Elementary School Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 73)

Why Video Game Characters Look Better Today

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

When you picture video games, you probably picture realistic three-dimensional figures, a lot of color, and a lot of detail, right? Those descriptions do not really describe video games from the early 1980's. So why do video games today look better than video games from the 80's? One major change between then and now is the number of pixels, or dots on the screen, used to represent video game objects. When Nintendo® first introduced the Super Mario Bros game for the Nintendo Entertainment… Read more

Why Winglets?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever noticed how some jet planes have small, vertical projections as the tips of the wings? They're called winglets. What are they there for? Read more

Why Won't it Mix? Discover the Brazil Nut Effect

STEM Activity

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Have you ever noticed that the dried fruits or nuts in your breakfast cereal are not evenly spread out inside the box, or that in a container of mixed nuts Brazil nuts gather at the top? This phenomenon is commonly called the "Brazil nut effect," and the science behind it is surprisingly complex and far-reaching. This phenomenon can be a nuisance when you want to fill silos, bags, or bins with different types of materials. It can also be used to our advantage: an avalanche airbag uses the… Read more

Wind Maze

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-12th

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Students will explore the elements by designing a wind maze, a device that can direct the wind along a specific path. Learning Objectives Students will: Design and test a wind maze. Consider how to direct the wind down an intended path by creating bends in the maze. Use observations from their tests to compare solutions and iterate on their designs. NGSS Alignment This lesson helps students prepare for these Next Generation Science Standards Performance Expectations: … Read more

Write and Read Braille

STEM Activity

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Have you ever been in an elevator and wondered what the many little dots on the buttons are for? You can also find these dots in public buildings on room number signs or on ATMs. These arrangements of dots are a special writing system for the visually impaired called braille. By feeling the dots with their fingers, people can read what is written on a sign or elevator button. Do you want to find out how to read with your fingers? This activity will show you how! Read more

Write Your Own Calculator Program

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

When you need a calculator, what do you use? A physical calculator? An app on your phone? A web browser? What features does the calculator have? Does it just do basic arithmetic (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division)? Can it do other mathematical functions, like square roots or exponents? Can you use parenthesis? Does it have a backspace button? That is a lot to consider for a seemingly very simple device or program! For a computer science project, can you write your own… Read more

You Nailed It! Hammering Force for Different Types of Wood

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

How much force does it take to drive a nail through different types of wood? In this project you'll build a simple test apparatus to swing a hammer reproducibly so you can find out. Read more

You Want Fries With That? The Science of Crispy Potatoes

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

The first bite of a fresh-picked apple, the crunch of morning toast, the deep cut into rich, flaky layers of baklava, the pleasing snap of a chip. Besides being delicious, what do these foods have in common? They're crisp. They have a brittleness that causes them to shatter in your mouth when you first bite into them. It's a sensation that many people enjoy. Making potatoes crispy requires some extra cooking steps, as you'll discover in this food science project, but the results are well worth… Read more

Yuck, What Happened to My Apple? How Food Wrappings Affect Spoilage

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever eaten half an apple and saved the other half for later, only to find that, by time you were ready to eat it, the apple did not look as tasty anymore? It may have turned brown and shriveled, and, if left out long enough, it may have spoiled. Do you think you could have prevented the other half from spoiling, or made it spoil less, if you had stored it differently, such as in the refrigerator in a food wrapping? In this cooking and food science project, you will investigate which… Read more

A Magnetic Primer Designer

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

How do scientists "copy" DNA? They use a process called the Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR. The key to making this process work is having a short piece of DNA, called a primer, that will stick to the larger piece of DNA you want to copy, called a template. In this science project, you will test how the number of matches and mismatches in a primer will affect its ability to stick, or anneal, to the DNA template during PCR. Read more

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

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