A simple project with aluminum
You can see for yourself how aluminum is different from steel by comparing an empty aluminum can (a soda can) to an empty steel can (most canned food, like canned soup or tuna or ravioli).

Aluminum soda can
What is aluminum?
Where does steel come from?
Comparing steel and aluminum
First, check out whether your can is really made of steel. If it is, magnets should stick to it. Is your soda can really aluminum? Then magnets won’t stick to it.
More about magnets
Now, investigate the differences. Which can is heavier? Can you get either can to rust?
What is rust?
A project with rust
Which can is easier to dent or squash? Which is easier to scratch with a fork?

Steel soup can
People use both aluminum and steel for cooking pots, because both metals will conduct heat from the burner to the food. Try touching them to a burner on the stove (with help from an adult!). Which one conducts heat better/faster?
What is metal?
How does metal conduct heat?
Don’t forget to recycle both cans at the end of your experiment.
More about aluminum atoms
More chemistry projects
Bibliography and further reading about chemistry projects: