science experiments with plants for high school

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23 Plant Experiment Ideas

ThoughtCo / Hilary Allison

• Cell Biology
• Weather & Climate
• B.A., Biology, Emory University
• A.S., Nursing, Chattahoochee Technical College

Plants are tremendously crucial to life on Earth. They are the foundation of food chains in almost every ecosystem. Plants also play a significant role in the environment by influencing climate and producing life-giving oxygen.

Plant experiments and studies allow us to learn about plant biology and its potential usage for plants in other fields such as medicine , agriculture , and biotechnology . The following plant experiment ideas provide suggestions for topics to be explored.

Plant Experiment Ideas

• Do magnetic fields affect plant growth?
• Do different colors of light affect the direction of plant growth?
• Do sounds (music, noise, etc.) affect plant growth?
• Do different colors of light affect the rate of photosynthesis ?
• What are the effects of acid rain on plant growth?
• Do household detergents affect plant growth?
• Can plants conduct electricity ?
• Does cigarette smoke affect plant growth?
• Does soil temperature affect root growth?
• Does caffeine affect plant growth?
• Does water salinity affect plant growth?
• Does artificial gravity affect seed germination?
• Does freezing affect seed germination?
• Does burned soil affect seed germination?
• Does seed size affect plant height?
• Does fruit size affect the number of seeds in the fruit?
• Do vitamins or fertilizers promote plant growth?
• Do fertilizers extend plant life during a drought ?
• Does leaf size affect plant transpiration rates?
• Can plant spices inhibit bacterial growth ?
• Do different types of artificial light affect plant growth?
• Does soil pH affect plant growth?
• Do carnivorous plants prefer certain insects?
• Guide to the 6 Kingdoms of Life
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• Gram Positive vs. Gram Negative Bacteria
• Animal Studies and School Project Ideas
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• 10 Facts About Pollen
• Nematoda: Roundworms
• Is Spontaneous Generation Real?
• Parts of a Flowering Plant
• 5 Tricks Plants Use to Lure Pollinators
• Carnivorous Plants
• Mutualism: Symbiotic Relationships
• The Photosynthesis Formula: Turning Sunlight into Energy
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70 Best High School Science Fair Projects in Every Subject

Fire up the Bunsen burners!

For even more free science ideas and printables,  head to our science hub!  You’ll find resources in every science subject for middle and high school.

The cool thing about high school science fair projects is that kids are old enough to tackle some pretty amazing concepts. Some science experiments for high school are just advanced versions of simpler projects they did when they were younger, with detailed calculations or fewer instructions. Other projects involve fire, chemicals, or other materials they weren’t old enough to use before.

Note: Many of these projects can be used as classroom labs as well as science fair projects. Feel free to adapt them as needed for your students’ individual projects, or use them as full-class activities every student will enjoy. However you plan to use the projects, just consider variables that you can change up, like materials or other parameters.

To make it easier to find the right high school science fair project idea for you, we’ve rated all the projects by difficulty and the materials needed:

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
• Biology and Life Sciences High School Science Fair Projects

Chemistry High School Science Fair Projects

Physics high school science fair projects, engineering high school stem fair projects, biology and life science high school science fair projects.

Explore the living world with these biology science project ideas, learning more about plants, animals, the environment, and much more.

FEATURED PICK

Ward’s Science Engage Kit : Fighting phyto viruses

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Easy (Everything is provided for you!)

In this activity, your students will step into the shoes of an R&D intern at an agricultural biotech company. They’ll dig into a new plant crop virus and brainstorm solutions to tackle it!

Ward’s Science Engage Kits are an amazing way to bring more inquiry-based activities into your classroom. The kits come with everything you need to complete hands-on labs with your class. Your students will develop their critical questioning, research, and teamwork skills while working to solve problems that feel real and important.

Extract DNA from an onion

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Medium

You don’t need a lot of supplies to perform this experiment, but it’s impressive nonetheless. Turn this into a science fair project by trying it with other fruits and vegetables too.

Re-create Mendel’s pea plant experiment

Gregor Mendel’s pea plant experiments were some of the first to explore inherited traits and genetics. Try your own cross-pollination experiments with fast-growing plants like peas or beans.

