Elementary Science Fair Projects

Tips for elementary science fair projects displays and presentation

How you display your elementary science fair projects is very important as it shows just how much work you’ve put into the project. For the display, you will need anything that you have that represents your elementary science fair projects, including the backboard, the project report, models that you may have constructed, items studied, reports, pictures, surveys etc.

You must make sure that the display is attractive and interesting. There should be enough details, but you also should make sure the judges are not overloaded with or distracted by information. You want to make sure that the display shows the judges all that they need to know. A poor display could ruin all the hard work that you’ve done.

The Title

Select the title of your elementary science fair projects carefully. Keep it short and simple. This will enable the title to catch the attention of the viewer. The title should be displayed in a font that is large enough to be read at a distance of about 3 feet. You may want to purchase self-sticking letters to create the title. This can be obtained at DIY or office supplies stores. If you want to keep costs to a minimum, you can also make the letters out of construction paper. You can also print your titles with a computer and a printer. Be creative!

The display board

Check that you comply with the stipulated size and shape of the display board.

Check what the maximum measurements are – your display can be smaller than this. A three-sided board is usually the best way to put up your display. There are various materials that you can use to construct your display board such as sturdy cardboard or wooden panels. Some DIY or office supplies stores may also sell pre-made display boards. Alternatively, you can also check out science supply companies. Pre-made display boards will usually come only in white and black. You can change the colors by using paper or cloth to cover the board. When putting up items on the board, choose you colors carefully to make sure that what stands out are the materials rather than the background colors itself. If you are unsure as to what colors to use, stick to neutral pastel colors.

The Content

Check to see if there are rules about the position of the information on your display board. For instance, the rules may require that the science project title has to be centralized or has to be of a certain font size. You may also be required to have certain headings.

Other General Display Tips

1. Make sure that all lines and edges are straight. Crooked displays tell the judges that you are a sloppy person. And a good scientist is never sloppy!

2. Lay your letters on the display board first to see how it looks before sticking them on. Make sure that your letters are displayed in a straight line. You should use a ruler and draw a straight line first as a guide before you stick the letters on. Make sure that the bottom of each letter lines up properly against the rest.

3. Use large fonts for the project title and smaller fonts for each of the headings. For the headings, you can also use a different color from the rest of your text. However, you should not use too many colors otherwise the judges will be distracted. Most of the ordinary text should be black in color.

4. Make sure that your wiring and electrical plugs comply with all safety standards. Get help from an adult for this.

5. Pack a kit of stationery comprising of coloured pencils, markers, erasers, felt pens, glue, tape, paint etc – basically anything that you may need to do last minute touch ups to your project display.

This science experiment allows you to learn first-hand the force of water!

What do you need?

• Half gallon paper milk carton (empty and washed out)
• Gallon of water
• Awl or 10p nail
• Masking tape
• Ruler
• Magic marker
• Pair of scissors
• Pad of paper and pencil to make notes

What to do?

1. Cut off the top of the milk carton.
   • From the bottom of the milk carton, measure up 1/2 inch and using the awl or 10p nail punch a single hole in the center of the side of the carton
   • Measure up one inch from the bottom and punch another hole in the center.
   • Measure up two inches from the bottom and punch a third hole directly above the other two holes.
   • Measure up four inches from the bottom and punch a final hole in the center of the side.
   • NOTE: All holes should be the same size.
   • Take a long piece of tape and tape up all four of the holes.
2. Put the carton on the edge of the sink with the side with the holes pointing toward the sink.
3. Mark a line on the carton near the top. Always fill or refill the milk carton with water to that line.
4. Quickly remove the tape that’s covering all the four holes. Watch what happens. Measure how far away each of the streams hits the sink.
5. Let all the water empty out. Watch what happens as the water level drops. What happens to the streams of water?
6. Now tape up all holes. Put the carton back on the sink edge. Refill the carton and remove the bottom tape. Measure how far out the stream goes. Retape the hole, and untape the next hole up; measure how far away the stream goes. Refill the carton with water. Retape the second hole and untape the third hole; measure how far away the stream goes. Refill the carton with water to the same level as before. Retape the third hole and untape the fourth hole; measure how far away the stream goes.

What you’ll discover!

How far away did the streams of water fall from the carton. Was there a difference between the stream from the water from hole the bottom than at the top?

Here’s why? Water has weight. The closer to the bottom of the carton, the more water is above and the more weight is pressing down from above. The more weight, the more water pressure. And the more water pressure, the further away the stream will go and the faster it will go.

Hydroelectric facilities are built at the base of dams to take advantage of the high pressure of the water at the bottom of a reservoir. The water pressure is funneled through a tunnel through the dam called a penstock. The water then is focussed on the blades of a turbine. Water pressure of the water turns the turbine, and the turbine turns a generator making electricity.

