Getting them Involved: Fifth Grade Science
If you are able to successfully get your child interested in fifth grade science, get them involved. One good way to do this is to discuss the various branches of science with your child and doing something every weekend that helps them learn about this branch. Usually, if you can get your child passionate about just one branch of science, they will be involved with science for a long time, at least long enough to pass the fifth grade.
Visit museums with your child and try to go to science centers as well. A lot can be learned from these institutions and your child may really enjoy getting to go on a mini field trip every weekend. From these field trips, you and your child can discuss how to apply what you learned through experiments. It also helps to show your child how what you learn from museums and science centers applies to the subjects they enjoy like cartoons, comics, or shows.
Finally, get your child involved by helping them when they join the science fair. Many times fifth graders are either asked or are required to come up with a project as an entry to the science fair. If you can helpyour child get a good entry or a winning entry, they will definitely become more involved in science. This is because children tend to like things they know they will succeed in. Not to mention the fact that winning the science fair often makes you “cool”, especially if you have a brilliantly designed project.
Science Parties
By the time your child reaches the fifth grade, they are likely to no longer want to do science parties, especially if they have the kind of friends that see science parties as geeky, dorky, or uncool. This is okay. You can continue to try offering to host a science party for your child, but if your child continues to refuse, stop offering. Offer to throw a regular party instead. Children are usually open to parties, and if you remove the word “science” in front of it, then they are likely to become excited and get their friends to come.
This does involve a bit of parent sneakiness, but when you throw your child a regular party, hire an entertainer that will do magic tricks that involve scientific concepts. For example, defying the law of gravity is a great magic trick that some magicians can do, and your children are likely to be fascinated by many of the tricks. Children are likely to ask how the magic happens, and either you or the magician (with the magician's permission) can explain it to them through science. Sometimes, a trick involves concepts the children already know. For example, some tricks involve putting dry ice in water and getting it to smoke up. Children will enjoy the fact that they already know the science behind some of the trick, this helps them see it as pretty cool and may get them to think twice about dismissing science.
Another sneaky way to get your child to have a science party without knowing it is to host a Halloween party. Many children love Halloween and wait for the occasion just so they can dress up and get candy. If you host a Halloween party in your home, there are many things you can do that involve science and you can get your child to help you with. Most tricks can involve the scientific concepts found in physical and earth science.
Be creative when it comes to hosting science parties for your fifth grader. Even if it's presented as a party that does not involve science, at the end of the day they will realize that the science part can be a big part of a good party. Remember to be in tune with what your fifth grader thinks is cool and try to incorporate that into these parties. Not only will you be able to get away with having a science party, but your child is likely to learn something each time!
Next Article: Historical Experiments and Discoveries
