Hobbies And Interests
Acid Experiment
One science fair project for fifth-graders involves melting the components of rocks. Egg shells contain calcium which makes up some kinds of crystals. Students can break down eggshells with vinegar. Crush a few eggshells and set them in a glass. Cover the shells with vinegar and they will bubble. This demonstrates the chemical change that can happen with the components of crystals. It also teaches about the effects of acid rain and mankind's impact on the environment.
Crystal Creation Experiment
This experiment is a way for children to actually see rocks grow. It involves the creation of alum crystals which can be found in the natural environment. It is easy and only takes about five minutes. Use a half cup of hot tap water and a teaspoon of alum powder, which you can usually purchase at your local supermarket in the spice aisle. Stir the alum into the water and the crystals will grow before your eyes. You can place a piece of colored yarn in the mixture as well and bring forth a string of crystals.
Volcano Experiment
In this experiment children can learn how rock is formed by magma. Show this process through with a mini-volcano kit. The kits usually come with volcanic rocks and testing instructions for testing the density of magma-created rocks like quartz, granite, and slate. Some of the kits also include a glossary of rocks and their names.
Rock Freezing Experiment
This experiment can be conducted at home over the course of a few days and brought to the science fair to show the results. The purpose of the experiment is to show how rocks break down in cold temperatures. Freezing water expands rocks to the point of splitting. Children can learn which rocks more easily split. This is done by placing different types of rocks in plastic bottles and freezing them in the freezer. Take out the plastic bottles and allow them to thaw, and repeat the process a few times. Label the bottles with the corresponding rocks and bring the different bottles to the science fair as an example.