and we had a tension rod that we put in a doorway to her height so she could reach. You thread the bag handles over the bar, and then put weight in the bag-we used things such as a 5lb bag of sugar, cans of soup, any type of grocery item. When the bag broke, either the handles or the bottom, she weighed the bag on a good bathroom scale. She took pics of her performing the tests, and had both the broken and new samples of the bags tested, and put it up on a science display board with a report on how she tested and achieved her results. The results were interesting, she had fun doing it, it did not require a whole lot of time, and the report on the findings were fairly easy.

Hope this helps!

 

[Minnie's Pal]

Thank you for all of the ideas - keep them coming!

(I'm going to have my DD read over them this afternoon - after we get home from watching Twilight - WOOHOO!!!)

 

[funhouse8]

My DD did one that was so much fun. Can you tell the sex of a person by looking at their feet. She took pictures of peoples feet and numbered them, put them in a small photo book and gave people a quiz, Female or male. Of cause you have to have the woman remove the nail polish. LOL Well the answer was surpising. Most people thought the male feet were female. They looked the nicest, i guess from woman squeezing our feet into tight shoes. So the answer we got was no, you can't tell the sex of a person by looking at their feet.