Make plants move with light

By this age, kids know that many plants move toward sunlight, a process known as phototropism. So high school science fair projects on this topic need to introduce variables into the process, like covering seedling parts with different materials to see the effects.

Test the 5-second rule

We’d all like to know the answer to this one: Is it really safe to eat food you’ve dropped on the floor? Design and conduct an experiment to find out (although we think we might already know the answer).

Find out if color affects taste

Just how interlinked are all our senses? Does the sight of food affect how it tastes? Find out with a fun food science fair project like this one!

See the effects of antibiotics on bacteria

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Advanced

Bacteria can be divided into two groups: gram-positive and gram-negative. In this experiment, students first determine the two groups, then try the effects of various antibiotics on them. You can get a gram stain kit , bacillus cereus and rhodospirillum rubrum cultures, and antibiotic discs from Home Science Tools.

Learn more: Antibiotics Project

Witness the carbon cycle in action

Experiment with the effects of light on the carbon cycle. Make this science fair project even more interesting by adding some small aquatic animals like snails or fish into the mix.

Learn more: Carbon Cycle

Look for cell mitosis in an onion

Cell mitosis (division) is actually easy to see in action when you look at onion root tips under a microscope. Students will be amazed to see science theory become science reality right before their eyes. Adapt this lab into a high school science fair project by applying the process to other organisms too.

Test the effects of disinfectants

Grow bacteria in a petri dish along with paper disks soaked in various antiseptics and disinfectants. You’ll be able to see which ones effectively inhibit bacteria growth.

Learn more: Effectiveness of Antiseptics and Disinfectants

Pit hydroponics against soil

Growing vegetables without soil (hydroponics) is a popular trend, allowing people to garden just about anywhere.

More Life Sciences and Biology Science Fair Projects for High School

Use these questions and ideas to design your own experiment:

• Explore ways to prevent soil erosion.
• What are the most accurate methods of predicting various weather patterns?
• Try out various fertilization methods to find the best and safest way to increase crop yield.
• What’s the best way to prevent mold growth on food for long-term storage?
• Does exposure to smoke or other air pollutants affect plant growth?
• Compare the chemical and/or bacterial content of various water sources (bottled, tap, spring, well water, etc.).
• Explore ways to clean up after an oil spill on land or water.
• Conduct a wildlife field survey in a given area and compare it to results from previous surveys.
• Find a new use for plastic bottles or bags to keep them out of landfills.
• Devise a way to desalinate seawater and make it safe to drink.

Bunsen burners, beakers and test tubes, and the possibility of (controlled) explosions? No wonder chemistry is such a popular topic for high school science fair projects!

Break apart covalent bonds

Break the covalent bond of H 2 O into H and O with this simple experiment. You only need simple supplies for this one. Turn it into a science fair project by changing up the variables—does the temperature of the water matter? What happens if you try this with other liquids?

Learn more: Covalent Bonds

Measure the calories in various foods

Are the calorie counts on your favorite snacks accurate? Build your own calorimeter and find out! This kit from Home Science Tools has all the supplies you’ll need.

Detect latent fingerprints

Forensic science is engrossing and can lead to important career opportunities too. Explore the chemistry needed to detect latent (invisible) fingerprints, just like they do for crime scenes!

Learn more: Fingerprints Project

Use Alka-Seltzer to explore reaction rate

Difficulty: Easy / Materials: Easy

Tweak this basic concept to create a variety of high school chemistry science fair projects. Change the temperature, surface area, pressure, and more to see how reaction rates change.

Determine whether sports drinks provide more electrolytes than OJ

Are those pricey sports drinks really worth it? Try this experiment to find out. You’ll need some special equipment for this one; buy a complete kit at Home Science Tools .

Turn flames into a rainbow

You’ll need to get your hands on a few different chemicals for this experiment, but the wow factor will make it worth the effort! Make it a science project by seeing if different materials, air temperature, or other factors change the results.

Discover the size of a mole

The mole is a key concept in chemistry, so it’s important to ensure students really understand it. This experiment uses simple materials like salt and chalk to make an abstract concept more concrete. Make it a project by applying the same procedure to a variety of substances, or determining whether outside variables have an effect on the results.

Learn more: How Big Is a Mole?

Cook up candy to learn mole and molecule calculations

This edible experiment lets students make their own peppermint hard candy while they calculate mass, moles, molecules, and formula weights. Tweak the formulas to create different types of candy and make this into a sweet science fair project!

