Recommended for 4th graders! A collection of easy self-study ideas to try
For independent study in fourth grade, I recommend first finding what your child is interested in.
When they learn about what they like, they can keep going and enjoy it.
Here, we introduce simple daily study ideas that are helpful for independent learning.
When children and adults learn together, it sparks more curiosity and makes learning more enjoyable.
Learning opens up new worlds and helps build confidence.
Please use this as a reference to find areas of interest and enjoy independent study!
Recommended for 4th Graders! A Collection of Easy Self-Study Ideas You Can Try (1–10)
Let’s make paper from various ingredients
Paper is something we’re always surrounded by—whether it’s notebooks or toilet paper, there are many types of paper closely tied to our daily lives.
This is a free research project that shines a spotlight on paper: let’s try making paper from food and other materials! First, use a blender or similar tool to grind the food into a fine paste.
If it’s hard to blend, try adding a little water.
Use a tofu container and a mesh net like those for sink strainers to press out the moisture, then let it dry for at least a day in a memo-pad size sheet.
Put together your results with photos: which foods turned into something paper-like, and which ones didn’t?
Let’s look into money!
By the time they’re in 4th grade, kids are using money more often—buying things with their allowance or running errands to the store.
How about taking a closer look at money, which we usually handle without thinking, as a theme for an independent research project? You could trace the history of money, summarizing how it has been used from ancient times to today and how its forms have changed.
You might also create a summary of the historical figures printed on banknotes.
In addition, consider including topics like the banknote manufacturing process and the measures used to prevent counterfeiting.
Cooking with an original recipe
By the time they’re in fifth grade, many kids handle knives well and start getting interested in cooking.
So why not try creating and making your own original recipe? First, think up a recipe that makes you say, “If I do this, it should be delicious!” and actually try cooking it.
If you summarize how the taste differed from what you imagined and what you could improve next time, it will make a great independent research project.
It’s also a good idea to grow summer vegetables in plastic bottles or planters and use them in your cooking.
If you’re using heat, be sure to work with an adult.
Solo Camping Experience
Here is an idea for an independent study project with the theme of solo camping, where children can have the valuable experience of spending time alone surrounded by nature.
By handling preparations, travel, and meals by themselves, children can enjoy an extraordinary experience and a sense of accomplishment.
In practice, they won’t actually stay completely alone—parents or guardians should watch from a distance or participate as the person filming the experience.
Travel to the campsite by bicycle or train, and upon arrival, set up a one-person tent.
Once you’ve lit a prepared fire pit using dry branches and charcoal, you can cook rice with solid fuel and heat up retort pouch foods.
At night, sleep in a sleeping bag and welcome the morning, completing a one-night, two-day overnight program.
pinhole camera
Let’s try making a pinhole camera, a classic for independent research projects.
A pinhole camera is a camera that forms an image using a tiny pinhole instead of a camera lens.
There are methods using a milk carton or a paper cup, and it’s surprisingly easy to make.
If you choose a pinhole camera for your project, after building it you should observe how the image actually appears, think about why it appears that way, and compile your findings into a report.
Programming
How about making “programming,” which has been a required subject in elementary schools since 2020, the theme of a free research project? When you hear programming, you might think of memorizing special command code and feel it’s difficult, but there are free tools that even children can learn with easily.
For example, Scratch, which is also popular as teaching material.
It’s free to use, and since you don’t have to type code, it’s fine even if you’re not good at typing.
You can program simply by selecting and stacking blocks that replace code from categories like “Events” and “Motion”! For junior high school students, after creating a program in Scratch, it might be a good idea to research and summarize what actual code would look like.
Cook home-style dishes from countries around the world
How about a tasty independent research project? In this project, you’ll explore home-cooked dishes from countries around the world.
Of course you’ll look into how they’re made and the ingredients, but it’s also important to think about what the dishes reveal about each country’s climate and culture.
Home cooking is extremely helpful for understanding a country’s people and their daily lives.
Someday, when you travel, the knowledge from your project will help bring you closer to that country.