Recommended Independent Research Projects for 5th Graders [Elementary School Students]
Among summer vacation assignments, the most challenging one is often the independent research project.
Many elementary school students probably struggle each year with what topic to tackle.
So in this article, we’ll introduce independent research ideas especially recommended for fifth graders.
We’ve picked ideas mainly related to what fifth graders actually learn in science, social studies, and home economics.
You can choose a field that interests you from what you learned in the first term at school, or it’s also a good idea to work on something related to a topic that caught your attention while reading the textbook.
Now, let’s dive into the recommended ideas!
- [5th Grade Elementary School] Independent Research Themes & Crafts | A Collection of Ideas That Lead to Learning
- Simple and cute summer project crafts! A collection of ideas for girls that will make you want to create
- Elementary School Students: Simple One-Day Science Project and Craft Ideas
- For upper-grade boys! Simple yet awesome craft project [Don’t call it lazy]
- Simple but awesome! Craft ideas for upper-grade girls
- [Middle School Students] Easy One-Day Science Projects and Crafts Ideas
- Recommended for elementary school students! Science fair topics & craft ideas
- For summer vacation homework! Simple and amazing crafts for elementary school students that you’ll want to make after seeing them
- [For Upper Elementary Students] Simple but Awesome! A Collection of Summer Vacation Craft Ideas
- Recommended for high school students! A collection of easy one-day science project ideas
- Stand out with your junior high school independent research! A collection of fun experiment and craft ideas
- [Summer Vacation Crafts] Stylish Ideas for Girls
- [For Adults] Simple yet Impressive Crafts: A Stylish, Eye-Catching Collection
Recommended Independent Research Projects for 5th Graders [Elementary School] (1–10)
Try making a train with copper wire and a battery
Let’s try making a train that runs using magnetism by applying the properties of electromagnets.
Wind copper wire into a long coil and place a battery with magnets attached to it inside the coil.
Then the magnetic force generated in the coil and the magnets’ magnetic force repel each other, causing the battery to start running through the coil like a train.
By changing conditions—such as why the battery starts moving, when the moving battery will stop, and whether changing the way you wind the coil affects how the battery runs—and summarizing the results in a report, you can create an excellent independent research project.
Research and summarize about typhoons
You learn about weather changes and typhoons in fifth-grade science, right? In that case, how about researching typhoons more deeply and putting together a report? Specifically, you could look into how typhoons form and where they come from, where they move to and what happens to them in the end.
There’s still a lot we don’t know about typhoons.
You could also investigate the strength of typhoons and the damage they cause, and use that information for disaster preparedness.
That would make your independent research even more meaningful.
Newton’s cradle
Have you ever heard of Newton’s cradle? It’s a device where about five small steel balls are suspended on strings in a row.
When you lift and release one ball at the end, only the ball on the opposite end is knocked outward.
This is related to the conservation of momentum and the conservation of mechanical energy.
Let’s write a report summarizing the results of changing conditions—for example, what happens if you lift and release two balls instead of one, or what happens if you change the size of the balls.
Another nice point is that after the experiments, the Newton’s cradle you made can be displayed as interior decor.
Recommended Independent Research Projects for 5th Graders [Elementary Students] (11–20)
Check food labeling
In fifth grade, students learn about food labeling in home economics.
Food labeling refers to the information on the packaging of commercially sold foods, such as ingredients, best-before dates, use-by dates, and nutrition facts.
Observe the labels on foods around you and list what information is provided.
Then, put together a report on various aspects of food labeling, such as whether there are differences between labels on fresh foods and processed foods, what the difference is between best-before and use-by dates, and what kinds of food additives and allergen information are listed.
plant dyeing
Kusaki-zome is a traditional technique for dyeing fabric using natural plants.
By using familiar leaves, roots, flowers, and more, you can create your own original colors, letting you enjoy learning both science and home economics at the same time.
Once you’ve prepared the fabric you want to dye and the plants to use as dye, wash the fabric thoroughly in lukewarm water.
Add protein to the fabric to perform a deep-dye (mordant) treatment, then soak the washed and dried fabric.
After carrying out a mordanting process that induces color changes through chemical reactions with metals, place the dye material in nonwoven fabric and submerge it in water.
Put the prepared fabric into the liquid, wait about 15 minutes, then rinse it well with water to finish.
Observation of Rivers and Landforms
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.
Making alum crystals
In 5th grade science, students learn about how substances dissolve, such as how much salt or alum can dissolve in 1 liter of water, and whether the amount that dissolves changes with the water’s temperature.
As a related independent project, how about making alum crystals? If you soak a pipe cleaner in hot water in which alum has been dissolved and then leave it until it cools, crystals will form around the pipe cleaner.
Repeating this process several times will produce a large alum crystal.
Once the crystal has formed, consider and research why crystals form, and compile your findings into a report—this will make an excellent independent research project.