Learn more: Candy Chemistry

Make soap to understand saponification

Take a closer look at an everyday item: soap! Use oils and other ingredients to make your own soap, learning about esters and saponification. Tinker with the formula to find one that fits a particular set of parameters.

Learn more: Saponification

Uncover the secrets of evaporation

Explore the factors that affect evaporation, then come up with ways to slow them down or speed them up for a simple science fair project.

Learn more: Evaporation

More Chemistry Science Fair Projects for High School

These questions and ideas can spark ideas for a unique experiment:

• Compare the properties of sugar and artificial sweeteners.
• Explore the impact of temperature, concentration, and seeding on crystal growth.
• Test various antacids on the market to find the most effective product.
• What is the optimum temperature for yeast production when baking bread from scratch?
• Compare the vitamin C content of various fruits and vegetables.
• How does temperature affect enzyme-catalyzed reactions?
• Investigate the effects of pH on an acid-base chemical reaction.
• Devise a new natural way to test pH levels (such as cabbage leaves).
• What’s the best way to slow down metal oxidation (the form of rust)?
• How do changes in ingredients and method affect the results of a baking recipe?

When you think of physics science projects for high school, the first thing that comes to mind is probably the classic build-a-bridge. But there are plenty of other ways for teens to get hands-on with physics concepts. Here are some to try.

Remove the air in a DIY vacuum chamber

You can use a vacuum chamber to do lots of cool high school science fair projects, but a ready-made one can be expensive. Try this project to make your own with basic supplies.

Learn more: Vacuum Chamber

Put together a mini Tesla coil

Looking for a simple but showy high school science fair project? Build your own mini Tesla coil and wow the crowd!

Boil water in a paper cup

Logic tells us we shouldn’t set a paper cup over a heat source, right? Yet it’s actually possible to boil water in a paper cup without burning the cup up! Learn about heat transfer and thermal conductivity with this experiment. Go deeper by trying other liquids like honey to see what happens.

Build a better light bulb

Emulate Thomas Edison and build your own simple light bulb. You can turn this into a science fair project by experimenting with different types of materials for filaments.

Measure the speed of light—with your microwave

Grab an egg and head to your microwave for this surprisingly simple experiment. By measuring the distance between cooked portions of egg whites, you’ll be able to calculate the wavelength of the microwaves in your oven and, in turn, the speed of light.

Generate a Lichtenberg figure

See electricity in action when you generate and capture a Lichtenberg figure with polyethylene sheets, wood, or even acrylic and toner. Change the electrical intensity and materials to see what types of patterns you can create.

Learn more: Lichtenberg Figure

Explore the power of friction with sticky-note pads

Difficulty: Medium / Materials: Basic

Ever try to pull a piece of paper out of the middle of a big stack? It’s harder than you’d think! That’s due to the power of friction. In this experiment, students interleave the sheets of two sticky-note pads, then measure how much weight it takes to pull them apart. The results are astonishing!

Build a cloud chamber to prove background radiation

Ready to dip your toe into particle physics? Learn about background radiation and build a cloud chamber to prove the existence of muons.

Measure the effect of temperature on resistance

This is a popular and classic science fair experiment in physics. You’ll need a few specialized supplies, but they’re pretty easy to find.

Learn more: Temperature and Resistance

Launch the best bottle rocket

A basic bottle rocket is pretty easy to build, but it opens the door to lots of different science fair projects. Design a powerful launcher, alter the rocket so it flies higher or farther, or use only recycled materials for your flyer.

More Physics Science Fair Projects for High School

Design your own experiment in response to these questions and prompts.

• Determine the most efficient solar panel design and placement.
• What’s the best way to eliminate friction between two objects?
• Explore the best methods of insulating an object against heat loss.
• What effect does temperature have on batteries when stored for long periods of time?
• Test the effects of magnets or electromagnetic fields on plants or other living organisms.
• Determine the best angle and speed of a bat swing in baseball.
• What’s the best way to soundproof an area or reduce noise produced by an item?
• Explore methods for reducing air resistance in automotive design.
• Use the concepts of torque and rotation to perfect a golf swing.
• Compare the strength and durability of various building materials.

