energy experiments 5th grade

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Thermal Energy Activities: Lesson Ideas, Video Resources, And Experiments

March 1, 2024 //  by  Ashley Pickens

Exploring the scientific concepts of thermal energy can be a fun and engaging experience for students; helping them to better understand the science behind heat and temperature. From hands-on experiments to interactive simulations, there are a variety of activities that educators can use to introduce and reinforce key concepts related to thermal energy. Let’s explore some of the best thermal energy activities for students, including simple experiments and fun projects that can be done in the classroom or at home.

1. One-Stop-Shop Lessons

This one-stop-shop lesson plan for teaching thermal energy is awesome for middle or high-school-aged students. It presents easily digestible information, animations, labs, vocabulary, videos, and assessments – picks and chooses how you’d like to teach your students!

Learn More: Teach Engineering

2. Heat and Thermal Energy are Easily Explained

Miss Dahlman and her pup explain thermal energy in various scenarios;  showcasing heat transfer from sunlight, fire, and household appliances.

Learn More: Miss Dahlman’s World

3. Thermal Energy Simulations

Immerse your students in interactive thermal energy simulations. Students can then engage in lessons about how heat transfers in different mediums.

Learn More: Open Sci Ed

4. Thermal Energy Song 

Your students will be jamming along to this song about heat transfer all day long! It discusses ways that heat transfers and provides real-life examples that are relatable.

Learn More: Science4Us

5. S’more Fun with a Solar Pizza Box Oven 

Cut a flap in the pizza box top to create a sun reflector. Attach aluminum foil to the flap’s inside and bottom. Cover the window of the lid with plastic wrap and arrange smores inside the box. In a few minutes, the sun will melt the chocolate and toast the marshmallows.

Learn More: Take Them Outside

6. Endothermic Reaction Demo

Here’s a cool project to demonstrate endothermic reactions. It’s an ideal experiment for students in the middle grades. Gradually mix vinegar and bicarbonate soda in a foam cup to avoid overflow. Check the thermometer and discover how the temperature changes. 

Learn More: Fizzics Education

7. Heat Transfer Demonstrations

Learn about conduction, convection, and radiation by viewing concrete examples, including cooking and fire demonstrations as well as lava and heat lamp experiments.

Learn More: MooMooMath and Science

8. Hot Air Balloon

Use everyday objects for this fun experiment. Fill two bowls- one with hot water and the other with icy water. Attach a balloon to an empty plastic bottle and submerge it in the cold water and then move to the hot water to inflate the balloon. Return the bottle to the cold water to watch the balloon deflate.

Learn More: Playing With Rain

9. Uses for Thermal Energy

This educational video for kids explores the concept of heat energy and its measurement as temperature. Heat energy also referred to as thermal energy, is transferred between objects and utilized in various applications, such as cooking, warming our surroundings, and production.

Learn More: NG Science

10. Virtual Worksheet for Thermal Energy Unit

Students can either complete this worksheet online or printed it on paper. They’ll have an opportunity to shine by demonstrating their knowledge of thermal energy and heat transfer vocabulary. Teachers can set this up as part of an energy lab station.

Learn More: Live Worksheets

11. Print-and-Sort Thermal Energy Transfers

Individually, or as a whole class, students will cut out and categorize images into conduction, convection, or radiation categories and then describe how each picture demonstrates the particular type of heat transfer. Elementary-grade teachers can then make a bulletin board showcasing the newly taught vocabulary.

Learn More: Troup County School System

12. Electromagnetic Radiation

This video demonstrates heat transfer via electromagnetic radiation. The woman explains gamma rays, infrared, UV, and visible light heat transfer methods.

Learn More: The Animated Teacher

13. Burning a Balloon

Will an air-filled or water-filled balloon pop under a flame? Test your student’s hypotheses and prepare to be amazed! This demonstration explores the physical properties of matter and the heat transfer process. A balloon without water breaks, while one with water will remain intact as the water absorbs heat and therefore protects the rubber.

