Science Buddies'
second grade science projects are the perfect way for
second grade students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our
second grade projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students in the
second grade. Students can choose to follow the science experiment as written or put their own spin on the project.
For a personalized list of science projects,
second graders can use the Science Buddies Topic Selection Wizard.
The wizard asks students to respond to a series of simple statements and then uses their answers to recommend
age-appropriate projects that fit their interests.
Have you ever wondered how fun toys like Silly Putty, Gak, and Slime are made? These products are so much fun because of the properties of polymers, which make them delightfully bouncy, stretchy, sticky, moldable, breakable, hard, soft, and just plain fun! In this science project you can be the developer of your own putty product by changing the ratio of ingredients to change the physical properties of your putty polymer. By describing the physical properties of your results, you can choose…
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Chem_p012
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- Less Details
Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Very Low (under $20)
Safety
Adult supervision required. Borax is harmful if swallowed. On rare occasion handling borax can result in
rashes.
Bridges are big and beautiful structures, but they also need to be safe for the people who cross over them every day. Building a bridge that is safe and secure is a challenge to civil engineers. But the job is even more challenging if you live in earthquake country! Find out how engineers are solving this problem as they build a new bridge over the San Francisco Bay in California. Try some of your own Bay Bridge designs. Will your bridge design take the shake of a quake?
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This experiment is for all the kids out there who love boiled cabbage! You say you do not like cabbage? Well maybe you will like this amazing color-changing liquid you can make with cabbage. Which solutions around your house can make the cabbage juice change color? Find out while you learn about acids and bases and how to test for them.
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Chem_p013
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- Less Details
Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
none
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Very Low (under $20)
Safety
Requires adult supervision—some household solutions can be poisonous when mixed together or swallowed.
Fuzzy things are often cute, but not when that fuzziness is mold on your strawberry—yuck! Companies look for natural, plant-based ways to protect the berries from mold when they are in the store, waiting for you to purchase them. Would washing them in aloe vera juice protect strawberries from mold? Do this project and find out!
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Have you ever broken a candy bar in half to share with someone? Some might snap in half quite cleanly, but others might be gooey and flexible. If you stick a candy bar in the freezer, will this change how the materials break? Try this sweet project to find out!
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How do astronomers collect stardust? They design and build satellites that are launched into space to collect particles on specially designed panels. Satellites can be sent to orbit around an object of interest: a planet, moon, or comet. In this experiment, you can build your own mini satellite and use it to collect some pretend stellar debris. If you simulate an asteroid impact, how much stellar dust will your satellite collect? Will placing your satellite at different "orbital" distances from…
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What keeps you in your seat of a giant loop-de-loop roller coaster? Surprisingly, it is not the seatbelt but the seat! It works because of something called centripetal force and it does much more than make a great roller coaster. It keeps a satellite in orbit and you in your bicycle seat during a turn. How does it work?
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Phys_p018
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- Less Details
Time Required
Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
Readily available
Cost
Very Low (under $20)
Safety
Adult supervision is required for making the JELL-O. Be careful when working with the boiling water.
Vibrobots are fun little robots built from common household supplies, that are powered by vibrating motors. In this engineering project, you will design and built your own vibrobot. Would you rather have a robot that skitters quickly across a table or one that spins wildly in circles? How about a sumo-wrestling bot that can push others out of its way? The choice is up to you!
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Robotics_p030
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- Less Details
Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
None
Material Availability
A kit is available for your convenience from our partner
.
Do you have a favorite picture? When you have a photo that you treasure, you want it to look as good as possible. Find out how the resolution of a digital photo effects the way it looks when you print it out. How does the quality of the image relate to the resolution?
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Photo_p002
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- Less Details
Time Required
Very Short (≤ 1 day)
Prerequisites
Computer skills
Material Availability
Requires photo editing software, a digital photo, and a color printer.
What is your favorite color and why? Do you think that simple tasks might be biased by your preferences? Find out in this science project if your color preferences will bias your fine motor skills when doing quick, repetitive tasks.
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