Third Grade, Materials Science Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 3)

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

Algae String Mizuhiki Knots

STEM Activity

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Cultures around the world have developed knots for many uses. For example, the Inca people used knotted cords called Quipu for collecting data, keeping calendars, and even military organization. In Japan, knots are used in celebrations, food prep, and garments. Elaborate paper Mizuhiki ones, such as the examples in this activity are tied to mark important life events. Educators, a lesson plan is also available for this topic. Read more

Are Laminates Stronger?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you love to hit the half pipe with your snowboard or skateboard, then you have tested the strength and durability of laminates. Laminates are sandwiches of different materials that are glued together in layers to give strength and flexibility to an object. In this experiment, you can test if laminating wood can make it stronger and able to support a heavier load. How much weight can it take before it breaks? Read more

Brainstorming for Engineering Projects using SCAMPER

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-8th

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Coming up with new ideas is hard! How do engineers design new things or improve existing ones? Engineers and inventors use different brainstorming techniques to help them think outside the box and come up with new ideas. In this lesson plan, your students will practice brainstorming with a method called SCAMPER. Read more

How Shoe Tread Affects Traction

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever noticed that some shoes grip the ground better than others? The pattern and design of a shoe’s tread can affect how slippery it is on different surfaces. You can test shoes with different tread patterns—like flat, ridged, or patterned—to see which design provides the best grip. By dragging a shoe along a surface with a spring scale at a constant velocity, you can measure how much force is needed for each shoe to slide on various surfaces. With this knowledge, you… Read more

How Strong are Eggshells?

STEM Activity

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Have you ever seen an arch structure in a building, such as over a doorway or surrounding large windows? Arches have been used in structural engineering since ancient times. In this activity you will test the strength of a naturally occurring arch shape: the shell of an egg. So grab some eggs and put them to good engineering use in trying to answer the following question: Just how much mass can an eggshell can support? Read more

Polymer Permeability: Which Plastic Wrap Prevents Oxidation Best?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

There are currently two different kinds of polymers used for kitchen plastic wrap: low density polyethylene (LDPE) (e.g. Saran or Glad Wrap) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) (e.g. Reynolds PVC Foodservice Wrap or Boardwalk PVC Food Wrap Film). Which of these materials is less permeable to oxygen? When you slice an apple, the surface of the slice turns brown as the apple is oxidized. Can plastic wrap seal out oxygen and prevent the apple from browning? Which plastic wrap works best? Do… Read more

Simulate Microchip Clean Room Contamination with Crayon Leaf Rubbings

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever made a leaf rubbing or imprint using paper and crayons? What do you think would happen if you got dirt or sand on the leaf? Would it mess up the result? In this project you will find out and learn about how this is related to the process of making the microchips that run our phones, computers, and other electronic devices. Check out this page for more science projects related to this process. Read more

Solar Power

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-5th

In this activity, students learn how engineers use solar energy to heat buildings by investigating the thermal storage properties of some common materials: sand, salt, water and shredded paper. Students then evaluate the usefulness of each material as a thermal storage material to be used as the thermal mass in a passive solar building.Engineering Connection Engineers design technologies that can turn sunlight into electricity to power households and businesses. For example,… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

4-PS3-2. Make observations to provide evidence that energy can be transferred from place to place by sound, light, heat, and electric currents.

Wave Blockers

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What do the radio, TV, radio controlled cars, and cell phones all have in common? They all use invisible waves to transmit information. Find out which materials block radio waves, and which materials allow radio waves to pass through by doing this experiment. Read more

Third Grade, Materials Science Projects, Lessons, Activities (31 results)

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