Disclaimer and Safety Precautions

Education.com provides the Science Fair Project Ideas for informational purposes only. Education.com does not make any guarantee or representation regarding the Science Fair Project Ideas and is not responsible or liable for any loss or damage, directly or indirectly, caused by your use of such information. By accessing the Science Fair Project Ideas, you waive and renounce any claims against Education.com that arise thereof. In addition, your access to Education.com’s website and Science Fair Project Ideas is covered by Education.com’s Privacy Policy and site Terms of Use, which include limitations on Education.com’s liability.

Warning is hereby given that not all Project Ideas are appropriate for all individuals or in all circumstances. Implementation of any Science Project Idea should be undertaken only in appropriate settings and with appropriate parental or other supervision. Reading and following the safety precautions of all materials used in a project is the sole responsibility of each individual. For further information, consult your state’s handbook of Science Safety.

Are your school’s elementary science fair projects due soon? Let me guess. When your teacher told you about the science fair you got all excited.

You really wanted to enter something and maybe even (gasp!) win. Maybe you went home and told your mom about it, you were so excited.

But then you forgot all about it. And when the science fair came around, uh-oh. What do we do? We have no clue!

So what do you do?

Well, you’ve come to the right place!

We are here to guide you through the easy steps for good elementary science fair projects that is just right for elementary kids. Just follow these ten steps and you’re on your way.

. by the way, it’s not too difficult — it can even be (gasp!) fun to learn something. We highly recommend you read through this page first before scrolling to the project links at the bottom. Follow these steps and you’ll have a great chance of doing well!

The Scientific Method: An Elementary Science Fair Project Necessity

We’ve boiled down these steps (called the “scientific method”) to four categories for all elementary science fair projects.

1. Preparation
2. Project
3. Paper
4. Presentation

These four steps make it easier to understand the many steps listed below. That’s why we used the steps above. We want to make it as easy as possible!

Although this is the easy version.

. read the ten steps below before you start anyway. Please don’t skip what follows. It’s important to read everything on this page. Here they are.

First, choose a topic that interests you. Find good elementary science fair projects that you think are interesting and choose one. A good project needs to be something exciting, something that you won’t “hafta do” and something that will make you jump and shout when you win that blue ribbon!

Second, research your topic. This may sound scary, but it could be as easy as talking to an adult about the topic. You may want to do a search on the internet for your subject as well as go to the library and find books about it too.

To help you with your research we’ll give you a question to get you started.

Why does popcorn pop in the first place?

This question is just to get you started. It leads to the next step.

Third, develop an important question. This one will be what your project is all about. Your whole project should have this idea in it. You should come up with a question that you can test. Write down this question because you’ll need it later.

For example: From the food elementary science fair project idea.

Which method of wrapping a sandwich is best?

Don’t forget. Your whole project will use this question. So don’t forget to write it down!

Fourth, guess the answer to the question. This guess is called your hypothesis. Don’t let this word scare you. It only means the answer that you guessed about your important question. In fact you should write it down next to your important question. Don’t change it! Even if during the experiment you think it’s wrong, don’t change it!

Fifth, list the things you need to test the question you have chosen. You will want to write this list. It serves two purposes.

First, you will use it later when you make a display.

Second, it helps make sure you don’t forget something when you do the next steps.

1. Popcorn
2. Hotair popper
3. Stovetop
4. Measuring spoon
5. Butter
6. An adult to help you

Sixth, gather the items on your list. If you think the project is too hard, this is where to stop and find another. Pretty much, you won’t be able to look back from here.

Seventh, Test that important question. Do as much as safely possible having someone older help with anything that may be hard to do. Take lots of photos. You guessed right, you’ll use them later.

Eighth, write the results. You will use them later as well.

Ninth, write the report. Do this the way your school requires. Pay special attention to the science fair guidelines you received. If you were not given specific requirements, write one or two paragraphs per grade level. If you need help, use some of these sentence starters.

My science fair project is about__.

I wanted to find out __.

I guessed __.

I tested it by___.

My guess was___.

I learned___.

It’s important that you include your question, hypothesis and results. Don’t forget these. Without them elementary science fair projects would just be. projects!

Make sure to include at least one graph or chart if your project lets you do that. Judges love to see graphs and charts. So try to include one if at all possible.

Tenth, prepare the science fair project display. Now, gather everything you wrote down. Type or neatly copy the things you wrote. You will want to buy or make a display board that fits the dimensions your school requires. Make labels with the words “question,” “hypothesis,” “supplies,” “test,” “results,” and “report” on them.

Practice different layouts. Find a layout that you like. Neatly attach the titles, pages, and photos to the science fair project display. Prepare any samples to set on the table in front of your display. If your school requires a speech, practice telling what you did several times. And enjoy the science fair. Be a good sportsman.

For layout ideas, display information, help for your report and all other things science fair click here. We’re sure you’ll find many great elementary science fair projects here to do. And hopefully you’ll find one that will help you win!

Where To Go From Here

Follow these simple rules and you’re on your way to science fair success. Scroll down and click on the links below to explore the world of elementary science fair projects!

Sponsored Projects:
Sponsored Projects All Grades All Grades

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Need it Fast?

Select from the projects that are in bold font.

Select your science project topic and then click on that to access the introduction page. The introduction page of a project will help you decide if you want to view the project guide.