Many schools are changing up their science fairs to STEM fairs to encourage students with an interest in engineering to participate. Many great engineering science fair projects start with a STEM challenge, like those shown here. Use these ideas to spark a full-blown project to build something new and amazing!

Construct a model maglev train

Maglev trains may just be the future of mass transportation. Build a model at home, and explore ways to implement the technology on a wider basis.

Learn more: Maglev Model Train

Design a more efficient wind turbine

Wind energy is renewable, making it a good solution for the fossil fuel problem. For a smart science fair project, experiment to find the most efficient wind turbine design for a given situation.

Re-create Da Vinci’s flying machine

Da Vinci sketched several models of “flying machines” and hoped to soar through the sky. Do some research into his models and try to reconstruct one of your own.

Learn more: Da Vinci Flying Machine

Design a heart-rate monitor

Smartwatches are ubiquitous these days, so pretty much anyone can wear a heart-rate monitor on their wrist. But do they work any better than one you can build yourself? Get the specialized items you need like the Arduino LilyPad Board on Amazon.

Race 3D printed cars

3D printers are a marvel of the modern era, and budding engineers should definitely learn to use them. Use Tinkercad or a similar program to design and print race cars that can support a defined weight, then see which can roll the fastest! (No 3D printer in your STEM lab? Check the local library. Many of them have 3D printers available for patrons to use.)

Learn more: 3D Printed STEM Racers

Grow veggies in a hydroponic garden

Hydroponics is the gardening wave of the future, making it easy to grow plants anywhere with minimal soil required. For a science fair STEM engineering challenge, design and construct your own hydroponic garden capable of growing vegetables to feed a family. This model is just one possible option.

Learn more: Vertical Hydroponic Farm

Grab items with a mechanical claw

Delve into robotics with this engineering project. This kit includes all the materials you need, with complete video instructions. Once you’ve built the basic structure, tinker around with the design to improve its strength, accuracy, or other traits.

Buy it: Hydraulic Claw

Construct a crystal radio

Return to the good old days and build a radio from scratch. This makes a cool science fair project if you experiment with different types of materials for the antenna. It takes some specialized equipment, but fortunately, Home Science Tools has an all-in-one kit for this project.

Learn more: Crystal Radio

Build a burglar alarm

The challenge? Set up a system to alert you when someone has broken into your house or classroom. This can take any form students can dream up, and you can customize this STEM high school science experiment for multiple skill levels. Keep it simple with an alarm that makes a sound that can be heard from a specified distance. Or kick it up a notch and require the alarm system to send a notification to a cell phone, like the project at the link.

Learn more: Intruder Alarm

Walk across a plastic bottle bridge

Balsa wood bridges are OK, but this plastic bottle bridge is really impressive! In fact, students can build all sorts of structures using the concept detailed at the link. It’s the ultimate upcycled STEM challenge!

Learn more: TrussFab Structures

Looking for more science content? Check out the Best Science Websites for Middle and High School .

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Top 30 Biology Experiments for High-School

The field of biology offers a wide range of fascinating experiments that can deepen our understanding of the living world around us. From studying the behavior of cells to investigating the intricacies of ecosystems, biologists use a variety of methods to uncover the secrets of life.

We’ve compiled a captivating list of 30 biology experiments that are both educational and fun and also suitable for a wide range of ages.

These hands-on educational activities will not only deepen your appreciation for the intricacies of life but also fuel your curiosity and passion for scientific exploration.

So, roll up your sleeves, gather your lab equipment, and prepare to embark on an exciting adventure through the fascinating world of biology-based science experiments!

1. Grow a Butterfly

Students can gain knowledge about the various phases of development, from the egg to the larva to the pupa to the adult butterfly, by studying and taking care of a butterfly during its whole life cycle. This offers students a special chance to learn about the insect life cycle and the metamorphosis process.

Learn more: Elemental Science

2. Dissecting a Flower

Dissecting a flower can aid students in honing their analytical and observational skills. This may also aid in their comprehension of how a flower’s various components interact to facilitate reproduction, which is the flower’s main objective.

Learn More: How to Dissect a Flower

3. Extracting a DNA

The extraction of DNA is an excellent experiment for high school students to gain a better understanding of the principles of molecular biology and genetics. This experiment  helps students to understand the importance of DNA in research and its applications in various fields, such as medicine, biotechnology, and forensics.

