Project Ideas for Grades K-5

Stand out at the fair! Judges see a lot of baking soda volcanoes and plant experiments. Here are ideas for grades K–5 that you won’t see at every other table, many of them from things you can only study so well in Alaska.

Each idea is a starting point, so change it and make it yours. Please ask your teacher to approve your project before you start.

Snow, ice and cold

• Snowflake detective (grades K–2). Do snowflakes look different on warmer and colder days? Catch flakes on chilled black cloth, photograph them up close, and sort the shapes against the temperature.
• Snowshoe engineer (grades K–2). Which shoe shape sinks least in deep snow? Press cardboard "shoes" of different sizes into snow with the same weight on top, and measure how deep each sinks.
• Which color melts snow first? (grades K–2). Does a dark coat really melt snow faster? Lay squares of different colored cloth on snow in the sun, and measure how far each one sinks.
• Is snow a blanket? (grades 3–5). How much warmer is it under the snow? Measure the temperature in the air, then under 2, 6 and 12 inches of snow, on several different days.
• The quiet after a snowfall (grades 3–5). Does fresh snow really muffle sound? Use a sound meter app to measure the same sound over fresh snow, old packed snow and bare ground.
• Ice grip test (grades 3–5). Which sole pattern grips ice best? Wrap a block in different materials, pull it across ice with a spring scale, and record the force it takes.
• Fastest sled runner (grades 3–5). What makes a sled glide farthest? Change the runner material or width on a small sled, release it from the same spot on a hill, and measure the distance.
• How thick is safe? (grades 3–5). How much weight can different thicknesses of ice hold? Freeze ice sheets in trays at home and add weight until they crack. Use only ice you made, and never test real ice on a lake or river.
• Why doesn't the ocean freeze like a lake? (grades 3–5). How does salt change when water freezes? Freeze cups of water with different amounts of salt, and record the time and temperature when ice forms.
• Save the permafrost (grades 3–5). What keeps frozen ground from melting under a building? Set a small weighted "house" on a tray of ice with different insulating pads underneath, and time how fast it sinks.
• Build a glacier (grades 3–5). Does a steeper valley make a glacier move faster? Make slime as a model glacier, let it flow down a ramp at different angles, and time it.

Earthquakes, waves and land

• Shake table (grades 3–5). Which building shape survives an earthquake best? Build towers from craft sticks or blocks on a shaking board, and count the shakes until each one falls.
• Stop the wave (grades 3–5). Which sea wall best protects a coastal town? Make waves in a long tray, and measure how far the water reaches past walls of different shapes.
• Make a seismograph (grades 3–5). Can you measure a shake you can barely feel? Build a hanging-pen recorder, and compare the lines from a door closing, a jump and a dropped book.

Light, shadows and sky

• Shadow tracker (grades K–2). How does your shadow change through the day? Measure the shadow of the same stick every hour, then repeat a month later. Alaska's changing daylight makes this dramatic.
• What fools a compass? (grades K–2). Which everyday things pull a compass needle away from north? Move objects closer to a compass, and measure how close each one gets before the needle moves.
• Best angle for the sun (grades 3–5). What angle collects the most sunlight in Alaska? Tilt a small solar panel at different angles and record the meter reading. Keep any wiring insulated.

Things that move and fly

• Paper spinners (grades K–2). What makes a paper spinner fall slowest? Change the wing length or paper type, drop each from the same height, and time it.
• Wind power (grades 3–5). How many blades make the best wind turbine? Build a pinwheel turbine in front of a shielded fan, and time how fast it lifts a small weight.

Tiny animals

• Pill bug choices (grades K–2). Do pill bugs prefer dark or light, wet or dry? Make a two-sided box, count where they go, then gently return them outside. Show photos only.

Computers and math

• Maze robot (grades 3–5). Which rule solves a maze fastest? Program a sprite in Scratch to follow different rules, such as always turning right, and compare the steps on many mazes.
• Is the game fair? (grades 3–5). Do some totals come up more often with two dice? Predict the results, roll 200 times, graph them, and explain the pattern.

Not sure if your idea is okay? Email [email protected]. See the Elementary Project Information and checklist for all the rules.