Fifth Grade Science Experiments (Page 157)

Do Your Storm Drains Keep the Ocean Trash Free?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Did you know that there is plastic in the ocean? It probably isn't too hard to imagine that some of the plastic that litters roadways, sidewalks, and parks finds its way into the ocean. So, how much do you think is in there? Hundreds of pounds of plastic? How about thousands of pounds? No one knows for sure, but estimates, based on scientific surveys, suggest the amount is in the range of millions of pounds of plastic! Of course, the ocean is big, over 300 million square kilometers, so… Read more

Does Birth Order Affect Grade Point Average?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Is there a correlation between birth order and grade point average? Design a survey study to find out. How many completed surveys do you need for a representative sample of your school? If you limit your survey to one school, would you expect it to be representative of a larger population (such as your county or state?) How do you control for potential effects of parental age at birth? (In other words, younger siblings will have a higher probability of being born to older parents. If there… Read more

Does Body Size Matter?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Animals come in all shapes and sizes, even humans. You can look up different statistics about different kinds of animals using the Internet: average body size, brain size, life expectancy and generation time are some examples. Is there a correlation between body size and life span? Is there a correlation between body size and brain size? Is there a correlation between body size and generation time? Is there a correlation between body size and the size of your footprint? (Comparative Mammalian… Read more

Does Chemical Lightening Affect the Structure of Human Hair?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Does your hair go crazy when the weather turns damp? Did you know that strands of hair can relax and lengthen when the humidity increases and then contract again when the humidity decreases? In fact, hair strands can be used as the basis for a hygrometer, a device which measures the humidity level in the air. Can a human hair hygrometer also detect changes in hair structure caused by chemical lightening? This project shows you how to find out. Read more

Does How You Hold Your Guitar Affect the Sound?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

What do a guitar, a piano, a harp and a violin have in common? Turns out a couple of things, including a soundboard. All stringed instruments use a soundboard to amplify (greatly increase) the volume of the sound coming from vibrations of the strings. The soundboard is positioned so that it gathers the sound vibrations coming from the strings and then retransmits them at an even greater volume when it begins to vibrate. Soundboards are common in the world of musical instruments, but they can… Read more

Does Sense of Touch Impact a Cat's Behavior?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen a cat slowly move its head and whiskers into a small space before crawling through it? They’re using their sense of touch to see if they can fit into the space! In this science experiment, you’ll test how cats use their sense of touch to move through the world by using a maze to determine if they prefer big or small spaces. Read more

Does Temperature Affect the Rate of Butterfly Development?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

This is an interesting experiment if you are 1) curious about insect metamorphosis and 2) patient! You will need to set up different controlled environments for the chrysalides, and then check on them regularly as you wait for them to hatch. Read more

Does Virtual Practice Make Perfect?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You've probably heard the phrase, "practice makes perfect" more times than you care to remember, but is it actually true when you use a music game as your practice for real-life singing, strumming, or drumming? You can design a science fair project to discover the answer! First, you'll need to think about how to measure how well someone is playing or singing a song in real life. Using the test you design, measure several musicians' ability to play or sing a few different songs. Then have your… Read more

Does Wet Hair Float or Cling?

STEM Activity

Have you ever noticed how hair moves freely when it is under the water, but clings together as soon as it emerges out of the water? Not only human hair does this; when wet dogs shake themselves after a swim, their hair clings together in strands. Try this activity to see why wet hair is far less fluffy than dry hair! Read more

Doing Fun Science at Home during School Closures (Activity #17)

Blog Post

Follow along with a Science Buddies parent who is using family STEM activities to keep her kids learning at home during the COVID-19 school shutdown. New posts every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Today's adventure... building a cotton ball launcher. Rubber Bands — A Simple Frustration-Easer How is it going for you? I'll be honest, it hasn't been a great day here. Today was one of those days where nothing goes right: four cranky family… Read more

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