Elementary School Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 78)

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-7th

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"Compost" © 2014 Philip Cohen In this two-part inquiry-based activity, students will practice using the scientific method while learning about decomposition, exploring how some types of garbage will decompose while others will not. Students can then go on to design their own experiment to test different variables affecting the rate of decomposition. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

5-LS2-1. Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.

Construct a Carnival Buzzer Game with a Raspberry Pi

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever played a game that tested the steadiness of your hands? Operation® is a popular board game that requires you to perform "surgery" without bumping a tool against the edges of the game. There are also popular amusement park or carnival games where you try to move a metal loop along a wavy metal wire without letting the two touch. You can build your own version of these games using a Raspberry Pi. Check out the video to see what this simple, but fun, project looks… Read more

Count the Seconds

Lesson Plan Grade: 4th-8th

Students design a device that can track a specific amount of time and indicate when that time has passed with a sound or visual signal. They iterate their designs and prototypes to improve repeatability. Learning Objectives Students will: Design and build a device that indicates when a specific amount of time has passed. Use simple machines in their device. Identify the ways in which energy is stored and transferred in their device. Iterate and improve their designs based… Read more

Counting Sunspots on an Image of the Sun

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Make a pinhole projector (see Measuring the Diameter of the Sun and the Moon). Use the pinhole to project an image of the Sun onto a wall or a piece of paper. Do you notice any dark spots on the projected image? Trace the projected image and count the dark spots. Use your pinhole projector to make images of the Sun at the same time of day for several consecutive days. How does the pattern of spots change? Can you use your data to figure out how fast the Sun rotates? Sunspot activity rises… Read more

Create Light Up Artwork with a Raspberry Pi

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen night lights that automatically turn on when it gets dark? What about art projects, like paintings or sculptures, with embedded lights? This project will let you combine the two, by adding lights to an art project of your choice. You can make the lights automatically turn on when it gets dark using a Raspberry Pi. Check out the video to see what this simple, but fun, project looks like. IMPORTANT: The instructions for this project were originally written using Scratch 2 on a… Read more

Creating a Video Game for Players with Visual Impairments

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Do you enjoy playing video games? Do you like the challenge of reaching a difficult game level and scoring lots of points? Video games include many graphic elements that are great to watch, but did you know that not only sighted people enjoy video games? Blind and visually impaired players can also play video games by relying on sound cues — the pings, pops, bangs, and bursts of music that make a game fun or exciting. When building a game that will be accessible to differently abled… Read more

Cricket Wicket Knockdown Challenge for Grades 3-5

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

Teach your students about the engineering design process with this fun lesson plan. They will design and build a ball-launching machine to knock down a target. Optionally, they can enter their designs in the 2020 Engineering Challenge for a chance to win a cash prize for your school! Teachers, note that middle school and high school versions of this lesson plan are also available. 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.
3-PS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence of the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object.

Cryopreservation: Freezing Plant Tissues

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Cryopreservation—storing seeds in ultra-cold liquid nitrogen—is one method for maintaining plant genetic stocks in seed banks. Can seeds withstand a really deep freeze and still germinate? Read more

Curl Metals With Heat!

STEM Activity

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Do you like gift wrapping? If you do, you have probably curled a ribbon with scissors before. Have you ever wondered why the ribbon curls when you run a scissor blade down one side of it? The answer is that when you apply pressure on the ribbon with the blade, the outer layer of the ribbon stretches and expands. This makes the outside layer of the ribbon longer than the inside layer that is pressed against the blade. As a result, the ribbon starts to curl to make up for the different lengths of… Read more

Day or Night?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Animals have different levels of activity depending upon their habitat, metabolism and behavior. Diurnal animals are more active during the day. Nocturnal animals are more active at night. Being diurnal or nocturnal may have different advantages for different animals. For example, desert animals tend to be nocturnal so they can stay cool and escape the desert heat present during the day. What types of diurnal and nocturnal animals are common in your area? You can set out a small trap to… Read more

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

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