Science projects engage curious minds.
A science project is an interactive way for young people to learn about science. For younger children these should not be too complex and should spark their natural curiosity. A science project can be done by individual students or the whole class collectively. Give students a few options and let them decide which project sounds most interesting to them.
Growing Mold Project
Young people will be intrigued by this science project which demonstrates how food rots, decomposes and grows green mold and fungus. Provide each student with airtight containers. Ask the students to bring some leftovers from home. Students then put the food inside the containers and create labels with information about the type of food and the date it was placed in the container. After four days, students should write up in their observation books exactly what has started to happen to the food. Provide students with magnifying glasses to better examine the growing mold.
Swimming Raisins Experiment
Young students will be amused by this science project which takes the form of a simple experiment. Each student must have a clear plastic glass, a handful of raisins and a can of clear soda. A tall glass works best for this experiment. The students fill the glass with soda and observe the bubbles. Point out that these are bubbles of carbon dioxide. Each student places seven raisins into the glass of liquid. The raisins initially sink to the bottom of the glass, but as the bubbles cluster around the raisins they start to rise up. However, once the raisins reach the surface, the bubbles pop. The raisin is once more too heavy to float and sinks to the bottom. It becomes buoyant again as bubbles attach themselves once more and they will continue to dance up and down until all the gas has escaped from the soda. Young students will learn about the properties of carbon dioxide and gases in this project.
Worm Condo Project
Young people can learn compost as they build an ideal home for worms. The project requires a large plastic bin with a lid that is very secure. Take a newspaper and tear up the pages into strips of paper which the student then moistens with water. Be sure to squeeze out any extra water. The paper should be damp, not soggy. Once the paper is placed in the bin, food scraps are added. You can use vegetable peels, fruit peels and wastes even if they are moldy. Bread, flour products and grains are all good for composting. Never use meat, fish or dairy products as they break down too slowly, attract maggots and vermin and make the condo smell terrible. Once the food is added then the worms can go in and begin the work of turning the food into compost.
Food Chain Game Project
This science project involves creating a board game that can then be played by the students who created it. Divide students up into teams of six. The topic of the project is the food chain. Students make and decorate the board and create a spiral that goes from the outer perimeter of the board to finish in the center. There should be 64 squares or spaces that lead to the finish post at the end. Spaces should be marked either "blank," or "question" or "penalty." The maximum number of players is six. The game is played by throwing a dice and moving the counter accordingly. With a teacher's assistance, students will make question cards relating to the food chain as well as cards featuring penalties. If a player lands on a question card, she needs to answer the question correctly and then can throw the dice again. Get creative with penalty cards. For example, a penalty card may read, "You are a lobster and you've landed up in a pot. Go back three squares."
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