It’s time for the school’s annual science fair competition. Now that your child is older, what are some good 4th grade science fair project ideas? Magnets? Plants? Electricity? No need to worry, 4th grade science ideas are not that hard to come up with. Here is a sample project:

Materials Needed

-scissors
-spoon
-tape
-crazy glue
- nails (same length)
-medium size cardboard box
-balloons
-bowl
-bag of sugar
-two thin wooden boards (Make sure they have lengths/widths that are equal to or less than the length and width of the bottom of the cardboard box.)

Step by Step Procedure

1. Adult supervision might be required. Take one of the thin wooden boards and crazy glue/tape a nail right in the middle of the board. Put crazy glue/tape on the head of the nail and stick it on the board so the point side of the nail faces up.

2. Take the other thin wooden board. Glue and tape the nails in the same manner as the first board (pointy side up). Instead of one nail, take four nails and arrange them in a square shape in the center of a board. Make sure the nails are about the same height.

3. Take the cardboard box. Using scissors, cut off the top and one of the sides.

4. Place the one pined wooden board into the box. Make sure the nail is in the middle.

5. Blow up one balloon and put it lightly on top of the nail. Make sure to be careful. You do not want the balloon popping!

6. Take the lid of the cardboard box that you cut off with the scissors. Put it on top of the balloon.

7. Put the plastic bowl on top of the cardboard lid, right in the middle. The sole needle should be holding everything up.

8. Add one spoonful of sugar into the bowl. Watch what happens. Keep adding spoonfuls of sugar until the balloon pops. Record how many spoonfuls of sugar it took for the balloon to pop.

9. Now it is time for a different setup. Take out the wooden board with the one nail. In its place, put in the wooden board with four nails. Make sure the nails are in the middle.

10. Repeat the other steps. Blow up a balloon and put it on top of the nails. Put on the cardboard lid. Then put the bowl in the middle.

11. Add spoonful of sugar until the balloon pops. How many spoonfuls did it take this time?

By: Alan Wagner