Recommended for elementary school students' independent research! Experiment and observation ideas using everyday materials

My first YouTube video

[Recommended for Independent Research] An elementary school student tried filming their first YouTube video!

Children learn various information and have fun through videos.

Many of them even say they want to be YouTubers in the future.

So why not try making a video as a summer vacation research project? From planning and filming to editing, it will probably be much more challenging than you expect, but there’s nothing more valuable than the experience of actually doing it.

Since adult support is essential here, please work together to think about how to make the video better, and help the children create a film that truly reflects who they are.

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Challenge in video production

Summer vacation independent research: video production—creators give elementary schoolers hands-on lessons

It’s a great idea to incorporate video production into an independent research project, especially for today’s kids who are used to watching videos on YouTube and other platforms.

By switching roles—from watching to actually filming and creating their own videos—they can gain a deeper understanding of how videos are made.

It could be interesting to decide on a theme, such as who the video is for, what kind of video it should be, and how long it should be, and make that the focus of the project.

To keep it fun and engaging, it’s best to choose a topic they’re genuinely interested in.

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Water and Oil Experiment

[Elementary School Science Project] A Lively Little Sister and a Laid-Back Older Sister: A Water-and-Oil Experiment

Here’s an experiment with water and oil that transforms into mysterious water.

Gather a bottle, small figurines, salt, oil, and food coloring.

After putting salt and oil into the bottle, add a small figurine and begin the experiment.

See how the figurine floats in salt water, and compare it with plain water to observe what state the figurine is in—these comparisons can lead to new discoveries that elementary school students will enjoy.

It’s also interesting to see what happens when you mix water and oil.

Try coloring the water and get creative as you enjoy your independent science project!

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Survey on vehicle stopping rates

[Research Project Theme: Rate of Cars Stopping] A 6th-grade elementary school student investigates the “rate of cars stopping” for their independent research project—what is the total amount of fines for the vehicles surveyed?!

This independent research project is perfect for when you want to boost awareness of everyday traffic rules and safety.

The activity involves standing by a crosswalk and recording whether cars stop for you.

By checking with your own eyes, you can directly experience and better understand social and traffic rules as they are in real life.

Collecting data and summarizing it in graphs also helps develop analytical and communication skills.

It could be interesting to examine various perspectives, such as the type of car or the driver’s gender and age.

Please be careful to avoid heatstroke while conducting the survey.

pH measurement using vegetables

[Choko-Try] Science Experiment You Can Do at Home: Measuring pH Using Vegetables

Let’s try a pH measurement experiment that tells you whether a liquid is alkaline or acidic.

For preparation, shred some red cabbage the day before and freeze it.

On the day of the experiment, knead it well in water to make purple cabbage water.

This colored water actually contains a pigment called anthocyanin that reacts to pH.

In the experiment, add the liquid you want to test to this colored water and observe the color change.

It turns red if acidic, purple if neutral, and blue or yellow if alkaline.

Gather different liquids and give it a try!

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Gemstone polishing experience

The item that polishes ordinary stones into gemstones was just too amazing

For your summer vacation independent research project, how about trying a gemstone polishing experience? When you think of gemstones, you probably picture something sparkly, but in fact, raw gemstones have rough surfaces and look like ordinary stones.

However, by polishing them, they begin to shine brilliantly.

Start by flattening the surface with a file, then use polishing papers in order from coarse to fine.

Apply a finishing powder and polish, and finally rinse it clean with water—that’s it! Compare the rough stone before and after polishing, and take photos of each polishing stage to compile into your report.

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Casein plastic

Future Divers #006: From Milk to Plastic! High School Students Tackling Marine Litter

You can actually make plastic from a drink that’s close to all of us: milk.

If you add vinegar to boiled milk and mix, you’ll get a white, clumpy substance.

This is casein, a protein that serves as the base for plastic.

Remove the moisture from the casein, press it into a mold, and heat it in a microwave for one-minute intervals several times until it hardens.

In recent years, the issue of plastic waste has gained attention, and many of us are thinking about how we can reduce it.

This experiment could be a wonderful independent research project that points toward a future rich in nature.

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