If a click on project name does not bring up the introduction page, then no project guide is available for the project or the project guide is not complete.

Recently added project ideas do not have an active link, so you cannot click on them.

Can’t find your project?

If you have a new science project idea that is not listed here, we can assign you a dedicated project advisor to help you on gathering information and designing experiments.

Suggested projects are highlighted.

DISPLAY AND EXPERIMENTAL

Included are sample topics for making models or conducting demonstrations. These should be level 3 projects. Some personal input is needed to avoid just a display project.

141. Water Purification
142. Ultra Violet Radiation from the Sun [Exp]
143. Reserved
144. Reserved

GRADES 4-6 EXPERIMENTAL PROJECTS

4. Compare electromagnets for strength. [Exp * ]

6. Compare wires for conductivity.

1. Day Length – Why the day length changes in different days of the year? Calculate or record length of days and nights over a period of time; what effects do the changes have on things like household plants, pets, etc.

2. Air Movement – Is air in your house the same temperature at floor level and near the ceiling? How could you spread heat more evenly through the house?

3. Dew – Does it form on clear or cloudy nights? What other frost factors increase the amount of dew? Can you measure how much dew is formed in a square meter.

4. Temperature. – How does the temperature change during the day? What time is usually the warmest? Can you construct your own thermometer to keep your own records.

5. Rain – How does a rain gauge work? Measure the rainfall over a period of time and compare it with the daily weather reports. – Principles of cloud seeding and other weather modification.

51. Plant and animal life in the school grounds
52. Plants and animal life in a creek or stream
53. Plants and animal life in a grassy field
54. Plants and animal life in a tree
55. Plants and animal life in a home garden
56. Plants and animal life in a balanced aquarium
57. Plants and animal life during winter x

(Quick) = Projects that can generally be completed in one to 7 days if you have access to all the necessary material or equipment.

coming soon* = Projects that are being added in future. Members can request expedition of such projects.

This website is maintained by ScienceProject Corp.
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Animals are great subjects for science fair projects, particularly if you have a pet or an interest in zoology. Do you want to do a science fair project with your pet or another type of animal? Here is a collection of ideas that you can use for your project.

• Are insects attracted to/repelled by a magnet? Does the presence of a magnetic field affect egg hatching rates of insect or other animal eggs?
• Do pet fish have a color preference for their food? (This assumes you can separate out the colors of a food.) Do pet birds have a color preference for their toys?
• What type of soil do earthworms prefer?
• What natural substances repel insect pests? Examples of insects to test include mosquitoes, ants or flies.
• On a related note, what substances might be used to attract and trap flies, beetles or other pests?
• Do animals display handedness (right-handed, left-handed) like humans? You can test this with a cat and a toy, for example.
• Are cockroaches (or other insects or creatures) attracted to or repelled by light? You probably already suspect cockroaches prefer dark. What other stimuli could you test? Does it matter if it is white light or would you get the same response from specific colors of light? You could test other types of stimuli, such as music, noise, vibration, heat, cold. You get the idea.
• An advanced version of the cockroach project is to select insects that don’t run from light (for example). If you allow these insects to mate and keep selecting progeny that doesn’t evade light, can you obtain a culture of cockroaches that don’t mind light?
• Test household insect repellents. Are there any species against which they are ineffective?
• Can dogs or cats or birds hear ultrasonic insect and rodent repellent devices?
• Can cats hear a dog whistle?
• Are cats equally interested in different laser colors besides the “red dot”?
• What methods serve to disrupt the chemical trail that ants follow?
• How many nematodes (roundworms) are there in a soil sample from your backyard? What are the pros and cons of having these organisms in the soil?
• Do hummingbirds have a color preference for their food?
• What type of light attracts the most moths?
• Does catnip repel insects? If so, which types?
• Which types of animal fossils are present in your area? What does this tell you about the climate and ecology in the past?

Know the Rules

Before you start any science fair project involving animals, make sure it is okay with your school or whoever is in charge of the science fair. Projects with animals may be prohibited or they may require special approval or permission. It’s better to make sure your project is acceptable before you get to work! Some animals may be allowed on school grounds, but most either won’t be allowed or shouldn’t be brought in because they may pose a risk to students or the facility. Even organisms that aren’t dangerous may causes allergies in some students.

A Note on Ethics

Science fairs that allow projects with animals will expect you to treat the animals in an ethical manner. The safest type of project is one which involves observing natural behavior of animals or, in the case of pets, interacting with animals in a usual manner. Don’t do science fair project that involves harming or killing an animal or puts an animal at risk for injury. As an example, it may be fine to examine data on how much of an earthworm can be cut before the worm becomes unable to regenerate and dies. Actually performing such an experiment probably won’t be allowed for most science fairs. In any case, there are lots of projects you can do that don’t involve ethical concerns.

Take Pictures and Video

You may be unable to bring your animal science fair project to the school or otherwise put it on display, yet you’ll want visual aids for your presentation. Take lots of pictures of your project. Video is another great way to document animal behavior. For some projects, you may be able to bring in preserved specimens or examples of fur or feathers, etc.