Learn more: Extracting DNA

4. Looking at Fingerprints

Exploring fingerprints can be a fun and intriguing experiment. This experiment encourages students to develop their problem-solving skills and attention to detail, as they must carefully analyze and compare the various fingerprint patterns.

Fingerprint analysis is a fascinating and engaging experiment that can spark an interest in forensic science and provide students with a hands-on learning experience.

Learn more: Directions to Examine a Fingerprint

5. Cultivate Bacteria on Home Made Agar

This experiment provides a hands-on learning experience for students to understand the principles of microbiology and the techniques used in bacterial culture.

This experiment can also help students to understand the importance of bacteria in our daily lives, their role in human health, and their applications in various fields, such as biotechnology and environmental science.  

Learn more: Grow bacteria on Homemade Agar Plates

6. Make a Bioluminescent Lamp

This experiment provides an excellent opportunity for high school students to learn about bioluminescence and the principles of genetic engineering.

Creating a bioluminescent lamp is a fun and engaging way to explore the intersection of biology, chemistry, and physics, making it a perfect experiment for students interested in science and technology.

Learn more: Make Glowing Water

7. Make Plants Move with Light

This experiment can help students understand the role of light in plant growth and photosynthesis and the importance of light as an environmental factor for plant survival. 

Learn more: Experiments with Phototropism

8. Test the Five-Second Rule

The “5-second rule” experiment is a simple and fun way to investigate the validity of the popular belief that it is safe to eat food that has been dropped on the ground for less than 5 seconds.

The experiment is an engaging and informative way to explore the science behind a common belief and promote critical thinking and scientific inquiry among students.

Learn more: Five Second Rule

9. Examine How Antibiotics Affect Bacteria

This experiment is an excellent opportunity for high school students to develop their laboratory skills, such as aseptic technique and bacterial culture, and understand the principles of antibiotic resistance and its implications for human health.

Examining how antibiotics affect bacteria is a fascinating and educational experiment that promotes scientific inquiry and critical thinking among students.

Learn more: Learn About Bacteria

10. Look for Cell Mitosis in an Onion

This experiment is an excellent opportunity for high school students to develop their microscopy skills and understand the biological basis of growth and development in plants. This experiment is a fun and informative way to explore the world of cells and their role in the growth and development of living organisms.

Learn more: Onion Root Mitosis

11. Test the Effects of Disinfectants

Testing the effects of disinfectants is an important process in determining their efficacy in killing or reducing the number of microorganisms on a surface or object. Disinfectants can be hazardous if not used correctly, and testing their effects can help students understand how to use them safely.

Students can learn about proper handling techniques and how to interpret safety labels and warning signs.

Learn more: Antiseptic and Disinfectants

12. Microwave Seed Gardening

Microwave seed gardening is a quick and efficient method of germinating seeds, microwave seed gardening can be a useful method for starting seeds, but it should be used with care and in conjunction with other germination methods to ensure the best possible results. 

Learn more: Microwave plant

13. Water Bottle Bacteria Swab

This experiment can be a fun and informative way to learn about the importance of keeping water bottles clean and free from harmful bacteria. It can also be used to compare the cleanliness of different types of water bottles, such as metal, plastic, or glass.

Learn more: Swabbing Water Bottles

14. Frog Dissection

Frog dissection can be a valuable tool for teaching anatomy and physiology to high school students, as it provides a comprehensive examination of the internal organs and systems of the frog.

Dissection can be a valuable and engaging experiment for high school students interested in biology and life science.

Learn more: Frog Dissection

15. Witness the Carbon Cycle in Action

By witnessing the carbon cycle in action, learners can gain a better understanding of the interconnectedness of different parts of the Earth’s system and the impact that human activities can have on these processes.

Learn more: Carbon Cycle Lab

16. Investigate the Efficacy of Types of Fertilizer

Investigating the efficacy of different types of fertilizer can be an interesting and informative way to learn about plant growth and nutrition. Investigating the efficacy of different types of fertilizer is a practical and engaging way to learn about plant nutrition and the role of fertilizers in agriculture.

