Elementary School Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 23)

Tallest Paper Tower Challenge for Grades 3-5

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

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10 reviews

Teach your students about the engineering design process with this fun lesson plan. They will design and build the tallest possible tower using nothing but paper and tape, but there's an additional twist on this classic activity. The tower must support a heavy weight at the top without collapsing! Teachers, note that middle school and high school versions of this lesson plan are also available. The 2021 Engineering Challenge is over, but you can still try this fun lesson with your students,… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-5-ETS1-3. Plan and carry out fair tests in which variables are controlled and failure points are considered to identify aspects of a model or prototype that can be improved.

The Effect of Temperature on Chemical Reaction Time

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Alka-Seltzer® tablets fizzle furiously when dropped into water. The moment the tablet starts dissolving, a chemical reaction occurs that releases carbon dioxide gas. In this science project, you can even measure how long and loudly your tablet fizzes using a smartphone equipped with a sensor app. Do you think you can make Alka-Seltzer fizz faster or more loudly by changing the temperature of the water? How big of a difference in the rate of a chemical reaction can temperature make? Read more

The First Cartoon: Make Your Own Thaumatrope!

STEM Activity

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29 reviews

It's probably difficult to imagine a time with no television, no movies, and no cartoons. But believe it or not, those times weren't so long ago! What did those kids do when they couldn't watch movies? One of the most popular toys during that time was a great-grandfather of the modern cartoon. This toy was called a "thaumatrope," and in this activity you're going to make (and test) your own thaumatrope to learn about how vision works! Read more

The Wagon Wheel Effect Optical Illusion

STEM Activity

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Have you ever seen a video where it looked like a car's wheels were spinning backwards even though the car was driving forward? This is called the wagon wheel effect, named after old movies where it looked like wagon wheels were spinning backwards. Even though you cannot see the effect in person, it can show up in videos of spinning objects. Find out why in this project and make your own videos of the wagon wheel effect! Read more

Vibrobots— Tiny Robots from Scratch

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

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Vibrobots are tiny robots powered by a vibrating motor, like the type found in cell phones. In this lesson plan, your students will learn about engineering design as they build their own vibrobots from craft materials. No previous experience with robots is required! Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

Wildfire Simulator

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Wildfires can devastate communities, destroying homes and creating smoke that can affect air quality over huge areas. A wildfire could start from a natural cause like a lightning strike, or humans being careless with cigarette butts or campfires. What if you could predict how a wildfire will spread to help give people an advanced warning to get out of harm's way? Can forest management techniques like controlled burns—intentionally setting smaller, more controlled fires—help reduce… Read more

Yeasty Beasties

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

While looking at a package of dry yeast it is hard to believe that the package has organisms in it that are alive. But add the right ingredients and presto, the mixture becomes a bubbly, oozing, mess of life! What are the right ingredients? What does that yeast need to become active? Do this science project and figure it out for yourself! Read more

2026 Ball Run Challenge for Grades K-5

Lesson Plan Grade: Kindergarten-5th

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7 reviews

Add a twist to a classic activity with this fun lesson plan. Your students will design and build a ball run for a ping pong ball using nothing but paper and tape. Their goal is to make the slowest ball run possible. How long can they make it take for the ball to go through their ball run? An optional variation is available if you would like to give students an extra challenge. The 2026 Engineering Challenge has ended. You can still do this challenge with students informally. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-5-ETS1-2. Generate and compare multiple possible solutions to a problem based on how well each is likely to meet the criteria and constraints of the problem.

A Juicy Project: Extracting Apple Juice with Pectinase

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you know why enzymes are oftentimes called the workhorses of biochemistry? It's because they can speed up a wide variety of chemical reactions, and chemists and biologists use enzymes to do all kinds of jobs. In this project, pectinase, an enzyme frequently used in the food industry, will be used to extract juice from apples. Read more

AI Hyperrealism: Do AI Faces Look More Real Than Human Faces?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Artificial intelligence (AI) programs can now generate photorealistic pictures of people who do not exist in the real world. How can you tell if a picture is of a real person or a fake, AI-generated person? What features of the picture do people use to decide whether the face is real or AI-generated? In this project, you will explore these questions as you ask volunteers to look at both real and AI-generated pictures of human faces. Read more

Elementary School Projects, Lessons, Activities (1,087 results)

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