Third Grade, Human Behavior Science Experiments (Page 6)

Don’t Forget! A Memorization Exploration

STEM Activity

What did you have for breakfast last Monday? What color is the floor in your favorite classroom? If you don’t remember the answer to these questions, that’s ok! Your brain is doing exactly what it is supposed to do. Our brains are nearly perfect storage devices, and part of their perfection is that they know which information to store, and which to throw away. Imagine your house if you never threw anything away – how quickly would it become full of garbage and waste? Your… Read more

Human-Robot Interaction: Do Looks Matter?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you think robots are cute? Funny? Scary? How do robots make you feel? What words would you choose to describe a robot? Find out how people react to robots by building and decorating your own robot in this science project. Read more

Interpreting Area Data from Maps vs. Graphs: An Experiment in Visual Perception

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Graphical methods of data presentation are a key feature of scientific communication. This project asks the question, "What's the best way to compare the land area of states: a map or a bar graph?" You'll be measuring performance on two different visual discrimination tasks: comparison of areas vs. comparison of position on a common scale. Which method is more accurate? Which method is faster? This project will get you thinking about how to find the best way to communicate scientific… Read more

Memory Surprises

STEM Activity

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Have you ever wondered why some things are easy to recall, while others need hours of study? For example, you might be able to recollect what happened at your birthday party without any practice, but you need hours of study before you can recite a few lines for a theater play. Our mind stores and remembers information in fascinating ways. Remember to do this activity and you will be surprised at what your memory can do for you! Read more

Motion After-Effects in Vision

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

If you stare at a waterfall, or look at passing scenery from the window of a moving train, you will have a strange sensation when you turn your gaze to something stationary. You can investigate these types of motion after-effects with simple equipment described by the Exploratorium. How long does it take to induce the effect? How long does the effect last? Can the after-effect be canceled by viewing motion in the opposite direction? (Staff, date unknown) Read more

Pinocchio’s Arm: A Lie Detector Test

STEM Activity

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Did you ever think of lying as an interesting social skill? Lying is actually tied to empathy, the ability to see things from another person’s perspective. Most humans begin to develop these skills around the age of three, when they begin to understand that what they know about the world might be different from what other people know about the world. Telling lies might be a skill, but lies can be bothersome. Sometimes, you really like to know how to tell a truth from a lie. Will the… Read more

Play a Memory Game with Your Nose!

STEM Activity

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Take a deep breath: freshly baked cookies, smoke from a wood fire, or a bouquet of roses—your nose is an amazing smell detector! Your sense of smell can not only identify a huge variety of odors, but it is also incredibly sensitive. Think about how easily you can detect if someone in your neighborhood has a barbecue just by smelling hints of smoke from a faraway grill. But how good is your nose when it comes to differentiating individual smells? Do this activity to find out! … Read more

Practice

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

We've all heard that "practice makes perfect," but what is the best way to practice? For example, does "mental practice" do any good? You'll need at least 9 volunteers for this project. Pick a well-defined sports activity, with a measurable outcome, such as shooting basketball free-throws (measure number of shots taken and number of shots made), or balancing on one foot on a slightly raised beam (measure how long you can do it; if it's too easy, try closing your eyes). Test all volunteers… Read more

Seeing Science: Exploring Perception with the Stroop Effect

STEM Activity

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Have you ever tried to pat your head with one hand while you rub your stomach with the other? This science activity is kind of like doing that, but it can actually give you some insight into how your mind works. The challenge of this activity is to name colors. It sounds simple enough, right? If you think it does, you should see what happens when words of colors get in the way! This is a fun activity to try out with family and/or friends while spending time together over the holidays. Read more

Study Skills Science: Investigating Memory Mnemonics

STEM Activity

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Have you ever needed to remember a long list of words, such as a shopping list or the state capitals? Even if a list can be full of interesting facts, it can still be hard to remember. But there are some memory techniques that can help a person to remember a list better. In this science activity, you’ll try out a technique called mnemonics and investigate whether using mnemonics can help you and your friends, or family members, remember lists of words. Read more

Third Grade, Human Behavior Science Experiments (65 results)

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