[5th Grade Elementary School] Independent Research Themes & Crafts | A Collection of Ideas That Lead to Learning

Camera craft

[Independent Research] Projecting an Inverted Real Image with a DIY Camera!

Let’s try making a camera using a milk carton.

A camera is handy for taking photos and preserving memories.

It’s a simple version, but you can make it yourself.

You’ll use a milk carton, a plastic bag, a magnifying glass to act as a lens, and black construction paper.

First, cut off the top and bottom of the milk carton.

On one end, fold the edges inward about 1 cm on all four sides, then cover it with a cut piece of plastic bag and secure it.

Next, make a tube out of black construction paper that’s just a little larger than the milk carton, and fold in the edges on one end in the same way.

Fix the magnifying glass there, and then insert the milk carton you prepared earlier into the inside of the tube to finish.

Take it outside and experiment to see how it looks!

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Experiment to make butter

Experiment to Make Butter – High School Biology Lab

Butter makes all sorts of foods delicious—spread on bread, melted over baked potatoes, and more.

Did you know it can actually be made with a very simple process? The main steps are to pour chilled heavy cream into a sterilized container and shake it vigorously for 15 minutes.

The liquid will separate and turn into solids—the solid part is unsalted butter.

Mix in salt, and you’ve got butter! Shaking for 15 minutes is surprisingly hard work, so it might be a good idea to do it while watching TV.

Let’s also summarize why butter forms in the first place.

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Let’s make a leaf vein specimen

[BCS Project] Let’s Make Leaf Vein Specimens! / Suzukake Science Day 2021

Let’s make a leaf vein specimen using leaves you can find around you.

First, bring water with 3 tablespoons of baking soda to a boil and add the leaves.

Simmer for about 15 minutes, then when the water turns brown and the leaves become limp, remove the leaves.

This softens the pigments other than the veins.

Next, rinse the leaves under running water and gently tap them with a toothbrush to scrape away everything except the veins.

Be sure to choose sturdy, relatively tough leaves for this experiment.

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sasashina

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pH measurement using vegetables

[Choko-Try] Science Experiment You Can Do at Home: Measuring pH Using Vegetables

Let’s try a pH measurement experiment that tells you whether a liquid is alkaline or acidic.

For preparation, shred some red cabbage the day before and freeze it.

On the day of the experiment, knead it well in water to make purple cabbage water.

This colored water actually contains a pigment called anthocyanin that reacts to pH.

In the experiment, add the liquid you want to test to this colored water and observe the color change.

It turns red if acidic, purple if neutral, and blue or yellow if alkaline.

Gather different liquids and give it a try!

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sasashina

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The World of Masks

[Elementary School Craft] The World of Masks

Why not make a free-form mask and transform into a different persona? It would be so much fun to express your emotions—fear, joy, and more—by turning them into a mask.

First, punch holes where the eyes go in a sheet of colored construction paper in your favorite color.

It’s also fine to have no holes at all, and to use any shapes you like.

Then freely cut out facial features, fangs, horns, and more from origami paper, and attach them with cellophane tape.

Finally, draw patterns with a felt-tip pen to finish.

It sounds really fun to express your transformed self with a mask, doesn’t it?

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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Handmade toy from an empty snack box

[Elementary School Summer Vacation Crafts/Independent Research] Handmade Toys Using Empty Snack Boxes 🌻 #SummerVacationCrafts #IndependentResearch #Crafts #EasyCrafts #PlayAtHome #HandmadeToys #DIY

Make it with an empty snack box! Here’s how to create a pom‑pom shooting game! First, prepare an empty box that once held something like Choco Pie.

Reinforce the back by attaching a wooden stick so the lid can stay open.

Next, glue wooden sticks to the top and bottom of a wooden clip and wrap a rubber band around it.

Attach a plastic bottle cap to one end, and fix the other end to the back of the box.

Finally, stick a few small paper cups inside the box wherever you like, and you’re done.

Set a cotton ball in the bottle cap and launch it with a pop—have fun playing!

Original watch

[Elementary School Craft] Original Clock

Why not try making a one-of-a-kind original clock using a DIY clock kit? First, draw diagonal lines on a canvas board and drill a hole where the lines intersect to attach the movement.

Sketch a few ideas, then paint your design with acrylic gouache based on those sketches.

To make the numbers stand out, you can create them with paper clay.

If you prepare a template that divides a circle into 12 equal parts, it will be easier to decide the placement of the numbers.

Once you finish painting, attach the movement through the hole you prepared in advance.

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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