Ideas for Elementary Science Fair Projects

The elementary school science fair project is one of the most exciting or terrifying times of the year for students. There are those who thrive on it, anticipate it, plan and work for it and, more often than not, find tremendous success at it. There are others who are terrified not only that they won’t succeed at the project itself, but that their work will be publicly displayed and open to ridicule of their peers and family alike. Here are some ideas for elementary science fair projects that may make some of that fear subside.

o Building an electrical circuit. This is a highly demonstrative and interactive project that shows brilliant (pardon the pun) results and yet, with some fundamental guidance, is not terribly difficult to assemble and display. All that is needed, of course, is a power source, like a battery, a switch, a light bulb in a socket, some wire and a display board on which to mount the whole thing. With some simple soldering skills (and maybe a little parental involvement… never a bad thing) a child can have a working model in a matter of hours. Of course, drawing the process out on some display board shows that the students really know their stuff.

o Build burglar alarm with contact openings. A slight, but impactful variation on the electrical circuit theme involves almost exactly the same equipment and skill set. Instead of an electrical switch, though, one can use a simple door or window contact available from the local electronics supply store and a hinged door or window. Again, by showing the process on display board this very demonstrative experiment can be a real crowd pleaser.

o Color wheel. A very impactful demonstration can be displayed using a light bulb, a color filter and a white board. Using various types and shades of filters (water, colored liquids, lighting gels, and whatever other translucent material that can be readily acquired) the student can demonstrate how many colors of the rainbow can be reproduced. This experiment is well suited to elementary grades that have been studying light, shadows and optics.

o Beyond the volcano. A science fair wouldn’t be complete without the papier mache cone filled with baking soda and colored vinegar. This cliché can be greatly enhanced, though, if the student is encouraged to show the laws of secondary succession… what are the results of volcanic activity? How did the eruption affect the areas’ flora and fauna? What is the likelihood of further eruptions and can they be predicted with any accuracy? How many years/century/millennia out can results be predicted and/or projected?

o A TV show (a la Bill Nye the Science Guy). A team that students with a creative or artistic bent could be encouraged to produce a video that teaches others how to do a project. The project itself can be anything simple, like the ones listed above. The real project, though, is the video presentation and the explanation by the group about what when into making it.

Of course this is just a primer of the many thousands of ideas for elementary school science fair projects.

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  1. […] unknown wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptThe elementary school science fair project is one of the most exciting or terrifying times of the year for students. There are those who thrive on it, anticipate it, plan and work for it and, more often than not, find tremendous success … […]

  2. If kids want to to electronic science fair projects then the breadboard it a great idea because it gives kids lots of choices and allows them to create their own experiments. I love it when kids go beyond what the directions say in a package! Then they truly are creating awesome electronic scifair projects.

    The most important part of doing a science fair project is doing what you love to do. Then you will stick with your project for the duration.

  3. Shumila says:

    This site provide the latest science activities and whole information about elementary science curriculum.And guide to their Visitors.

  4. This site is about Ideas for Elementary Science Fair Projects.This project are those who thrive on it, anticipate it, plan and work for it and, more often than not, find tremendous success at it.

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