Learn More: Angles and Acid

14. Convection Current Spiral Experiment

Cut a spiral pattern out of construction paper. Attach a string to the top and hold the spiral above a flame. The hot air from the candle hitting the spiral shape generates momentum transfer and causes the spiral to rotate in a convection current. 

Learn More: Stack Exchange

15. Watch Heat Rise with Convection Currents

Try this experiment with your students! Squirt some red and blue food coloring into the base of a transparent container. Place a mug filled with boiling water beneath the dyes and observe the convection currents that form as the heat rises and falls in a circular motion as the warm water cools.

Learn More: Science Up with the Singing Zoologist

16. Baked Alaska: Edible Science

WOW your students with a thermal energy experiment using insulators, with a Baked Alaska. Match the cake’s shape to the ice cream, cover it with meringue, and bake. When sliced, the surprise of an ice-cold interior wrapped in a warm exterior is revealed; demonstrating the insulating effect of the meringue.

Learn More: Instructables

17. Reading Passages

Perfect for 5th-grade to 7th-grade science classes, this resource provides two nonfiction readings and a set of response questions. It’s available for free in both digital and printable formats and explains heat transfer by conduction, convection, and radiation in relation to thermal energy.

Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers

18. Experimenting with Ice Cream

This fun “Ice Cream in a Bag” lab activity teaches middle/high school students about temperature, forms of energy, heat transfer, and phases of matter and phase changes. It includes student worksheets, a recipe, and an answer key.

Learn More: Pinterest

19. Best Spoon Heat Conductor

Here is a fun small group project for 2nd-grade science students. Place one plastic, one metal, and one wooden spoon in a bowl; top each with butter and a bead. Add hot water- almost filling the bowl. Observe the beads for 5-10 minutes to see what happens.

Learn More: Cool Science Experiments HQ

20. Learn Concepts of Temperature with Glow Sticks

Students will observe glow stick light emission while testing the effects of temperature differences. They’ll fill three beakers with cold, room temperature, and hot water. Students can then crack the glow sticks and place one in each beaker. Finally, they’ll draw conclusions based on the tested variables and data.

Learn More: The Learned Teacher

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75 Fantastic 5th Grade Science Projects, Experiments, and Activities

For the classroom or science fair.

There’s something so fascinating about hands-on science experiments and projects. They make learning so meaningful and so much fun! These 5th grade science projects help kids explore biology, physics, chemistry, and a whole lot more. Try one at the 5th grade science fair, or use a few to liven up your lesson plans.

To make things even easier, we’ve rated every one of these 5th grade science projects based on difficulty and materials:

Difficulty:

• Easy: Low or no-prep experiments you can do pretty much anytime
• Medium: These take a little more setup or a longer time to complete
• Advanced: Experiments like these take a fairly big commitment of time or effort
• Basic: Simple items you probably already have around the house
• Medium: Items that you might not already have but are easy to get your hands on
• Advanced: These require specialized or more expensive supplies to complete

5th Grade Science Fair Projects

Stem challenge 5th grade science projects, 5th grade matter and energy science activities, more 5th grade science projects and activities, slime science projects.

Choosing a science fair project means finding a subject that really interests you and coming up with a unique question to answer. Use some of these 5th grade science fair project ideas to create a cool experiment all your own.

1. Stop soil erosion with plants

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium

Soil erosion is a serious problem that can lead to natural disasters like landslides as well as causing problems for farmers, who lose valuable topsoil. Try this experiment to learn how plants help keep soil in place naturally, and change up the variables like soil composition or types of plants.

Learn more: Soil Erosion Experiment

2. Blow square bubbles

Bubble science experiments are always a hit! In this one, kids construct a device to see if they can blow a square bubble instead of a round one.

3. Discover the delights of decomposition

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Medium

This is a good chance to apply the scientific method and practice your observation skills, using only basic kitchen supplies. Ask the question: “Which food will rot (decompose) the fastest?” Have students hypothesize, observe, and then report their findings. Get a printable observation sheet at the link below.