Learn more: Best Fertilizer

17. Explore the Impact of Genetic Modification on Seeds

Exploring the impact of genetic modification on seeds is a fascinating and relevant topic that can spark meaningful discussions and encourage learners to think critically about the role of science and technology in society.

Learn more: Genetically Modified (GM) Crops

18. Yeast Experiment

Another easy to perform experiment for high school students is the yeast. This experiment is simple since all that is required is the removal of four different food samples onto separate plates and a thorough examination of the mold that develops on each sample over time.

Learn more: Grow Yeast Experiment

19. Taste Perception 

The human tongue has specialized taste receptors that respond to five primary tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami (savory). Taste perception plays an important role in determining food preferences and dietary habits, as well as influencing the overall eating experience.

Learn more: Taste perception

20. Pea Plant Genetics

A classic pea plant genetics experiment involves cross breeding pea plants with different traits, such as flower color, seed shape, or pod shape.

This experiment can be conducted in a controlled environment, such as a greenhouse, by manually transferring pollen from one plant to another.

Learn more: Gregor Mendel Pea Experiment

21. Comparing Animal and Plant Cells

Comparing animal and plant cells is an important exercise in biology education. Both animal and plant cells are eukaryotic cells, meaning they contain a nucleus and other membrane-bound organelles.

This exercise can help students understand the structure and function of cells, as well as appreciate the diversity of life on Earth.

Learn more: Comparing Plant Cell and Animal Cell

22.  Testing Bacteria 

Bacteria are easily accessible and can be grown in a laboratory or even at home with simple equipment and materials. This makes it a practical and cost-effective experiment for schools with limited resources.

Learn more: How to grow Bacteria and more

23. The Effect of Light on Growth

Light is a fundamental environmental factor that plays a crucial role in the growth and development of plants. By conducting this experiment, students can gain a deeper understanding of how light affects plant growth and why it is important.

Learn more: The effect of light in Plant Growth

24. Planaria Regeneration

Planaria regeneration allows students to design their own experiments, as they can choose which body parts to remove and study the effects of different variables, such as temperature, pH, or chemical treatments on the regeneration process.

Planaria are easy to obtain and maintain in a laboratory or classroom setting. They are also affordable, making it an ideal experiment for schools with limited resources.

Learn more: Planaria Experiment

25. Making a Seed Board

Making a seed board can be a fun and engaging activity for students, as they can see the progress of their plants over time and share their results with others. It can also foster a sense of responsibility and ownership in caring for their plants.

26. Design an Owl Pellet

Dissecting an owl pellet provides a hands-on learning experience for students, allowing them to practice skills in scientific observation, data collection, and analysis. Students can also learn about the anatomy of the prey species found in the owl pellet.

27. Grow an Herbal Cutting

Growing an herb cutting provides a hands-on learning experience for students, allowing them to practice skills in plant care, experimental design, and data collection. Students can learn about the different stages of plant growth and the factors that affect it.

28. Eat a Cell Model

Creating an edible cell model connects to various disciplines, such as biology, anatomy, and nutrition. Students can learn about the different organelles that make up a cell and their functions, as well as the nutritional value of the food materials used in the model

29. Make a Habitat Diorama

Making a habitat diorama provides a hands-on learning experience for students, allowing them to practice skills in research, creative design, and presentation. Students can learn about different ecosystems and the organisms that inhabit them.

30. Create a Fall Leaf (or Signs of Spring) Journal

Creating a fall leaf (or signs of spring) journal provides a hands-on learning experience for students, allowing them to practice skills in observation, data collection, and analysis. Students can learn about the changes that occur in nature during the fall or spring season.

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• Science Fair Project Ideas for Kids, Middle & High School Students ⋅

Ideas for Controlled Variable Science Projects

Science Projects With Three Variables for Kids in Fifth Grade

Many science projects investigate a combination of independent and controlled variables to see what happens as a result - the dependent variable. To get reliable results from your experiments, you change the independent variables carefully and the controlled variables as little as possible; this ensures that only the things you're interested in affect your experimental results.

Does Sugar Dissolve More Quickly in Warm or Cool Water?

Heat a cup of water while allowing another cup of water to remain cool. Dissolve one teaspoon of sugar in each cup of water. The controlled variable would be the number of times and the pressure used to stir the mixture because added motion of the water may or may not dissolve the sugar more quickly whether the water is warm or cool. Record the amount of undissolved sugar in the bottom of the container.

