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

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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Making a maglev train

Principle of the superconducting maglev

Introducing how to make a linear motor car using dry batteries.

Attach two layers of magnets to a plastic sheet with double-sided tape.

The key here is to control the repelling force of the magnets and stick them on without any gaps.

Cut a melamine sponge for the vehicle body, and apply aluminum tape so it forms a U-shape.

Once you hook the magnet-mounted sheet onto the tape, connect clip wires to the rails.

Sandwich the lead wires in the aluminum tape, and connect the batteries in series to finish the setup.

It’s a great independent research project theme that lets you enjoy both a science experiment and toy-making at the same time.

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mutō

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Observation of Rivers and Landforms

[Science] Landforms Created by Rivers and Their Functions

The actions of flowing water—erosion, transportation, and deposition—are expressed as landforms around rivers.

For example, deltas, which are often seen near river mouths, are landforms created by deposition.

Using the internet, books, or maps, investigate places where these landforms can be found, then visit them to observe directly.

If you take photos and also record surrounding conditions—such as the river’s shape and how the water flows—you may discover patterns you hadn’t noticed before and deepen your understanding of how flowing water works.

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Hane Keisuke

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