Learn more: Food Decomposition

4. Mix up some magic sand

What if you could make sand that was “afraid” of water? This 5th grade science experiment uses waterproofing spray to create you-gotta-see-it-to-believe-it hydrophobic sand.

Learn more: Hydrophobic Sand

5. Make your own bouncy balls

Students learn about polymers as they mix borax with cornstarch, glue, and water in this playful experiment. Experiment with size, shape, and ingredients to see which work best.

Learn more: DIY Bouncy Balls

6. Study water filtration

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Basic

See the process of water purification firsthand. Layer coffee filters, sand, and gravel in the bottom of an empty cup punched with holes. Place the cup in an empty jar, pour in dirty water, and watch what happens. Mix up the variables and you’ve got a cool 5th grade science fair project.

Learn more: Water Filtration Experiment

7. Find out if a dog’s mouth is cleaner than a human’s

Settle an age-old debate with this 5th grade science fair project. Collect saliva from both humans and canines with cotton swabs and place each sample in labeled petri dishes. Check the bacterial colonies in each and compare the results.

Learn more: Dog’s Mouth Project at Sciencing

8. Explore basic genetics

Watch this simple video to find out more about genes and inherited traits. You can have students try re-creating this Punnett square using different but possible scenarios.

9. Design a biosphere

This project really brings out kids’ creativity and helps them understand that everything in a biosphere is really part of one big whole. You’ll be overwhelmed by what they come up with!

Learn more: Biosphere Project

10. Measure heat capacity

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced

Your students will venture into the world of physics with this experiment that tests the heat capacity of water. You’ll need to find the specific heat capacity of water using a power pack, a joulemeter, an electronic balance, and a calorimeter.

11. Hypothesize about climate change

This simple and easily re-created 5th grade science experiment can be used to make inferences and record findings on the effects of climate change.

12. Study greenhouse effects

This is a great idea for a 5th grade science fair project. Study the greenhouse effect while experimenting with chemical and endothermic reactions.

13. Test the pH levels of drinks

This is a fun 5th grade science project that might also encourage your kiddo to make healthier food choices! Gather as many different types of drinks as possible and then test the pH levels of each one to determine which are the most acidic versus which are the most neutral.

14. Fix prepackaged slime

This is a fun science fair project. Test different ways to improve upon different brands of store-bought slime.

15. Test different slime recipes

Fifth graders love slime, so here’s another fun science fair idea involving it. Test out different slime recipes and record the findings.

Learn more: Slime Recipes (Guide and Printable Reflection Sheet)

A good STEM challenge can spark a terrific science fair project too. These also make terrific classroom activities for 5th grade science students.

16. Do the Egg Drop Challenge

Challenge your students to create a vessel to protect an egg from breaking when dropped from a high height. Students will learn about energy and momentum as they experiment with different ways to buffer the collision of the egg with earth.

Learn more: Egg Drop Challenge Ideas

17. Levitate an eyeball

This is a fun 5th grade science project to do during the month of October or even on Halloween. Draw an eye on a Ping-Pong ball and then use a hair dryer to keep it afloat. It’s a great lesson on air pressure.

18. Create a self-powered boat

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic

This elastic-powered boat will amaze your 5th graders. You only need a few basic materials to make it.

19. Make a pyramid catapult

Help ignite a love of engineering with this simple project. Take 2D triangles to the next level by building this catapult.

20. Make a mini robot bug

This project is a great introduction to building a simple circuit. Once students know the basics, they can experiment with making other robots out of household materials plus a few extras like an LED, batteries, wires, and a vibrating motor.

21. Play a balancing game

Use Popsicle sticks and wooden dowels perched atop paper cups to balance a cup of water. It’s all about each stick supporting another in this game of equilibrium.

22. Assemble an automatic water fountain

Water fountains were around long before humans harnessed the power of electricity to make pumps. Learn how they worked with this STEM challenge science project for 5th grade.

23. Race down a LEGO zip line

Every kid loves LEGO bricks, so incorporate them into your 5th grade science activities! Challenge kids to design and build their own zip line. You can set the parameters, like distance and slope, then let students get to work.

