Elementary Science Fair Projects

In every school, science fair projects are conducted as a usual routine to enhance the learning skills of the students. The main objective behind science fair projects is to help the students, teachers and even the family members in understanding the common science queries that are applicable in day-to-day life. The best part about science fair projects is that students have to complete the project on their own, may be with a little help from the parents. Otherwise, they will not be able to answer any query related to the project. With such projects, students get the chance to understand the theories due to the practical application.

Elementary Science Fair Projects

The titles for elementary science fair projects should be easy enough and sound interesting to the students. It is not mandatory that science projects should be the same each time, instead projects can be made interesting by trying out different topics each year. While deciding the titles, assure that they are not time consuming; students should be able to complete the project within an hour or so. Let's take a look at some of the common science fair projects applicable for elementary school students.

Salt and Boiling Water Time: This is a simple project to show the effect of impurities (in this case, common salt) during the boiling of water. Take two saucepans and pour 500 ml water in each of them. Label the first and second saucepan differently, so that you don't get confused. Add salt (about 60-80 gm) to the second saucepan and stir well until it dissolves completely. Note down the time and heat them to boiling temperature. You also have to note down the boiling time of both the saucepans. Estimate the time requirement for each saucepan to boil and see the difference.

Volcano Model: Volcano model can be made by using clay, baking soda, food coloring (red) and vinegar. First take a plastic bottle with an open top and mold the clay around it. Add baking soda and dye mixture in the bottle and fill it with warm water till half. Once you pour vinegar to the mixture, the volcano will erupt. This way, you can see how a volcanic eruption takes place.

Plant Growth and Light (Phototropism): Light is an essential factor for growth of any plant. This project is aimed at studying the effect of light on plant growth. For this experiment, grow some barley seedlings in a vase and keep them in a dark condition. Two to three days after germination, as the height of the plants increases, you will notice the plants bending towards the direction of the light. Thus, you will learn that phototropism plays a major role in the overall growth of the plant.

Saturation Point: As we all know, saturation is that point, when a substance can be no longer dissolved in a solution, at a particular temperature. To study this, pour 400 ml water in a saucepan and start adding sugar pinch by pinch. After each addition, stir well. In the beginning, you will see that the sugar easily dissolves in the water. However, at a particular stage the sugar does not dissolve, even if you stir. This is called the saturation point for that temperature. You can also study how temperature affects saturation by heating the same saucepan. This time with the increase in temperature, the sugar will start dissolving.

Fire and Air Relation: This project should be conducted under the supervision of the teacher. Take two short candles (about 5 cm) and a glass container (to cover the candle). Place the candles about 10 cm apart and light them. Then cover any one of the candle with the glass container. In the next few seconds, the flame of the candle inside the glass container will be extinguished; whereas, the other candle in the open air will continue to burn. This experiment proves that air is essential for burning flame.

These are some of the easy-to-do and interesting elementary science fair projects. You can also try out many other science experiments that you study in your theories. However, take care that the experiments are handled safely and ask your teachers and/or parents before conducting any project that involves the use of fire, acid and other dangerous substances.