Project Ideas

Ideas and Resources Ask and Imagine - Start with a Question Engineers look for problems they want to solve or how to improve a design or learn how something works. The engineering design process helps us organize an idea into a series of steps to come up with a solution. Students will ask questions and make observations. They will sketch, draw, or make a physical model of their design by breaking the problem into parts. They should conduct research about their problem and brainstorm, test, and refine ideas. \

Invention Ideas:

Develop creative innovations to solve real-world problems......

Helping-Hand Inventions

Device that cleans gutters
Plastic product that holds a book while you eat
Rake that allows you to pick up leaves without bending over
Robot that distributes and collects student papers
Device to hold objects for disabled people who use a walker
Alert that signals when mail has been delivered to a roadside mailbox
Wrapping paper that doesn't require tape
Bird feeder that protects feed from wind and rain
Drying rack for gloves
Liquid that covers fade marks on blue jeans

Fun Inventions

New board game
New candy bar
Comfortable swing set
Computer program that includes graphics and music for entertaining children aged 3 months to 4 years

Inventions for Staying Organized and Mess-Free

Billfold that organizes money by denomination for blind people
Clothing tags to help match and coordinate clothes
Computer program that catalogs videotapes
Toothpaste cap that minimizes waste and mess
Ice cream container that minimizes mess
Chocolate-candy device that prevents ice cream cones from dripping

Volcano

Easy Paper Mache Volcano
Turn this project into an experiment instead of a demonstration (see the questions at the end).

Forces and Motion - Roller Coasters

Learn about the forces in action in a roller coaster from Sci Show Kids.
Paper Roller Coaster from Science Buddies
Pool Noodle roller coaster from Teach Engineering and Scientific American

Slime, Oobleck, and Elephant Toothpaste

Slime from Sci Show Kids and Science Bob
Oobleck from Sci Show Kids
Elephant Toothpaste from Science Bob

Fruit Battery from Steve Spangler Science (does it work with other types of fruit?)

Color Changing Milk Experiment from Steve Spangler Science

Grow Crystals at Home from Babble Dabble Do (several different recipes to try)

Make a Rubber Egg from Babble Dabble Do (great extension questions/experiments at the end)

Liquid Density experiments

Salt Water Density From Steve Spangler Science
Seven-Layer Density Column (test density of different liquids) from Steve Spangler Science

Blobs in a Bottle by Science Bob (Lava Lamp)

Reverse Engineering - Take apart a toy (with parent permission and guidance) to learn how it works. Make sketches, learn about the mechanics, and then use the parts to make something new.

Take apart a push-toy from Teach Engineering
Take apart and rebuild new toys from Instructables
Hack a Musical Greeting Card (do you have one lying around the house?) into a from PBS Kids

Skittles Experiment (learn about diffusion) from KiwiKo (Don't have Skittles? Try other candies!)

Experiment with Capillary Action

Make a Solar Oven (cook a S'More)

Great video from PBS
Instructions from Steve Spangler Science
Another design idea from NASA

What Makes Ice Melt Faster? (and other ice experiments) from Little Bins Little Hands

Weather Experiments

Cloud in a Jar from Little Bins Little Hands
Make it Rain from Science Fun and Gift of Curiosity
Make a Thermometer from Little Bins Little Hands

ART DESIGN

The Arts are a critical component of innovation. Expressing our creativity allows us to learn to expand our thinking processes and practice our design-related skills. This project opportunity asks to explore your creativity and curiosity as it relates to other STEM areas.

For your art project, consider the following topics and demonstrate how STEAM is used in relation to the project.

- Music: How is math used in creating music? What effects does music have on the brain?

- Manipulative Arts – Use clay or other materials to demonstrate human anatomy

- Art in our World – Where do we see patterns in our everyday world? Fibonacci Sequence, cell development, computer coding

- Architecture – How did the Egyptians or Romans used math and art to create structures

One example would be, using artistic ability to design a project in the form of a drawing with a written explanation of the creation. For example, draw the solar system with labels of the planets along with interesting facts or diagram how something works and label its parts (like a clock or an engine).

Arts Project Rules:

All art forms are accepted
All art projects must be linked to scientific phenomena- students should be prepared to explain their project and its relationship to scientific ideas.
When you bring your art into school to share”
1. 2D visual art must be attached to the display board
2. 3D visual art must be able to stand on its own.

steam-art-1-merged.pdf

Below are examples of testable questions and data you can collect for your project:

Testable questions.pdf

STEM Science Fair Project ideas:

Page updated

Report abuse