Learn more: LEGO Zip Line

24. Slow your roll

Ball-run challenges are always fun, but this one has a twist. Your goal is to build a run that gets the ball to the bottom taking the longest time possible! This requires kids to think about friction, slopes, and other creative features.

25. Fly clothespin airplanes

Put your 5th grade science students’ engineering skills to the test. Provide them with clothespins and wood craft sticks , and challenge them to build a realistic airplane. Bonus points if it can actually fly!

Learn more: Clothespin Airplane

26. Spin a candle-powered pinwheel

Prove that hot air rises by using candles to spin a homemade pinwheel. Then experiment to see how the number of candles affects the spinning speed. (As always, make sure kids use fire under safe conditions.)

27. Set off a chain reaction

Learn about potential and kinetic energy when you try this cool 5th grade science experiment. All you need are wood craft sticks and a bit of patience.

28. Bounce on a trampoline

Kids love bouncing on trampolines, but can they build one themselves? Find out with this totally fun STEM challenge. Plus, check out more 5th grade STEM challenges here.

Learn more: Trampoline STEM Challenge

29. Build a solar oven

Learn about the value of solar energy by building an oven that cooks food without electricity. Enjoy your tasty treats while discussing ways we can harness the energy of the sun and why alternative energy sources are important.

Learn more: Solar Oven Project (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

30. Launch your own bottle rocket

Blast off with a few supplies and a little help from the laws of motion. Encourage kids to design and decorate their rockets first and see which one can fly the highest.

Learn more: Bottle Rocket Experiment (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

31. Peer through a cardboard microscope

Microscopes can be pricey, so make your own at home! This is the kind of 5th grade science fair project that will really wow the judges.

32. Build a snack machine

Incorporate everything students learn about simple machines into one project when you challenge them to build a snack machine! Using basic supplies, they’ll need to design and construct a machine that delivers snacks from one location to another. ( Get more candy experiments here. )

Learn more: Snack Machine Challenge

33. Use rubber bands to sound out acoustics

Explore the ways that sound waves are affected by what’s around them using a simple rubber band “guitar.” (Your students will absolutely love playing with these!)

Learn more: Sound Absorption and Reflection Experiment

34. Assemble Archimedes’ screw

It’s amazing how often science looks like magic—until you understand the principles behind it. Such is the case with the simple pump known as Archimedes’ screw. It’s easy to build your own and makes for a cool 5th grade science fair project.

35. Recycle newspaper into an engineering challenge

It’s amazing how a stack of newspapers can spark such creative engineering. Challenge students to build a tower, support a book, or even build a chair using only newspaper and tape.

Learn more: Newspaper STEM Challenge

36. Construct a sturdy bridge

To design a safe bridge that meets the needs of the community, engineers must understand the capabilities and limitations of the bridge. This project is great for budding 5th grade engineers as they simulate constructing a bridge that serves its purpose and keeps community members safe.

Every 5th grade science curriculum is different, but many include some common concepts. Learn about the states of matter, matter and its interactions, and energy science with these neat 5th grade activities.

37. Model the states of matter

Create simple models to show the arrangement of molecules in solids, liquids, and gasses. Ping-Pong balls are perfect for this. ( Find more states of matter activities here. )

38. Drink root beer floats

This is our favorite way to learn about the various states of matter! Treat time becomes a learning lesson with this 5th grade science matter activity.

Learn more: Teaching Matter With Root Beer Floats

39. Fill a bubble with dry ice vapor

Discover the science of sublimation by turning dry ice from a solid directly into a gas. Then play around with surface tension as the resulting vapor fills a giant bubble. This one is so cool to see in action!

40. Discover density with hot and cold water

There are a lot of cool science experiments you can do with density. This one is very simple, involving only hot and cold water and food coloring.

Learn more: Hot and Cold Water Density Experiment

41. Whip up some magic milk

This is a very simple experiment, but it includes a lot of lessons. Fifth grade science students can learn about surface tension and chemical reactions between molecules using just a few ingredients.

