Elementary Science Trivia Questions

Elementary science trivia questions can cover a wide range of topics. Elementary students study science as inquiry, physical science, life science, earth and space science, science and technology, science in personal and social perspectives, and history and nature of science. Some topics, such as life science, lend themselves to trivia questions much better than other topics, such as science as inquiry. You can use trivia questions in the classroom, as a way for students to review at home for a test, to keep kids occupied on long trips or just for fun.

Life science, often known at the high school level as biology, provides many trivia questions. Trivia questions in this category could include:

1. What do you call a scientist who studies dinosaurs?
2. What is the life cycle of a butterfly?
3. What is the nervous system's job?
4. What do plants need to grow?
5. What is a habitat?
6. What is hibernation?
7. What is migration?
8. What kinds of tastes are there?
9. What is a vertebrate?
10. What are the differences between mammals and reptiles?

Kids begin studying physics the minute they realize that each time they let go of a spoon, it will fall to the floor. Elementary school students must put those experiences into words. Some questions are:

1. What force keeps us from floating away?
2. How can we lift something very heavy?
3. What is motion?
4. What is friction?
5. Why do people float in water?
6. What are two kinds of bridges?
7. Why is Albert Einstein famous?
8. What does a prism do?
9. What does a pulley do?
10. How do airplanes fly?

Elementary school students especially love learning about the dramatic elements of earth science. Some relevant trivia questions are:

1. What do you call a scientist who studies volcanoes?
2. How causes earthquakes?
3. What color is the gemstone called an emerald?
4. What do you call the molten rock that erupts from a volcano?
5. What famous ancient city was preserved after a volcano erupted nearby?
6. What are the Earth's layers?
7. What is the water cycle?
8. How do tornadoes happen?
9. How are canyons made?
10. How do we measure wind?

Space is often a favorite subject among elementary students. Trivia questions about space include:

1. How many planets are there in our solar system?
2. What is the difference between a planet and a star?
3. Which planet has a large red spot?
4. What galaxy is Earth in?
5. What do we call people who travel in space shuttles?
6. When did people first land on the moon?
7. What are constellations?
8. What makes up Saturn's rings?
9. How long does it take Earth to orbit the sun?
10. What does orbit mean?