Recommended for elementary school students! Science fair topics & craft ideas

Camera craft

[Independent Research] Projecting an Inverted Real Image with a DIY Camera!

Let’s try making a camera using a milk carton.

A camera is handy for taking photos and preserving memories.

It’s a simple version, but you can make it yourself.

You’ll use a milk carton, a plastic bag, a magnifying glass to act as a lens, and black construction paper.

First, cut off the top and bottom of the milk carton.

On one end, fold the edges inward about 1 cm on all four sides, then cover it with a cut piece of plastic bag and secure it.

Next, make a tube out of black construction paper that’s just a little larger than the milk carton, and fold in the edges on one end in the same way.

Fix the magnifying glass there, and then insert the milk carton you prepared earlier into the inside of the tube to finish.

Take it outside and experiment to see how it looks!

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sasashina

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Experiment to make butter

Experiment to Make Butter – High School Biology Lab

Butter makes all sorts of foods delicious—spread on bread, melted over baked potatoes, and more.

Did you know it can actually be made with a very simple process? The main steps are to pour chilled heavy cream into a sterilized container and shake it vigorously for 15 minutes.

The liquid will separate and turn into solids—the solid part is unsalted butter.

Mix in salt, and you’ve got butter! Shaking for 15 minutes is surprisingly hard work, so it might be a good idea to do it while watching TV.

Let’s also summarize why butter forms in the first place.

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sasashina

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How to make a seismometer

How to Make a Simple Seismograph: A Summer Science Project You Can Still Do in Time

Why not try making a seismograph using everyday materials? The word “seismograph” might sound difficult, but it’s actually easy to build.

A seismograph mainly consists of two parts: a pendulum that serves as a fixed point and a recording mechanism.

For the pendulum, fill a cup with clay, insert a bamboo skewer as the axis, and hang it from a support made of disposable chopsticks using a hook and thread.

The recording part can be made from a toilet paper roll with a bolt through it and a ballpoint pen.

The base of the device can be anything, so try to find a wooden box that can hold the setup.

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sasashina

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Let’s make a leaf vein specimen

[BCS Project] Let’s Make Leaf Vein Specimens! / Suzukake Science Day 2021

Let’s make a leaf vein specimen using leaves you can find around you.

First, bring water with 3 tablespoons of baking soda to a boil and add the leaves.

Simmer for about 15 minutes, then when the water turns brown and the leaves become limp, remove the leaves.

This softens the pigments other than the veins.

Next, rinse the leaves under running water and gently tap them with a toothbrush to scrape away everything except the veins.

Be sure to choose sturdy, relatively tough leaves for this experiment.

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sasashina

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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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sasashina

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Cute seasonal decorations and keychains

@n.annlee321

This combo is so cute 🥹💕 Have fun styling it your way!#HandmadeToysParentingChildcareChildcaretranslation#Kindergarten

♬ Magnetic – ILLIT

Using shrink plastic, fluffy pipe cleaners, and clear stickers, you can make seasonal decorations and keychains.

Cut the shrink plastic into any shape you like, then use a single-hole punch to make holes around the edges for threading the fluffy pipe cleaners.

After threading the pipe cleaners, stick clear stickers onto the transparent area in the center.

You can add a chain to make it a keychain, or hang it with a string to turn it into a suncatcher.

Swapping out a seasonally themed keychain for each season is stylish and delightful, isn’t it?

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Hirakawa Masako (Bōkarisuto: Sakata Mizumako)

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DNA extraction experiment

DNA Extraction Experiment (Banana) — High School Biology Experiment

Speaking of DNA, you’ve probably heard about it in contexts like criminal investigations or paternity testing.

DNA, the substance that carries genetic information, is contained in the nucleus of each cell.

How about doing an experiment to extract banana DNA over summer vacation? You can make a DNA extraction solution using distilled water, table salt, and household neutral detergent.

Mash the banana, add the extraction solution, and filter it through gauze to obtain a liquid in which the banana’s DNA is dissolved.

Then, by adding well-chilled ethanol, you can precipitate and extract the banana’s DNA.

It’s a genuine experiment you can do during the summer break when you have more time.

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Nakajima Junko

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