Recommended for 5th graders! A collection of easy self-study ideas you can enjoy while learning

Self-made game in Scratch

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

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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Handmade claw machine

[Challengers Wanted] Win lavish prizes with our handmade claw machine

Crane games that let you grab candy, plush toys, and figures are popular with kids.

Let’s try making a homemade device so you can enjoy the excitement of “I wonder if this prize can be picked up with this arm movement…” at home.

Build the main body using cardboard or empty boxes.

Next, create the crane arm with straws or wooden chopsticks, and connect it with thread so it can move.

Prepare prizes you like, such as small toys or snacks.

By researching how crane games work as you build, you’ll also discover the fun of crafting.

This is a science project idea that’s enjoyable not only during the building process but also when you play with the completed game.

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Cooking with an original recipe

[Rin the Dragon’s Independent Project] A 5th Grader Tried 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.

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Plankton Observation

Observation of plankton

Observing plankton is an independent research topic that lets you explore familiar nature in depth.

Peering into the world of tiny organisms through a microscope stimulates children’s curiosity and can spark a deeper interest in biology.

Scoop water from a pond or river into a container, place a drop of the collected water onto a slide with a dropper, and observe it under a microscope.

Record the shapes and movements of the plankton with illustrations or notes, and then look up their names and characteristics in field guides or on the internet to deepen interest in living things.

This is one of the recommended independent research themes for fifth-grade elementary students who conduct science experiments in class.

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An experiment in which we made a filter

Summer Vacation Independent Research: I Tried Making a Water Filter

Let’s build a filtration device and try filtering different liquids! Prepare two plastic bottles: cut off the mouth of one, and cut off the bottom of the other.

Pack cotton into the mouth of the bottle with the bottom removed, cover it with gauze, and secure it with a rubber band.

Stack this bottle (the one covered with gauze) onto the bottle with the mouth cut off.

From the bottom opening, add layers in this order: small stones, gauze, activated charcoal, gauze, and small stones.

Your filtration device is complete! Try filtering muddy water, water mixed with paint, coffee, and more.

Summarize in a report what can and cannot be filtered.

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Solo Camping Experience

[Bicycle Solo Camping] An Overnight Elementary School Student’s Two-Day Camp Touring—We Followed Along! Did Everything All by Myself!

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.

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Making solid fuel

Now you can use solid fuel as much as you want! Here's a secret trick to make your own solid fuel for super cheap!

A solid fuel made by compacting combustible materials to make it easy to carry and handle.

Here we introduce a method for making fuel at home that you can also buy at hardware stores or online.

Put 15 grams of soap shaved with a knife into a cup, then pour in 150 grams of denatured alcohol (fuel alcohol).

To completely dissolve the solids, warm it in a hot-water bath at a temperature that does not bring the methanol to a boil.

While it is still warm, pour it into a can to set; once solidified, the fuel is ready.

Methanol is highly toxic, so be careful not to ingest it.

The solidification speed varies depending on the size and shape of the can, so it’s also a great idea to make various solid fuels as a science project.

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