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This science fair project water experiment is bound to make waves! You will learn about what water does when it is frozen. So.

. jump right in. The water’s great!

Time – Give yourself about three or four days to do this one.

1. Two types of water (fresh and salt water work great!)
2. Cups
3. Freezer
4. Measuring cup
5. Labels
6. Camera
7. Cardboard for display (three sided)
8. Glue
9. Paper
10. Computer (optional)

Here’s a water science fair project!

Preparation

It’s always important to ask questions. In science it’s even more important. So.

. let’s ask some questions about water.

Here are some important questions to get you started. These aren’t your most important question, though. We’ll ask the big question later.

See if you can add to this list for this science fair project water experiment.

What is water used for?
How can we get it?
How is all wate alike?
What are some ways different types of water are different?

Try to answer these as best you can.

We ask the most important question.

Which water freezes faster?

This is a good question because we can try it out in a freezer at home. But don’t try it yet. We need to answer our important question first!

Let’s do that now.

What do you think will happen?

Write it down on a piece of paper. Don’t change it until you see what the water in the freezer does first. We call this guess our hypothesis.

Now it’s time to get your stuff from the list above. Let’s move to the next step.

Project

. let’s do this science fair project water experiment! Get your two types of water. Salt water and fresh work the best. With the measuring cup, put the same exact amount of water in both cups. Be careful at this point. Putting different amounts of water in the cups could ruin the experiment.

It should look like this.

Carefully label the cups. You may want to label them with numbers. Now make a chart that looks something like this.

Set the cups in the freezer. Every hour check the water and what it does, and write down what you notice. Don’t forget to take lots of pictures of this part. Pictures show you did your own work.

You may want to use your mom’s kitchen timer (ask first!) to help you keep track of the time. Be faithful to check your cups every hour.

And don’t forget to write down what you see!

Paper

. let’s make the graph!

Make a graph using the information you put on your chart. Don’t forget.

Judges like graphs. So here’s an idea for your graph of this project.

It’s time to tell what you’ve noticed. Write a report about what you saw.

You should include.

1. What you guessed about the two kinds of water.
2. What you did with the water.
3. Which water froze faster, salt or fresh water.
4. If your guess was correct about the two types of water.

Be careful to obey all the school rules for your science fair project water report. Two paragraphs per grade level will do if you weren’t given how long it should be.

Presentation

Now you get to make the display!

Carefully put three pieces of cardboard together so it looks like this.

If you want more information about displays and other tips and hints click here. You can also buy displays at many retail stores as well. However you do it, make sure you follow science fair rules!

Now, on a piece of paper neatly write your important question and your guess. If you would like, type it. You might get style points!

Now, just like you did your important question, write (or type) your supply list on a separate piece of paper.

Paste your guess, supply list and report onto your display board along with any pictures you might have taken. Make sure you label each so the judges know what is what. Making sure everything looks good is important!

If you want to get some ideas for your display we have some examples for you. Just click here for examples for your science fair project water experiment displays.

Try playing with some of the display ideas you see. You don’t have to use the exact ones we use. Make them fun! Be creative!

And don’t forget to name your project at the top of the display board. You may want to use your important question as the title. You may want to purchase stencils to make cutouts of letters. Or you may purchase already made letters at many retail stores.

Whatever you do, have fun with your science fair project water experiment!

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Overhead Projector Techniques

If you’re the spokesperson for a particular project at your organization, presentations will come up. The knowledge you have on the subject is the reason you were chosen for the presentation, so it’s important to make a good impression. An effective presentation board displays interesting and relevant data, without overwhelming your audience with all of the information. By providing quick facts and key points, you gain the attention and interest of co-workers and supervisors alike. If further explanation is needed, present it orally.

Get a sheet of paper to sketch your layout. Fold the paper into three sections, like your presentation board.

Decide how many pieces of information to put on the board and where to place them. Don’t fill the entire board; it may look too sloppy. Leave the entire right section of the board blank.

Prepare information or pictures to fill the spaces you have laid out. Choose the most relevant pieces and images. Print off pictures, charts and text from a computer. Print a title for your presentation for the top of your board.

Place your informational pieces onto the board. Spray the back of the piece, not the board, with spray adhesive. Smooth the pieces on the board with a ruler, eliminating bubbles or creases.

Write notes during the meeting on the blank right-hand side of the board. Engage the audience, ask for suggestions, and write them there. Even if you don’t need the suggestions, this helps keep the group engaged in your presentation.

Ashley Kurz, a full-time professional writer since 2009, publishes on various informational websites. An expert in the craft field specializing in craft-related topics, Kurz has taught arts and crafts for group therapy sessions.

Introduction: Creating a Classroom Bulletin Board

Hi! My name is Nancy Fisher. Working in a school, I see many decorative bulletin boards throughout the building. Creative bulletin boards can be an asset to any class, at any grade level. These displays provide endless possibilities for presenting material to learners of all ages. They serve as a way to reinforce material that has been presented.