Learn more: Magic Milk Experiment (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

42. Light(ning) it up indoors

Use some everyday objects to create a “lightning storm” in your classroom. Turn down the lights to give students a better view of the static electricity you’re creating.

43. Create convection currents

This easy experiment uses potassium permanganate to explore the thermal and kinetic energy that creates convection currents. Take things a step further and research how convection currents work in large bodies of water like oceans.

44. Sink or swim with soda cans

Here’s another easy density experiment. Place unopened cans of regular and diet soda into a bin of water to see which float and which sink. The differences are due to the use of sugar vs. artificial sweeteners.

Learn more: Sink or Swim Soda Can Science Experiment

45. Find out if water conducts electricity

We always tell kids to get out of the water as a storm approaches. This 5th grade science project helps explain why. (Conductivity vs. non-conductivity is one of the properties of matter too.)

Learn more: Electricity and Water Experiment

46. Blow up a balloon—without blowing

This is the classic science experiment that helps you teach the reactions between acids and bases, plus what happens when you mix different substances together. Fill a bottle with vinegar and a balloon with baking soda. Fit the balloon over the top, shake the baking soda down into the vinegar, and watch the balloon inflate.

Learn more: Baking Soda Balloon Experiment (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

47. Play with salt and Orbeez

Orbeez water beads are fun for all ages (yes, even adults), and they can be used to learn about osmosis. Students will be amazed as the introduction of the salt causes the water to be drawn out of the Orbeez beads due to the higher osmotic pressure.

Use these hands-on science activities to spice up your lesson plans or as enrichment projects for science-loving kids to try at home.

48. Erupt a baking soda volcano

Need a 5th grade science fair project? Go with a classic: the volcano ! This one’s made from salt dough, which is easy to work with and inexpensive to make.

Learn more: Baking Soda Volcano Experiment (Guide + Printable Student Recording Sheet)

49. Peel an orange to understand plate tectonics

If students are learning earth science, use an orange to make plate tectonics easier to understand. Peel it, then reassemble it and look at the pieces as plates floating on Earth’s mantle.

Learn more: Orange Peel Plate Tectonics

50. Discover the strength of eggshells

We think of eggshells as very fragile, but their shape makes them surprisingly strong. Try this experiment to learn why arches are such a useful shape in architecture.

51. Demonstrate the “magic” leakproof bag

So simple and so amazing! All you need is a zip-top plastic bag, sharp pencils, and some water to blow your students’ minds. Once they’re suitably impressed, teach them how the “trick” works by explaining the chemistry of polymers.

Learn more: Pencil Through a Bag Experiment (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

52. Explore the science of glow sticks

Glow sticks are always a big hit with kids, so they’ll have a terrific time learning about the chemical reactions that make glow sticks work.

Learn more: Glow Stick Science Experiment

53. Grow crystal snowflakes

Kids love crystal projects, and this one results in winter decorations for your classroom. Your students will learn about supersaturated solutions and crystallization. ( See more winter science activities here. )

54. Escape from quicksand

Dive deep into the science of quicksand and learn about saturation and friction along the way. You’ll create a small “quicksand” pool from cornstarch and water, then experiment to find out the best ways to escape.

55. Watch the heart beat with marshmallows

If you can get your 5th grade science class to quiet down enough for this one, they might be able to see a marshmallow jump with each beat of their hearts!

Learn more: Heartbeat Marshmallows

56. Make a foil bug walk on water

Surface tension allows water striders to dance across the surface of the water. Re-create this scientific phenomenon with little “bugs” made of aluminum foil.

Learn more: Water Strider STEM Activity

57. Find out how bile breaks down fat

Learning about the digestive system? This 5th grade science demo explores the purpose of the bile produced by the liver, which breaks down fat.

Learn more: Bile Experiment

58. Construct a homemade lava lamp

This 1970s trend is back—as a 5th grade science project! Learn about acids and bases while putting together a totally groovy lava lamp.

59. Investigate osmosis with gummy bears

Gummy bears are not only tasty, but they can also help teach your 5th graders about the concepts of osmosis and equilibrium as well as solvents and solute.

