Science projects should test a hypothesis. An hypothesis is a statement of scientific fact that can be tested by an experiment. Experiments that involve living things are always interesting because they are dynamic and changes that result from different situations are relatively easy to observe. Following are two basic science projects that can be done by a child with basic things found in most homes. There are suggested variations on these projects allowing a child to do several projects with the same or very similar equipment.

Hypothesis 1 – Moisture increases the spread of mold on bread.

Equipment needed – toaster or oven, three shallow dishes or saucers, three slices of bread, water

Procedure – Dry one piece of bread in a toaster or oven. When it is dry, place it on a shallow dish, like a saucer. Place each of the other two pieces of bread in a saucer. Place all three pieces of bread in their saucers in a dark place such as a basement, under a bed or in a closet or cupboard. Leave the dry piece of bread and one other piece of bread untouched. Add a bit of water to the third piece of bread every day or so to keep it moist. Measure and record the amount of mold that grows on each piece of bread over a week or two. You may place the three pieces of bread in small plastic bags and take them for the project display. Alternatively, you may take pictures of each piece of bread at different intervals to demonstrate the spread of the mold on each piece.

Alternative project – Show the effect preservatives have on the growth of mold. Repeat the same project, only use two types of bread, one with no preservatives, such as can be found at a bakery and one with preservatives, such as commercially packaged bread.

Hypothesis 2 - Moisture affects the rate that a seed sprouts.

Equipment – clear glass jar or drinking glass, paper towels, large seed like a bean or sunflower

Procedure – Fill the glass or jar with paper towels. Place the seed between the towel and the glass about half way between the top and the bottom of the glass. Moisten the paper towel with water. Repeat the procedure with another glass and seed. Place both glasses in a warm and sunny place like a window sill. Over the next several days, keep one of the paper towels moist and leave the other unattended. Label each glass so that you can keep track of which one has been watered. After a period of time, like a week or two, observe the sprouting of each seed. Compare the length of the roots and sprouts of each seed in each jar after a two week period. You can take the jars to class to present your project or you can take pictures of the seeds every couple of days over the same time period.

Alternative hypothesis – Fertilizer affects the rate of sprouting of a seed.

To test this hypothesis, do the same experiment as it is described above, only in addition to the two glasses or jars, add a third jar and seed. In addition to adding water to the third glass, add a bit of liquid plant food or fertilizer. Observe which of the three seeds sprouts and grows the fastest.

Hypothesis 3 – Ice can change from a solid to a gas.

Equipment – water, two trays or shallow bowls, plastic bag, kitchen scale, freezer

Procedure – Place the water in the dishes and place them in the freezer. After the water has frozen, take the two dishes out of the freezer and weigh them carefully. Record the weights of each dish. Then wrap one dish with the ice in it in a plastic bag. Place both dishes back in the freezer in the same compartment and leave them for a couple of weeks. After this time, take both dishes out of the freezer and weigh each of them. Record the weights. Is one lighter than the other? If so, you may want to review change of state for a possible explanation.