Third Grade, Physics Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 3)

Making Shadow Puppets

STEM Activity

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85 reviews

Have you ever played with your own shadow? It is fascinating how it follows your every move. But why do you not see your shadow every day? Why is your shadow very long sometimes, and other times very short? In this activity, you will make your own shadow puppet and explore how you can change the shape or size of its shadow. If you like, you can even create your own shadow play! Read more

Build a Marble Roller Coaster

STEM Activity

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66 reviews

How much energy does a roller coaster need to go through a loop without getting stuck? Build your own marble roller coaster in this project and find out! Read more

Investigate the Motion of a Pendulum

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

"Swing me higher, Mommy, higher!" Kids love to ride the swings at the playground. The back-and-forth motion of a swing demonstrates the physics of a pendulum. In this experiment, you will investigate the factors that affect the speed and duration of a pendulum's swing, also called an oscillating motion. You can even use your phone and a sensor app to record your pendulum's movement and determine its period of oscillation. Read more

Make a Homemade Compass

STEM Activity

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Have you ever used a compass to help you figure out what direction to go? What about while on a camping trip — have you ever needed a compass to help you navigate your way through a forest? Magnetic compasses work based on Earth's magnetic field. In this science activity, you will get to make your own magnetic compass out of a sewing needle, piece of cork, and cup of water. How well do you think it will work? Get ready to find out! Read more

Make a Milk Rainbow

STEM Activity

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Have you ever seen a rainbow after a rainfall, or drawn a rainbow for fun? They can be fun to make using colorful markers or other craft supplies. But did you know you can actually make a simple rainbow using milk, liquid detergent (i.e., soap), and food coloring? How the rainbow is created by this mixture might surprise you! In this science activity, you will make your own milk rainbow and explore how detergent and surface tension are involved in its creation. Read more

Make a Rubber Band Guitar

STEM Activity

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Did you know that the modern guitar is an instrument that dates back over 4,000 years? The first guitar music was published in 1546, during a time when guitars still had strings made from animal intestines! While guitars have a long history, they are still extremely popular in modern day music. Have you ever wondered how they make the music you listen to everyday? In this activity we're going to make our own guitars, and experiment with the different sounds we can create. Read more

How Fish Sink and Float

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Have you ever thought about why most fish never sink to the bottom of the ocean or float to the water's surface? How is it that they can stay so perfectly buoyant under water? You might be surprised to hear that most bony fish have a special organ to help them with that: a swim bladder. The swim bladder is a thin-walled sac located inside the body of the fish that is usually filled with gas. Besides helping the fish stay buoyant, it can also function as a sound producer and receptor or as an… Read more

Balloon Magic with Bernoulli's Principle

STEM Activity

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Have you ever seen pictures or videos of a roof being blown off a house during a hurricane or tornado? You might be surprised to hear that the roof is actually not pushed off by the strong winds but instead by the air inside the house! This can be explained by Bernoulli's principle, which states that fast-moving fluids or air, such as strong winds, have lower pressure than slow-moving air. In this activity you will demonstrate how balloons can be moved in a similar way. It is not quite as… Read more

Build a Cooler

STEM Activity

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How does a cooler keep things cold? Which material makes the best insulation? Try this project to find out how long you can keep an ice cube from melting once it's out of the freezer! Read more

Holes That Do Not Leak!

STEM Activity

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Did you know that at sea level there are about 15 pounds of air pressing on each square inch of your body? This air is very helpful in our daily lives. For example, this layer of air helps to keep the Earth from getting inhospitably cold or hot. It can even help keep a bottle with holes in it leak-free! Try the activity to find out how. Read more

Third Grade, Physics Projects, Lessons, Activities (86 results)

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