Earth science projects are a great way to get kids interested in science and the planet around them. There is a lot of “earth science” that gives the kids lots of opportunities for cool experiments and demonstrations. Here are five practical ideas for your project:
1. Find out if salt affects the boiling point of water. Using distilled water, measure the temperature at which water boils with varying amounts of salt added. This simple experiment can be done quickly — less than an hour!
2. Test the types of insulation to see which works best. Freeze a bottle of water, insulate it with different building materials and see which stays frozen the longest. This is a science project perfect for students who care about our environment.
3. Create a tornado. Simply fill a 2-liter clear soda bottle halfway with water and twist it until a tornado forms. It’s a simple demo for beginners that probably won’t win a science fair, but will fascinate young students as they observe vortices. (We bet you benefit too!)
4. Measure the amount of oxygen in the air. Place the tape on the hand warmer, activate it and quickly stick it to the bottom of a tall pot. Turn the jar upside down and place the mouth in a jar of water. As the hand warmer heats up, the oxygen in the glass is depleted, causing the water level to rise. It’s a good experiment if you travel to and from the mountains and compare oxygen levels. Otherwise it’s a cool demo.
5. Compare different brands of toilet paper to see which one is the most biodegradable. Weigh samples of different brands of tissues, place in water and allow to break down. After one day, the sample was “flushed” through the funnel and the remaining sample was weighed. Your results can change your shopping habits!
