A project can reveal the numbers appearing most frequently on two rolled dice. The fifth-grader uses a frequency chart numbered two to 12 to record the sum that two rolled dice produce. For example, if two rolled dice display a one and a four, then the student would put a mark in the fives column of the frequency chart. After she repeats the process 100 times, she totals each column of the frequency chart and then makes a line graph from the results. The line graph should be a bell-shaped curve.
To demonstrate container volume for a project, a student finds 12 food and beverage containers of different shapes and sizes in his home. He measures the dimensions and calculates the volume of the containers. Then he illustrates a poster board showing each container and labels the volume.
A project that displays survey results begins with generating 10 simple questions that classmates can answer. Questions may include: What is your favorite food? What is your favorite movie? What is your favorite pet? The fifth-grader compiles the answers and displays the results as fractions in a graph. For example, perhaps 9/10 of her classmates like pizza, and 3/5 of them like cats.
A student can create a dictionary that defines all the geometry terms used in the fifth grade. The project may include illustrations and examples of each term. The fifth-grader binds the dictionary and decorates its cover. After the math fair, he could present the dictionary to the school librarian or his teacher for use by future students.