The bulletin board that I created is made for the primary grade level. I started this project thinking that I would enjoy making a board about spring time. When I began thinking about the students, I came up with the idea of making a board to display spelling words. The final product is a decorative bulletin board that is not only bright and cheery, but it serves the purpose of teaching children their spelling words.

Thank you for allowing me to share my ideas with you.

DISCLAIMER: This project contains minimal risk of injury. As always, caution must be taken when using scissors and staplers. This project has been created for educational purposes. The materials used for this project may not be available in all areas. The purpose of this demonstration is to present an example. Nancy Fisher shall not be liable for any discrepancies between her sample and the learner’s finished product.

Step 1: Choose a Theme.

If you are having trouble choosing a theme, you may want to start your search for a theme by asking yourself some questions: What is the purpose of the bulletin board? Who are my learners? What do I want my students to learn? Will the bulletin board be used to reinforce learning? A bulletin board may be used to introduce lessons, reinforce learning, and add a decorative element to the classroom.

Step 2: Select a Color Palette.

Choose a background color as well as complementary colors for your bulletin board. Think about your learners and colors that appeal to them. Consider the topic, too. Bright colors may be appropriate for a lesson about summer. However, these colors might not be appropriate for a history lesson. For my project, I chose vibrant colors because these colors tend to appeal to young children who are at the grade level that would use this bulletin board.

Step 3: Make a Supply List.

Stapler (with staples)

Yardstick or Ruler

Removable Mounting Putty (or Double-Stick Tape if you prefer) — Any mounting material such as the putty may remove some of the material to which it is adhered.

Large Room Decor (pictures)

Before you shop for supplies, take inventory of what you already have. If you are a teacher, you may be able to use materials that other teachers no longer need. Consider reusing items that were part of previous projects.

Step 4: Go Shopping.

Now it’s time to purchase any items that you still need. Dollar stores can be excellent resources for teaching supplies. I purchased the wall borders, word strips, and pictures for this project at The Dollar Tree. Most teacher supply stores carry these items. Shopping online is a great option. Instead of using bulletin board paper for my background, I purchased wrapping paper to cut down on the expense.

Step 5: Arrange the Items.

Arrange the items the way you would like them to appear on the bulletin board. Rearrange as needed. Trim any items that need to be cropped. (I made the word strips smaller to fit more words on the board. Also, I trimmed the edges off the pictures of the flowers. Using the markers, I wrote the words on my word strips before adding them to the board.) Once you are satisfied with the arrangement, remove the items from the board. If you think you will have difficulty remembering the placement, take a picture prior to removal.

Step 6: Add the Wrapping Paper.

Measure the inside border of the frame. This will give you a measurement for the wrapping paper. Use this measurement to cut the wrapping paper. Staple the wrapping paper inside the frame (along the edges).

Step 7: Attach the Border.

Decide how you would like the border to be arranged. You may cover all four sides of the bulletin board, two sides, or use no border at all. For this sample project, borders will be on all four sides of the frame. Attach the border using removable mounting putty on the back of the border strips. If borders don’t fit exactly, trim the borders to the correct size prior to sticking them to the frame. The mounting putty will be between the border and the frame.

Step 8: Add Pictures and Words.

Put mounting putty on the back of the pictures and word strips to stick them to the part of the bulletin board that has been covered with wrapping paper. Rearrange items as you desire until you are satisfied with how it looks.

Step 9: The Finished Product

Your project is now complete. This bulletin board is just one example of the many themes that may be shown on bulletin boards. I hope this project inspires you to create your own original classroom bulletin board display.

In case you prefer to learn by watching a video, please watch the following video that I created while making the classroom bulletin board.

Be the First to Share

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When you think about ecosystem project ideas, do you immediately think about dioramas in a shoebox, like this one I found on Pinterest?

Don’t get me wrong, dioramas are a great way for students to demonstrate their learning but it’s also the most common way. If you are like me, you are always looking for unique ways for students to express what they learned. That’s why I have a variety of ecosystem project ideas!

10 Ecosystem Project Ideas

Create Your Own Ecosystems or Habitats.

Have your students work in groups, research, and then create an ecosystem together. It can be something as simple as collecting pond water, organisms, and plants. You could also have students create individual habitats instead of an entire ecosystem. We created our own habitats and the students really enjoyed it. Together we discussed the importance of meeting our living things’ needs and a healthy environment. We had a habitat for ants, fish, worms, and so much more.

Create a Flap Book.

Provide students with a 12 x 9 strip of construction paper and several index cards (one per ecosystem you are studying). Have students name, draw, and color the ecosystem on the outside of the index card, and on the inside provide valuable information about the ecosystem inside. When you are done, it will look like this:

Create an Imaginary Ecosystem.

Have students create their own ecosystem but still requiring the characteristics of ecosystems such as needing to have both living and nonliving factors, populations, communities, and so on. Have students determine the food chains and much more. It will definitely require some creative thinking on their part, but it will definitely be fun!

Create an Ecosystem Mobile.

