Self-directed study that impresses your teacher! Recommended independent science study ideas for 6th graders

Make an electromagnet and investigate its properties

Grade 5: Making electromagnets (Keirinkan Eduful)

In 5th grade, you’ll likely learn about electromagnets at school.

For your summer break independent project, try making an electromagnet yourself and use it to investigate its properties.

An electromagnet works by making a coil with enameled wire and running an electric current through it to generate magnetic force.

It would be good to test various conditions—such as the number of turns in the coil, what you place as the core inside the coil, increasing the number of batteries or changing how they are connected—and compile a report on how the magnetic strength changes.

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Hane Keisuke

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Let’s make kohakutou (amber sugar)

[Independent Research by a Former Private Tutor & Cram School Instructor Mom] Easy! Make Kohakuto (Amber Candy) for a Tasty Science Project

How about choosing kohakutou—beautiful and cute to look at, and delicious to eat—as the theme for your independent research project? It takes time, but you can summarize the changes over that period as your research findings.

Kohakutou is easy to make: dissolve sugar and agar in water, transfer the mixture to a container, add color with food coloring or shaved ice syrup, then once it sets, cut it and let it dry.

Depending on how much it dries, the texture will range from bouncy and soft to crisp.

You can record which number of drying days you found the most delicious and summarize your results.

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utatane

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Fizzy Ramune Experiment

http://www.lemon8-app.com

Why not try making fizzy ramune tablets for your summer break science project and enjoy their colors and sounds when dropped into water? After thoroughly mixing ingredients like powdered sugar, cornstarch, and food-grade citric acid, add food coloring to make them visually fun.

Press the mixed dough with two spoons to shape it just right.

Let them dry for about half a day to finish the ramune.

When eaten, they fizz in your mouth, letting you experience the curious chemical reaction of carbonation.

It’s a safe project even for children, using the carbon dioxide produced by the reaction between lemon juice’s acid and baking soda.

You can boost originality by changing the colors and flavors.

It’s a great idea for learning chemistry with familiar materials.

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mutō

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Let’s learn about sugar crystallization while making canelés.

http://www.lemon8-app.com

Let’s make an experimental piece using a canelé mold for sweets.

Put powdered gelatin into a container filled with water and heat it in the microwave.

After heating, add sugar, color it with edible food coloring, and heat it in the microwave again.

Pour it into the canelé mold, and once it sets, remove it from the mold.

Your beautiful, colorful sugar canelés are ready.

At first, they look jiggly, but after a week, the sugar crystallizes and they turn into sparkly, crystal-like pieces.

You can enjoy watching the sugar change over time.

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Nakajima Junko

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Experiment where ham melts with kiwi

http://www.lemon8-app.com

Here’s a curious and fun science project using kiwifruit and ham.

Get your materials ready: kiwifruit, ham, paper, and felt-tip pens.

Place a sliced kiwifruit on top of a halved piece of ham.

By timing this setup, you can find out how many minutes it takes for the ham to start breaking down.

If you photograph the changes over time, your project will gain more depth.

You might discover something new by comparing heated kiwifruit with unheated kiwifruit.

Write down the purpose of the experiment and your results to complete your summer science project.

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mayumi

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Making Konpeito (traditional Japanese sugar candy)

http://www.lemon8-app.com

Let’s try making handmade konpeitō—colorful, cute sugar candies—for a summer vacation science project.

Boil sugar and water to make syrup, then gradually add small amounts of konpeitō cores; as you do, little spikes will slowly form on the surface.

By adding food coloring or flavorings during the process, you can customize the taste and color to your liking.

Even without special equipment, you can keep stirring and improvising with a frying pan or a bowl; it takes time, but the candies will gradually take on the characteristic konpeitō shape.

Because the results change depending on the temperature and timing of sugar crystallization and how you stir, it’s also enjoyable as a science experiment.

It’s a rewarding idea that nurtures both confectionery skills and observation.

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mutō

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Ice that freezes in 3 minutes

[Independent Research] “Ice Cream That Freezes in 3 Minutes!?” Science Experiment: How to Make Science Sweets

This is a science project where you make cool, tasty ice cream in a short time.

Put heavy cream, chocolate sauce, and chocolate chips in a zip-top bag and seal it tightly, then place it inside another larger bag filled with ice and salt.

Adding salt lowers the temperature of the ice, quickly freezing the cream inside the bag.

Wrap it in a towel and shake well, and in about three minutes the ice cream is ready.

The crunchy chocolate bits are fun, and the flavor is very satisfying.

Scientifically, the key is that salt lowers the melting point of ice, causing an endothermic process that absorbs energy and freezes the contents.

It’s an idea packed with both deliciousness and learning, letting you experience the relationship between cold and chemistry.

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mutō

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