Life on Land, Fifth Grade Science Projects (46 results)

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.
These projects explore topics key to Life on Land: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.

Science Buddies' fifth grade science projects are the perfect way for fifth grade students to have fun exploring science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Our fifth grade projects are written and tested by scientists and are specifically created for use by students in the fifth grade. Students can choose to follow the science experiment as written or put their own spin on the project.

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Use Floating Leaf Disks to Study Photosynthesis

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen a (non-carnivorous) plant eat? Probably not! Plants do not get the energy they need from food, but from the sunlight! In a process called photosynthesis, plants convert light energy, water, and carbon dioxide into oxygen and sugar. They can then use the sugar as an energy source to fuel their growth. Scientists have found an easy way to measure the rate of photosynthesis in plants. The procedure is called the floating leaf disk assay. In this plant biology project, you 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

Classify Animals with Machine Learning

Science Fair Project Idea

Engineering Design Process

How do you tell the difference between a bird and a fish? Birds tend to have feathers and can fly, while fish have no legs and can breathe underwater. In this project, you will explore how to create a decision tree using machine learning that can classify different animals based on multiple characteristics. This project is designed for beginners and requires little to no coding experience. Ready to give it a shot? Read more

Butterfly Wings: Using Nature to Learn About Flight

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever seen butterflies fluttering around outside, gliding through the air and landing on flowers? While they are delicate and fragile, butterflies are actually excellent flyers. They are so good, in fact, that scientists at Harvard University studied butterfly wing shapes as an inspiration for building a miniature flying robot. In this science project, you will do your own version of the Harvard scientists' experiment to measure the flight performance of butterfly wings. Read more

Growing Plants on Mars

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

To be able to live on Mars, humans need breathable air, clean water, and nutritious food. Spacesuits can provide oxygen to breathe, ice on Mars can be a source of water, but how could we get nutritious food? Today's astronauts bring food with them. But a manned trip to Mars would require food that was either successfully grown in space or on Mars, as taking the extra weight of food for such a long time—it takes 6–9 months one way—is just too costly. In this project, you will… Read more

Do Migratory Birds Like It Hot?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Why do birds migrate? Do all birds have the same reasons for migrating? Where do they go when they migrate? These are questions scientists have asked for centuries. The more species for which they gather data, the more specific the answers become. In this science project, you will choose a species to investigate, then access and evaluate real data collected by scientists to start answering those questions yourself! Read more

How Can Life Survive on a Planet with Extreme Tidal Locking?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever wondered what life might look like on other planets? Life might need to survive conditions that would seem very extreme to us. Such conditions likely exist on planets that orbit abundant red dwarf stars. These planets can undergo tidal locking, which means one side is a perpetual, freezing night and the other is a perpetual, scorching day! How does life stand a chance? In this science project, you will test what extreme temperatures microscopic life can survive to model some of… Read more

Squirrel Obstacle Course: How Far Can Squirrels Jump?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

This project idea is inspired by former NASA engineer Mark Rober's "Squirrel Ninja Obstacle Course". You do not need to build a full obstacle course as intricate as Mark's (although you certainly can if you want to!) to make this into a fun science project. For example, how far can squirrels jump? You could test this question by building a mobile post and placing it next to a bird feeder. The bird feeder in Figure 1 is mounted on a metal pole. The pole is protected by a squirrel baffle, a… Read more

Skunk Attack! Test Different Remedies to Remove Skunk Odor

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you or one of your pets ever been sprayed by a skunk? Hopefully not, but if you have, you probably know that the smell can be very unpleasant and hard to get rid of. There are many "folk remedies" for getting rid of skunk scent, but if you ever do get sprayed by a skunk, how will you know which one to try? In this science project, you will test the ability of various mixtures to remove the bad scent from rags that have been contaminated with bottled skunk scent, and determine which one… Read more

An Experiment on Seed & Fruit Dispersal

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Up, up, and away! If you have ever made a wish and blown the fluff of a dandelion, you have witnessed how some plants are adapted to spreading their seeds using the wind. The tiny, furry parachute allows the seeds to be picked up by the wind and to be carried far away from their parent plant. In this experiment, you will make models of seeds and fruit to investigate dispersal by wind and to evaluate the relationship between the structure of the seed and its ability to be dispersed by the wind. Read more

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