Recommended for 4th graders! A collection of easy self-study ideas to try

Tofu making

[Easy] Homemade Tofu Making: Explaining How Tofu Sets (Coagulates)

Here’s how to make tofu, a beloved Japanese food that’s delicious both on its own and cooked.

Like a science experiment, you’ll learn why tofu solidifies while also enjoying the finished homemade tofu.

Heat soy milk in a pot to 75°C (167°F), then add nigari (magnesium chloride) and stir.

Cover and let it sit to steam for about 10 minutes, then transfer the solids into a mold lined with cloth.

Place a weight on top to remove excess moisture, then soak the block in water set in a bowl for about 20 minutes.

Your tofu is ready.

It’s also fun to make while learning that the liquid solidifies because the magnesium in the nigari binds with the proteins.

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mutō

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Let’s make an ultra-rich juice

Science independent research: an experiment to make concentrated juice

In summer, many people have probably experienced freezing a plastic bottle of sports drink and, when sipping the partially melted liquid, feeling that it tastes “stronger than usual!” Let’s make this phenomenon the theme of a science project: What mechanism causes it? The key is a phenomenon called freezing point depression.

Solutions containing substances like sugar freeze later and melt sooner than pure water.

Based on this, you can investigate and summarize how the perceived increase in flavor strength differs depending on the type of beverage you freeze.

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Hane Keisuke

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Plant dyeing with vegetables

Plant dyeing with onion skins: Let’s make handkerchiefs with different patterns

Would you like to try natural dyeing with vegetables? This time, let’s give onion dyeing a try.

First, as preparation, get a plain white towel and soak it in a mixture of 1 part soy milk to 2 parts water, then let it dry.

For the dye bath, place onion skins in a mesh bag and simmer for 20 minutes to make the dye.

Fold the towel and tie it with rubber bands—changing how you fold it and where you tie it creates different, interesting patterns.

Put the towel into the dye bath and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, then rinse with water and let it dry.

Finally, fix the color using a mordant solution, and you’re done! Why not enjoy this as a free research project by exploring different perspectives, such as variations in patterns, results without the initial prep or mordant, and differences in color depth depending on simmering time?

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sasashina

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Vegetable Stamp Art

I tried making veggie stamps!!!

Many people are probably looking for simple independent study projects or crafts for elementary school.

If that’s you, we recommend “Vegetable Stamps.” Cut various vegetables, apply ink to the cut surfaces, and make stamps.

Since each vegetable has a different cross-section, you could even turn it into a quiz-style research project.

It’s also fun to use the stamps you make to create pictures.

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Saitō Ayumu

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Clean a 10-yen coin using food

[Experiment] Which seasoning makes a 10-yen coin shine the most?

Sometimes you come across a shiny coin, right? Why does that make us feel happy? Let’s try making a “gleaming 10-yen coin” while experimenting! It wouldn’t be very interesting to just use detergent to make a 10-yen coin shiny, so we’ll conduct our experiment and research under the constraint of using only the power of foods like lemons or natto.

We’ll categorize foods—citrus, fermented foods, salty foods, etc.—polish 10-yen coins with them, and sometimes leave them to sit, then compare how shiny the coins become.

It takes more time than making something, so it’s suited for people who enjoy careful, patient observation!

reverse-yolk egg

[The Whites and Yolk are Reversed?!] How to Make Inverted Eggs

Have you heard of a “reverse-yolk egg”? It’s a quirky kind of hard-boiled egg where the outside is yellow and the inside is white! To make it, you put a raw egg in a stocking and spin it around, then boil it just like a regular hard-boiled egg.

Let’s look into the structure of an egg and consider why this method causes the yolk and white to switch places.

Also, this reverse-yolk egg surprisingly has a long history, so researching that and writing up a report could make for an interesting independent study project.

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Hane Keisuke

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masking tape art

Expressing pictures with masking tape—Masking tape art that anyone can easily enjoy, from children to adults [MaskingTapeArt]

Drawing pictures is a classic choice for independent study projects and crafts.

Simply drawing is fine, but let’s add a little twist to make your artwork more eye-catching.

Masking tape is highly recommended for that.

There are many kinds of masking tape, so you can create a wide variety of pictures.

Start by making a rough sketch, then gather masking tapes that match your design.

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Saitō Ayumu

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