Wonderful independent research

Self-study that teachers will praise! Recommended independent science study ideas for 4th graders

10 years as a kindergarten teacher / elementary school teacher / junior and senior high school teacher / childminderkepiko
Graduated from Kunitachi College of Music, Faculty of Music (now: Department of Music Culture and Education, Early Childhood Music Education major). In elementary school, my homeroom teacher was Jun Kusaba, a game researcher. After graduating from university, I worked as a kindergarten teacher for 10 years and as an after-school childcare instructor for 7 years, then took a position as a music teacher at an international school in Singapore. In addition to music education, I engaged in activities that introduced Japanese culture, traditional games, and recreational activities, working with many children. Later, through freelance writing, planning, and editing at Shogakukan, I met many delightful adults and experienced the joy of communicating and sharing. Drawing on the perspective cultivated in the field of education and my experience as an editor, I provide practical information with an emphasis on both input and output, mainly in areas related to music and children. My hobbies include instruments, singing, handicrafts, toys, drawing, traditional games, the outdoors, and books. My special skill is spinning-top tricks.

Independent study in science can be a fun adventure for kids!

Here, we introduce self-directed science topics recommended for fourth graders that are sure to impress their teacher.

When you explore freely, learning becomes even more enjoyable.

Observe the nature around you, try simple experiments, and enjoy the thrill of discovering new things.

As your interest in nature and science grows, it’s also fun to share what you’ve learned with friends and family.

Please use this as a guide and let’s jump together into the exciting world of science!

Self-study that impresses your teacher! Recommended independent science study ideas for 4th graders (21–30)

Let’s make paper from various ingredients

[Research] Making paper from various ingredients [Experiment]

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?

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Morning Glory Observation

How to grow morning glories: counting the number of blooms for a summer vacation assignment

Morning Glory Observation

When it comes to classic summer projects, observing morning glories is a favorite.

Since many schools grow them, it’s a recommended project even for lower elementary students.

But simply observing isn’t much of a study, so try comparing different fertilizers to see which promotes better growth, or investigate the relationship between sunlight hours or temperature and the flowers that bloom.

It takes time for the flowers to blossom, so be sure to prepare well in advance.

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Self-study that earns praise from teachers! Recommended science self-study ideas for 4th graders (31–40)

Self-made game in Scratch

[Scratch] How to Make Smash Bros. (1) [Programming]

Self-made game in Scratch

Scratch is a game creation tool that makes it easy to give children opportunities to learn programming.

It’s free to use and runs in the browser—why not make game development your independent research project theme? Choose a game stage from a wide variety of backgrounds and give the stage a name by changing the costume name.

After creating three costumes for the stage, use a new message to set up character selection.

Prepare a character from “Choose a Sprite” and rename it.

By duplicating and modifying the code you create, you can experience programming.

With intuitive drag-and-drop operations, it’s a tool that helps you learn how to use a computer and how to make games.

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Snow globe making

Fun for parents and kids ♡ Done in 15 minutes! Easy snow globe tutorial

Snow globe making

During long vacations, we’re swamped with homework, independent research projects, and playtime.

It’s easy to put things off and run out of time.

That’s when this snow globe is highly recommended! The glitter and “snow” that slowly fall and sparkle inside the glass are beautiful, aren’t they? You can get most of the materials at a 100-yen shop: purified water, liquid glue, a hot glue gun, a jar, a sponge, decorations you want to put inside, and glitter.

It also doesn’t take much time, so it’s truly a strong ally for independent research projects.

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Let’s make instruments with plastic bottles

Summer Vacation Independent Research: 10 Musical Instruments You Can Make with Plastic Bottles [Crafts]

Let's make instruments with plastic bottles

Making instruments out of plastic bottles is an eco-friendly, creativity-sparking idea! You can turn a bottle into a shaker by filling it with sand, or transform it into an instrument with a unique tone just by sending in air pressure.

By combining experiments with crafts, you nurture scientific thinking and creativity at the same time, and it also creates opportunities to enjoy fun moments with family and friends.

Trying your hand at making your own original instrument would be interesting, too.

It would be exciting to make them with friends and hold a little concert together!

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PET-bottle hydrangea

Easy! Make colored hydrangeas with plastic bottles.

PET-bottle hydrangea

Let’s make hydrangea flowers, which bloom vividly from the rainy season through summer, using plastic bottles.

This craft is likely to draw attention not only for its striking appearance but also for the intricate handiwork involved.

First, cut the plastic bottle and sand the entire surface, then blend color onto it using shaved pastel crayons.

After blending the color, cut it into smaller pieces, add slits, and form tiny flowers.

Next, attach wire to each flower, and bundle the wires together to shape them into a hydrangea—then you’re done.

As you work, keep in mind how to blend the pastel crayons to create color gradations and how to arrange the pieces so the result looks even more like a real hydrangea.

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Observation Diary of Rice Fish

From hatching to spawning of medaka (Japanese rice fish)

Observation Diary of Rice Fish

Haven’t you ever seen tanks or bowls with medaka fish set out under the eaves of houses in your neighborhood? How about keeping an observation journal of those medaka? Just watching the tiny fish is cute enough, but if possible, try recording them from the egg stage through hatching and then their growth afterward.

Keeping medaka doesn’t require a large space like a yard—you can observe them by placing a plastic container or an aquarium on a balcony.

Watching them grow is so adorable, you might just get hooked on medaka!

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