First Grade Science Fair Project

Believe it or not, my daughter's 1st grade science project asked the super important question "WHICH IS HEAVIER, BREAD OR TOAST?" She hypothesized "toast is heavier because it's hard and solid and bread is lighter because it's soft and squishy and feels so light and fluffy". Then, she did her experiment where she first weighed the bread, then toasted it, then weighed it again. What did she learn? BREAD IS HEAVIER. WHY? It has water which EVAPORATED in the toaster! It was actually a really good demonstration of evaporation. She did an awesome display (complete with toasted bread in a baggie) and pictures of the bread on the scale, then the toast on the scale). In 1st grade, it doesn't have to be fancy, just simple enough that they can actually do the work themselves and learn something from it. It's more about the scientific process than the most impressive laser beam display. Have fun!

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Hi D., A friend of mine did this one with her daughter in 1st grade and it won. Measuring the amount of liquid in caned veggies and how it is different from brand to brand and veggie to veggie (corn, peas, green beans, carrots). Brands like Walmarts Great Valu, Green Giant, Delmonte, etc. Have fun.

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Something simple is putting together a "gallery" of art, using something called "photo-sensitive" papers or "sun-print" papers. It's the same concept as taking a picture, except you are using sunlight or solar energy to take your snap-shot. The paper looks like ordinary paper when taken from the package. Your child can then place various objects on top of the paper before setting it out in the sun for several minutes. Within minutes the paper darkens, except in areas where the objects were placed. When they're removed, they leave a really neat design or pattern. The art can be really pretty and intricate if you use unusual things around the house. Trivets, cookie cutters, jewlery, even natural things like plant leaves, pine cones, sticks, feathers etc. make for unique pictures. You can buy this paper at any store that sells home science kits. Or you can order it from http://www.fatbraintoys.com/reviews/toy_companies/tedco/s....

Fatbrain also carries a variety of science fair kits for all ages. Also check out www.discoverthis.com

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Easy quick one - Make a guess at how much air gets into popcorn. Take 100 kernels and put them in a bag. Take 100 popped kernels and put them in another bag and you can see how much bigger they get.

Here's a link to a fun site: http://www.easyfunschool.com/IndexScience.html

Grow some plants under a variety of conditions: in the dark vs. in the light, with water vs. without much water, with fertilizer vs. without.

Here's another link: http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/parents/Science/index.html

OOh, thought of another one. Blow up a balloon and put tape in an X on it and stick a pin in the center. Your child can make a hypothesis about whether the balloon will pop and test it. Or how many pins you can stick in...

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raisins in sprite! This one is awesome...I don't wanna ruin the surprise...even if you don't use it for school, maybe you can try it at home. I started with "what do you think is going to happen when we drop the raisins in?"
Any amount will do...but if you can find a tall cylindrical glass it will be the most fun!

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An easy project for a 1st grader would be which banana browns quicker? one in the fridge or one on the counter.