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Creative Science Projects for 5th Grade

Fifth grade science projects help students put together previous learning and take on more responsibility and organization skills to help get them ready for the changes they will encounter in middle school. Generally, projects should not take longer than a week or two to complete. Students should be able to do the projects by themselves, with little help from an adult. Fun, creative ideas make students more interested in science, and make them more likely to retain what they learn.
  1. Tornado in a Bottle

    • Fill an empty two-liter plastic soda bottle two-thirds full with water. Using a washer from a faucet, connect this bottle to another empty two-liter bottle by placing the washer between the tops and taping them together. Make sure the empty bottle is on the bottom. Move the bottles in a circular motion a few times. A tornado shape can be observed.

    Volcano

    • Using sticky tape, stick a plastic bottle in the middle of a large piece of cardboard. Crumple a few pieces of newspaper into rough spheres. Form a rough cone by fastening them to the bottle and cardboard with cello tape. Cut or tear newspaper into small square pieces. Glue them to the bottle and newspaper cone to form a volcano shape. Make several layers, letting each dry before starting another. Put a 50/50 dry mixture of lemon acid and baking soda in the lava chamber. Add some water to trigger the eruption.

    Tsunamis, Earthquakes and Meteors

    • Fill a clear plastic container (at least a few feet long) with water to 10 percent of its height. Mark where the water level is with a marker. Pound the top of the table with a rubber mallet, with enough force to generate a wave through the water. Watch the water through the tank and mark how high the wave reaches. Label this "trial 1" on the container. Repeat two more times, hitting the side of the table ("trial 2") and the bottom of the table, underneath the tank ("trial 3"). Drop a large rock into the water and label the height of the wave on the tank as "rock." Record the results to determine if tsunamis are more destructive when they are caused by an earthquake or by a meteor.

    Mini Igloo

    • Fill three identical quart jars with ice water. Place the jars in three identical containers (boxes, buckets, etc.) Surround each jar with a different type of insulation, such as packing bubbles or newspaper, and fill the container. Record the change in temperature over a period of time to determine which type of insulation best retained the cold.

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