Elementary School, Materials Science Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 2)

Can Biodegradable Materials Replace Plastic as Protective Food Packaging?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Many foods, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, or eggs, are packaged in plastic to protect them from damage during handling and transport. But is plastic the best choice? What if a more sustainable and biodegradable material could replace it? Researchers have begun exploring hydrogels—squishy materials that can hold a lot of water—as alternative packaging materials. In this science project, you will make your own hydrogels from gelatin and cornstarch and investigate what ratio of… Read more

Exploring Nanotechnology: Fold, Roll, & Stack Your Way to Super-Strong Materials

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Advertisements for high-tech sports gear or the latest and greatest outdoor material promise lighter and stronger products every season. Is it a scam? How can engineers keep creating materials that are both lighter and stronger than anything known so far? The answer is in the nanoscale! Using nanotechnology, scientists can play around with the detailed structure of matter, leading to a whole new range of materials, some with amazing qualities. In this science project, you will get a glimpse… Read more

Which Kind of Wood Burns Slower?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you ever go camping with your family and roast hot dogs and marshmallows over a campfire? If you want your campfire to burn long into the evening, what is the best wood to use? Do research on the necessary conditions/materials to sustain a fire and on the properties of different types of wood. Which properties do you think will be most important for determining how fast the wood burns? For example, how do you think density would be related to burning rate? Why? Measure the density and… Read more

Making Mixtures: How Do Colloids Size Up?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wondered why some things disappear when they are put in water but other things do not? For example, you may have seen that salt disappears, or dissolves, when it is mixed in a glass of water. But when you throw a rock in a stream it will not usually dissolve, and instead it will just sink to the bottom. And then there are some things that do not act like the salt or the rock. These are called colloids. If you have made Oobleck out of cornstarch and water, then you have seen… Read more

Which Metal Is the Most Resistant to Corrosion?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Here's a practical engineering challenge: you need to build an enclosure for your dogs, using material that they can't chew through. It's going to be a lot of work to build, so you want to do it right. What material should you choose for the fencing? This project uses the scientific method to evaluate materials. Read more

Build Your Own Microfluidic Device

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

Microfluidic devices are small tools used in different fields like engineering and biomedicine. Scientists and engineers use these devices to work with very tiny amounts of fluids for various experiments. These experiments can include things like biomedical research, creating new medicines, and even applications in the car industry. In this project, you will create and test your own microfluidic device design and compare it to other designs. Read more

Can You See Through Me?

Lesson Plan Grade: 1st

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21 reviews

In this lesson, students explore firsthand what transparent, translucent, and opaque mean, and how they are related to light. They will place a variety of materials in front of an illuminated object and predict if and how well they will be able to see the object through the material sheet. In doing that, students will realize that different materials allow different amounts of light to pass through. Remote learning: This lesson plan can be conducted remotely. The Engage section of the… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

1-PS4-3. Plan and conduct investigations to determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light.

Strength in Numbers?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Ever try to tear a telephone book in half? Even though you can easily rip one or a few pages to shreds, the entire phone book has strength in numbers and holds together. This project is an introduction to measuring and comparing the strength of materials. Does spaghetti get extra strength if you bundle it together, or does strength simply increase proportionally with the number of strands? If you are interested in materials testing, get cracking! Read more

Can Beeswax Wraps Replace Plastic Wraps?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you ever use plastic wrap to cover a container? Did you know that it is made of plastic, which significantly contributes to the amount of waste in our landfills? There are many alternatives to plastic, and one popular product is beeswax wraps. Are beeswax wraps a suitable replacement for plastic wrap? Find out in this experiment! Read more

Experiment with Making Gels

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Chances are, you have several materials around your house made of gelatinized materials. Gels are used in all kinds of products and materials: pudding, diapers, insoles, packaging, ice cream, toothpaste, and many more. In this project, find out how gels are made and how they can be adjusted from firm to soft by changing the ingredients. Read more

Elementary School, Materials Science Projects, Lessons, Activities (49 results)

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