[For 4th Graders] Fun Independent Research Ideas You Can Do With Everyday Materials
Many fourth graders are probably struggling to choose a summer break independent research topic that’s “fun but not too difficult.” In fact, you can create a project that makes your friends say “Wow!” using simple experiments and crafts with everyday materials.
Here, independent research pros introduce exciting ideas you can dive into, like a shiny coin experiment with 10-yen pieces, making kohakutou (amber sugar candy), and crafting hydrangeas.
Plus, everything from preparation to record-keeping is explained carefully, so you can take on the challenge with confidence.
Find a special independent research project that will become a lasting summer vacation memory!
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[4th Grade] Fun Independent Research Ideas You Can Do with Everyday Materials (91–100)
Let’s make a super ball
Did you know you can make a super ball yourself? You’ll need PVA laundry glue, salt, and food coloring or paint.
First, dissolve 40 g of salt in water and add color, then pour the saltwater into the glue and stir with a chopstick.
You’ll see a gooey mass start to form around the chopstick.
Gather it up and blot the moisture with a paper towel, and you’ll have an easy homemade super ball.
Depending on the batch, some bounce very well and others less so, but try adding your favorite colors and make all kinds of super balls!
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.
Make a storm glass and observe it
Have you ever heard of an instrument called a storm glass? These days, you can sometimes find it in variety shops as a home decor item.
A storm glass is a glass container filled with a special liquid that changes its appearance depending on weather conditions such as temperature and humidity, and in the 19th century it was used for weather forecasting.
If you look into it, you’ll find it can be made with items available at drugstores, so give it a try.
Observe the completed storm glass and put together a report by making a table of the day’s weather, temperature, humidity, and the appearance of the liquid inside the storm glass.
leaf vein specimen
Plants have veins—like blood vessels in humans—that carry water drawn up from the ground to the tips of stems and leaves, and circulate the nutrients produced by photosynthesis.
How about turning those veins into a specimen? Heat a sodium hydroxide solution and place a leaf in it.
After about 20 minutes, take it out and gently brush the surface with a toothbrush; the leaf tissue will come off, leaving only the veins! You’ll likely think, “I can’t believe they’re spread out this much.” If you soak it with ink, it will look even more vivid!
Let’s make chalk
Chalk, always paired with the blackboard at school.
Did you know that this familiar item, used in class almost every day, can actually be made by hand? The materials are eggshells, flour, water, and food coloring for tinting.
First, finely pulverize the eggshells.
Put them in a mortar and start by crushing them coarsely, then grind them down into a powder.
Once it’s fine, add flour and water and knead it together thoroughly.
When it comes together, divide it into portions, add color, and let it harden.
You can roll it in paper to make thin sticks, or use cute silicone molds.
Dried Flower Art
Let’s make dried flower art that can double as a stylish interior decor piece! The materials you’ll need—dried flowers, floral scissors, a canvas, a glue gun, paint, and brushes—can all be found at 100-yen shops.
First, paint the canvas in any color you like.
Once the paint is dry, use the glue gun to attach the dried flowers—after trimming off the stems—to the canvas.
Be careful not to knock off any petals as you work.
You can buy dried flowers, or try making your own by drying your favorite blooms.
Paper chromatography
Chromatography refers to a method for separating mixtures, and paper chromatography is a type of chromatography that uses water and filter paper.
Although chromatography might sound like a formal chemistry experiment, it’s actually easy to try as a hands-on science project.
One simple activity is to use paper chromatography to separate the inks of water-based pens.
Water-based pen ink is made by mixing various colors; for example, when you separate green ink, you can see that it’s composed of multiple colors.
The method is simple: color a coffee filter with a water-based pen, then dip it in water and leave it.
The ink will separate as if it’s bleeding, revealing which colors were mixed.
Try separating and observing different colors, or investigate whether the mixture of colors differs between brands even for the same ink color.