60. Replicate a sunset

With just water, milk powder, a flashlight, and a glass dish, your 5th graders will investigate why the sky appears to change colors as the sun sets.

Learn more: Sunset Sky STEM Experiment

61. Defy gravity with floating water

This one might cause a bit of a mess, but it’s only water, and it’s all in the name of your students discovering air pressure. All you’ll need is a cup, index card, water, and crossed fingers that your classroom doesn’t become a puddle!

62. Model constellations

Space delights students of all ages. The mystery and mystique is intriguing, and creating a constellation out of pipe cleaners is a fun STEM activity to explore the night sky.

Learn more: Constellations Model

63. Elephant toothpaste explosion

This experiment works through a chemical reaction that results from a catalyst (potassium iodide, aka yeast) being introduced into a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and dish soap. The hydrogen peroxide is decomposed into water and oxygen and the catalyst speeds up the reaction, forcing the oxygen into the soap bubbles. The resulting effect is the substance quickly pouring up and out of the container.

Try it:  Elephant Toothpaste Experiment (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

64. Learn about air pressure

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Easy

This one is so simple but is sure to amaze your students. All you’ll need is a bowl, a glass, a paper towel, and some water.

65. Mix up some chalk paint

Difficulty Medium / Materials: Medium

You might think you’re baking at first since you’ll need water, cornstarch, food coloring, a measuring bowl, and a muffin tin. Really though, you’ll be making sidewalk paint chalk! Grab some foam brushes and head outside on a nice day to experiment with it.

Learn more: How To Make Chalk Paint (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

66. Make a spinning doll

Make a new toy while learning about magnetism and magnetic fields. Cupcake toppers would work well as the spinning object. You can purchase the ring magnets at Amazon .

67. Have a blast with Mentos and coke

Before getting started, have your students create funnels from card stock. Once you’re ready to try the experiment, you’ll want to head outside because things might get messy. Drop the Mentos into the top of a Coke bottle using the funnel, and then watch the explosion!

Learn more: Mentos and Coke Experiment (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

68. Mix an egg with some vinegar

This is a great way to safely demonstrate a chemical reaction. Simply have students drop an egg into a cup of vinegar and then wait a few days to see the progression. They’ll be amazed by the egg’s transformation into a bouncy ball of sorts!

Learn more: Egg and Vinegar Experiment (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

69. Make popcorn dance

A little baking soda, vinegar, and popcorn are perfect for a lesson on density and acid-base reactions. We love 5th grade science projects like this one that the kids can do themselves!

Learn more: Dancing Popcorn (Guide + Reflection Sheet)

70. Defy gravity

Demonstrate the chain fountain, or Mould effect, using nothing more than a cup and 50 feet of beads. When the beads are pulled out of the cup, gravity pulls them up and out of the cup like an invisible siphon.

Looking for more unique ways to make slime? Check out the recipes below.

71. Try out some butter slime

We love slime at We Are Teachers. Not only is it super fun and a hit with any 5th grade class, it also teaches about chemical reactions and molecules. Butter slime is a fun twist on an old favorite thanks to the secret ingredient: Model Magic!

72. Whip up some fluffy slime

What’s better than a slime recipe? A fluffy slime recipe!

Learn more:  How To Make Fluffy Slime (Guide + Printable Reflection Sheet)

73. Make glitter slime

This slime recipe calls for some interesting ingredients like contact lens solution and, of course, glitter! In addition to being a great sensory experience, slime teaches viscosity. Take the opportunity to introduce students to the concept of a non-Newtonian fluid.

74. Experiment with magnetic slime

Slime is obviously a favorite science experiment for kids, but the addition of iron filings really takes this up a notch. Get some magnets and let kids experiment with the magnetism.

75. Go simple

This is just so simple! Grab some cornstarch and dish soap and make the perfect slime. Use it as an opportunity to introduce the concept of states of matter.

Continue the STEM learning with these 5th Grade Math Games for Teaching Fractions, Decimals, and More .

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