Students love creating mobiles and they make for a cute display. If you can’t find hangers to make mobiles, you can easily use other materials such as sticks (yes, sticks from trees.), dowels (found in craft stores), or paper towel rolls. When creating an ecosystem mobile, you can have students again use index cards like in the example above, designing the outside and describing the ecosystem on the inside. You could also have students get creative and design something that represents that ecosystem, such as a raindrop for the rainforest. Students will love this ecosystem project idea!

Read Around the Room.

Set out many books about ecosystems around the room and students are sure to get excited! Have different locations representing different ecosystems and then move students around from station to station. If you want, you can have a student record in a chart or on one big piece of chart paper what they learned about that ecosystem. There are many great books out there on ecosystems.

Create a Scavenger Hunt.

What student doesn’t love a scavenger hunt? To create an ecosystem scavenger hunt, you would just place information about each ecosystem around your room in different locations. For instance in one spot you may have information about deserts and in another location information about grasslands. Then create a few questions for students to answer regarding each ecosystem. Students move around the room reading about each ecosystem and hunt for those questions. It’s a great way to sneak in some reading and just another ecosystem project idea.

Create an Accordion Book.

Can you tell I’m a crafty, foldable kind of gal? I just love hands-on activities and foldables. I think I wrote about this a little in my Going Wild for Ecosystems post. Drag out some construction paper or copy paper and have students fold it in half. Then have them draw the ecosystem at the top and write about its characteristics at the bottom of the half sheet. (See image below).

Do this with each half for however number of ecosystems you are studying. Then connect them all by gluing them (or taping) side by side. (see image above).

Create a Circle Book.

Are you looking for an ecosystem project idea that is easy-peasy? These circle books have been my latest obsession. I’ve even got some created that I haven’t uploaded yet! But just like any of the above, you don’t have to head to my store to purchase them, you could easily create them yourself! Provide each student with one circle per ecosystem you would like them to represent. Then on each circle have them illustrate the ecosystem on the top and describe its characteristics on the bottom. (Sensing a theme?) Then fold each circle in half back to back and glue them together to form your ecosystem circle book.

Project Based Learning.

Are you looking for a way to get in a little PBL? Why not have students design their own ecosystem zoo? (This is a shameless plug!) This project integrates area, perimeter, geometry, and STEM learning in your science classroom. Students work through a series of steps, including research, to design and build a model of their own ecosystem zoo! It’s differentiated and can easily be adapted!

Triboard Display.

Why not have your students create a display similar to a science fair? In this display, students would take a regular file folder (see image below) and attach pieces that describe the landscape, climate, plants, animals, and food chain/web of the ecosystem. Then have students place a world map in the middle and color all the locations in the world where their ecosystem can be found. This can also be done on a larger scale with an actual tri board.

Complete guide to get hands on with Dash framework.

Plotly has come up with a new framework called Dash which allows users to create interactive dashboards with visualizations capabilities powered by plotly express. Dash core components are used as building blocks for each application are quite exhaustive in terms of attributes. You can give a face to your Python application with it in no time.

Getting started with Dash

As an example we are building a simple dashboard to display IPL stats (runs scored, wickets taken) for each player through graphs. This will give you a basic understanding of applying Python dash framework which cloud be scaled further. You can download the IPL dataset from here.

You need to make sure that you have dash, plotly and pandas libraries installed in the machine. If not, you can simply do that by executing the below lines in command prompt after CD into the python installation folder or if you are working on Anaconda, just open the Anaconda prompt and execute the following lines.

Dash will be the most prominent of the 3 libraries as this will be instrumental in rendering the dashboard on the browser. Plotly will be used to create graphs. Lastly, we will use pandas for data manipulation.

Apart from this, you will also need very basic HTML and CSS which you can pick up on the go like me.

Creating the dashboard skeleton

Alright, let’s dive in then. Let’s first create our sections (HTML div) on the dashboard where we will place dash components for our app. We need one section for dash dropdown on the top and two parallel sections for displaying the dash graphs. In addition to this, we will encapsulate every section into one big section which will encompass our complete viewport.

Adding interactivity to dashboard

Now that skeleton for dashboard is ready, let’s work on creating its soul to make it interactive. For that first we need to add an id attribute to all our dash components. This will give each component a unique identifier which will be used to take input and display output on the dashboard. Apart from that we will use few more attributes which are available for dropdown like clearable, placeholder, value and options. You can look at all the attributes available for dash core components here.

To add interactivity dash offers a callback function that allows us to interact with components on the dashboard. The callback function takes input and throws output using the dash dependencies class. We can take multiple inputs from a dashboard using each dash component’s id and property attributes and similarly can render output using the same as well. We will see this in the code in detail. The limitation is — there can be only one callback function. However, we can call multiple functions inside this callback function.
Hence, we have defined two functions to render the plotly graphs. We will be calling these functions from our callback function.

So, now let’s look at how to apply the same in Python.

We have made a few changes from our skeleton version in the CSS to enhance the look and feel like removing the border, changing the background color etc.

Deploying the dashboard on the web:

There are multiple ways to deploy this dash app on the web. However, we selected Heroku for the same. For this, you need the below things.

1. Account on Git (Sign up).

2. Git bash installed on your machine.

3. Account on Heroku (Sign up)

4. Download Heroku CLI from here.

5. Optional yet helpful — Pycharm/Visual Studio installed on your computer.

Once you have set up the above resources follow the step-by-step process below.

• Login to Heroku and click on – Create New App.
• Give a name for your app and click – Create app.
• Now, you need to create a new project in Pycharm/Visual Studio, in case you don’t have it, don’t worry. You just need to create one folder and place the files we will create in further steps in the folder.
• Open the project path and add the .py file into the project folder. This file will contain all the Python code.
• In your .py file under app = dash.Dash(__name__) add this line: server = app.server
• Open terminal/command prompt, and CD into your project folder.
• Pip install all libraries with specific versions your .py file needs to run.

• Create a file in the project folder and name it .gitignore .

Go back to the terminal/command prompt and run the following commands.

• pip freeze > requirements.txt
• heroku login
• git init
• heroku git:remote -a yourHerokuAppName

Congratulations. you have deployed your Dash app on the web. You can share the Heroku app URL to present the app to anyone. This offers an incredible solution to display reports or give an interface to your Python programs which users/clients can interact with.

Happy coding, have fun and stay healthy. And, in case you face any issues while applying it – I am just a comment away.

Can you make an egg float in water? In this simple science experiment, we take just a few minutes to test the laws of density and discover just how easy it is to make an egg float!

Below you’ll find detailed instructions and our demonstration video as well as the scientific explanation of “why it works.” We’ve also included a more ideas to explore the concept a bit further.

Supplies Needed

• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tall Drinking Glass
• Salt
• Water

Floating Egg SCIENCE EXPERIMENT INSTRUCTIONS

Experiment Setup – Start with some observations about the eggs. Note that they are both raw eggs and have a similar size and weight. Then ask some questions. Do you think that the eggs will sink or float when placed in water? Do you think it’s possible to make them float? If so, how? Write down your hypothesis (prediction) and then follow the steps below.

Step 1 – Fill a tall drinking glass about 3/4 full of water and carefully place the egg into the glass. What happens to the egg? That’s right, it sinks to the bottom.

Did you know there is a way to make it float? Continue on in the experiment to find out how.

Step 2 – Fill another tall drinking glass about 3/4 full of water.

Step 3 – Add 3 Tablespoons of salt to the water and stir until it is completely combined. What do you think will happen if you place the egg into the glass with the salt water? Write down your hypothesis (prediction) and then test it to see if you were right.

Step 5 – Next carefully place the second egg into the glass with the salt water. What happens to the egg? That’s right, it floats. Take a moment to make some observations. Why do you think one egg sinks and the other egg floats?

Find out the answer in the how does this experiment work section below.

Video Tutorial

Watch the Floating Egg Science Experiment Step by Step Instructions

How Does the Floating Egg Science Experiment Work

Why does the egg sink in regular tap water, but float in saltwater? The answer lies in the density of water!

Density is a measure of the mass per unit volume of a substance. Simply said, how much “stuff” in a given volume. Water has a density of 1 g/mL (g/cm3). Objects will float in water if their density is less than 1 g/mL. Objects will sink in water if their density is greater than 1 g/mL.

The egg will sink in regular tap water because the density of the egg is greater than the density of water. The egg’s density is only slightly higher than water at 1.03 g/mL, but that is enough to make the egg sink.

When you add salt to the water, you are increasing the density of the water by adding more mass (or stuff) in the given volume. You don’t really change the volume of the water by adding salt. By adding enough salt, you increase the density of the water so that it is higher than the density of the egg and the egg will float!

Other Ideas to Try

Try this experiment again, but instead of using an egg use a potato slice or a carrot slice. You will have to play around with the amount of salt you add to the water because all objects have their own unique density. Add salt a tablespoon at a time and mix well until you cannot see any salt in the solution, then add your object to see if it floats or sinks. Remove your object and keep adding salt until you can get your object to float. To make it a true science experiment, create a data table to keep track of how much salt you add to the solution.

I hope you enjoyed the experiment. Here are some printable instructions.

Entomologist supplies: insect collecting & mounting for kids & pros.

Find top-selling science products based on your child’s age and interests. It’s as easy as 1-2-3!

Studying insects is many kids’ first foray into science education , specifically biology, and it’s easy to see why! What they lack in size, bugs make up for in intriguing characteristics. Centipedes have dozens of feet. Ants can carry many times their own weight. Caterpillars turn into butterflies, and fireflies light up. Your student may want to collect insects to study their features up close!

We want to help you encourage young learners’ natural curiosity about bugs. Entomology , or the science of studying insects, is a branch of zoology. Here, you can shop for entomology supplies: insect collection , identification, and display tools. How about some tweezers ( forceps ) or an insect and butterfly spreading board ? Spark their curiosity even further with and insect mounting supplies so they can show off their collection in a Riker mount storage box .

Armed with insect collecting supplies , you can peek into the world of insects. Discover life cycles, camouflage, locomotion, and more. Find insect collecting kits , collecting jars , spreading boards , books, display cases , pinning blocks, forceps —everything you need ! You can even learn how to create an insect collection here! What are you waiting for? Checkout!

Join our list for the latest on products, promotions, and experiments and receive FREE Economy Shipping on your first $50+ order

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Learn how to make an Arduino-controlled door lock system that uses a keypad!

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This project will show you how to make with Arduino and 16X2 LCD real time display from your computer.

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Now, you can control your light system in your home using your voice , by talking to your systems which to turn on and which to turn off

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To start your own collection of these beautiful Lepidoptera (the insect order that butterflies and moths belong to), you’ll need some basic collecting equipment. A sturdy butterfly net is essential, and a spreading board, insect pins, and a display case are helpful tools for making a quality collection.

How to Use a Butterfly Net

When trying to capture a butterfly with a net, move slowly until you are in range. Position the net under the insect, then swing your net upward and turn the handle so that the net flips over and the captured insect cannot escape. If you bring the net over the insect and down to the ground, raise the end of it so that the insect can fly to the closed top, then stick a container under the net and carefully move your butterfly down into it.

Identifying Butterflies & Moths

This step can come after you’ve brought the specimen home, but often it’s helpful to identify it right away, so you can remember where you found it. A field guide like the Butterflies & Moths Golden Guide can help you identify many common species, or you can try an Audubon guide with color photos of 600 species. Using a guide, find out what type of plant the caterpillar of that species eats, then check any of those plants in the area for tiny butterfly eggs on the underside of the leaves. (And come back later to see the caterpillars!) If you decide to identify your captures when you get home, make a note of where you found each one and what plant or flower it was feeding on.

The first step of the identification process is to determine whether your capture is a butterfly or a moth, the two groups of Lepidoptera. Sometimes they are very difficult to tell apart, but in general moths have plump, furry bodies, are more dull in color, are active at night, and have wings spread flat when resting. Butterflies, on the other hand, usually have smoother bodies, brighter colors, are active during the day, and fold their wings up over their backs when they land. Another important difference is their antennae – butterflies have slender antennae that form a club shape at the end. Moths tend to have feathery antennae and very few species have clubbed antennae.

How to Use a Killing Jar & Relaxing Jar

For all insects that you want to keep in a collection, the easiest way to kill them is to use a killing jar. You can make one of these by putting cotton balls soaked in rubbing alcohol or ethyl acetate (a more hazardous chemical – use caution!) into a glass jar. For best results, though, use ethyl acetate in a killing jar made for the purpose. The ethyl acetate will work more quickly than rubbing alcohol and the jar has a plaster cartridge to soak up the fluid so the insects don’t get wet.

Butterflies, because they are so fragile, sometimes batter themselves in a killing jar so it is better to first stun them by pinching their thorax – the central part of their body. It might take a little practice to get the method down just right, so try it out first on common moths or butterflies that you aren’t concerned about keeping for your collection. After you stun the butterfly, you can also carefully fold its wings over its back and put it in a glassine envelope.

Don’t leave the butterfly in the killing jar too long. Use forceps, if you have them, to carefully take the butterfly out. Either pin the butterfly immediately (see steps below) or store it, with wings folded, in a glassine envelope.

Before you spread the butterfly (unless it hasn’t yet stiffened), you need to to “relax” it. Make a relaxing chamber by setting a damp rag inside an airtight plastic container. Set the butterfly inside, cover it with 2-3 damp (not dripping) paper towels and close the lid. You can leave the butterfly inside the glassine envelope. The butterfly should soften in 2-3 days if you keep the cloth and paper towel damp. When the butterfly has relaxed enough for you to gently move its legs and antennae, it’s ready to be spread.

How to Use a Spreading Board

For butterflies and other large winged insects, you should use a spreading board and insect pins. Carefully insert a pin through the right side of the thorax. Pinch the thorax to spread the wings enough so you can pin it. Place the butterfly’s body in the groove on the board – it varies in width for different-sized insects. Gently press the wings down so they lie spread out flat, then put a thin strip of paper over each wing and pin the ends of the strip to the board. (Be careful not to pin through the wing itself.) This will hold the wings flat until they dry out. The drying process may take up to two weeks.

When the butterfly has dried, remove the paper strips, but don’t try to remove the pin through the thorax! Use that pin to mount it in a display case.

How to Mount a Butterfly

For any insect collection, it is essential to know the name for each insect that you find! With a good identification guide, you should be able to find the scientific and common name of each one. Write or print out a small tag (card stock or other thin cardboard works well) with the name, and attach it to the pin that you use to hold down your insect. You may also want to list the date and place where you found the insect (e.g., in the garden, April 13, 2005). If you can, collect two specimens of each species and mount one to show the colorful top of the wings and the other to show the more camouflaged underside of the wings.

Collecting butterflies is a fun and rewarding summer activity, and a mounted butterfly collection has both scientific and artistic value!