Does a Plant Grow Better in Direct or Indirect Sunlight?

A science project involving plants has controlled variables in the amount of water given to each plant and the amount and kind of soil in which the plant is living. Place one plant in direct sunlight and the other in a shaded area or indoors to conduct the science experiment. Record daily results in the height of the plant.

Will a Baby Bunny Grow Bigger When Fed Rabbit Food or Fresh Vegetables?

Two rabbits, ideally from the same litter, can be used to conduct a classroom experiment. Give each rabbit a different diet: one of only fresh vegetables such as lettuce, carrots and celery; feed the other rabbit pellets from the pet store. The controlled variable in this experiment would be the weight in food each rabbit receives even though the type of food is different. Record the height, weight and length of the two rabbits each week.

Which Will Clean a Penny Faster, Water or Vinegar?

In two glass containers, place one cup of distilled water in one and white vinegar in the other. Carefully drop a dirty penny into each container of liquid and record the changes in the penny's appearance over the course of one week. The controlled variable is in the amount of liquid used to clean each penny.

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Easy Plant Science Experiments for the Classroom

Working with seeds and leaves can teach your students about much more than capillary action, germination, and photosynthesis. It can provide valuable lessons in caring for living things, collecting data, and using the scientific method.

The following hands-on plant science activities are easy to integrate into your kindergarten, elementary, or middle school classroom. Although we’ve grouped them according to age, some work well with children of all ages and several can be easily adapted for different age groups and abilities.

Some can be done in the course of a single afternoon, others may lead to long-term observations of a plant’s progress or even a class garden that can be transferred outside in the spring.

Science Seedlings for K-2 Learners

Teaching children about how plants work is often a simple a matter of building on their natural curiosity. Your kindergarten and elementary students may have questions about how plants “eat,” “drink,” or grow.

Here are a few simple experiments to start with:

How leaves get water

What leaves need to germinate

How water travels through plants

How leaves breathe

If fresh pine cones are readily available in your area, you might also discuss what pine cones are for, and show your students why they open and close.

K-2 students are also ready to grow and germinate seedlings – beans happen to be easy to germinate and very inexpensive to work with. With some natural light and a wet paper towel, you can germinate seeds in plastic bags so that students can see the gradual changes in the seeds as they opens up.

Some simple experiments with seeds in small plastic cups or egg cartons can also teach students exactly what seeds need in order to grow.

Even at this age, your students can record brief observations such as whether they watered a plant and how tall it has become. Filling in a simple chart like this one to monitor plant growth lets nascent readers and writers practice their literacy skills while being scientists.

Herbs like basil, mint, and thyme work well in classrooms because they grow quickly, as does aloe vera, which requires hardly any maintenance.

Going Beyond Germination in Grades 3–5

Older students can not only handle the responsibility of caring for plants in the classroom, they can also work with more challenging varieties of plants. They can even begin designing experiments by choosing subjects and isolating variables.

For example, they might try sprouting the same species in different types of soils, or do the opposite, and test out a variety of seeds in the soil native to your area.

Growing “spuds in tubs” or “cabbage clones” in the classroom gives your students a taste of traditional agriculture – and they may actually be able to eat what they produce!

Working with plant clones is also an easy way to introduce the notion that different living things reproduce in different ways – a biological fundamental that may very well amaze your students. You could also connect these activities to lessons in history and geography: a unit about Eastern Europe or Ireland, for example.

The way leaves change color in the fall is fascinating no matter how old you are, and discovering the different pigments which make that change possible is a great way for students to begin learning about photosynthesis.

Try out this activity near the start of the school year, when the leaves in your area are likely still green. Then, when the leaves start changing in the fall, make sure to reflect back on the experiment and see if your class could predict what colors their local trees would become.

Branching Out in the Middle Years

Starting in sixth grade, students are ready to truly start experimenting with plants. They can begin using the scientific method to perform and design plant science experiments, and begin exploring the many places where plant science intersects with engineering, chemistry, physics.

Understanding photosynthesis is a key launching point for plant science explorations in high school and beyond. However, all too often photosynthesis is taught as a complex chemical equation, which can be difficult for students to remember or comprehend.

This low-tech experiment with leaf disks has become a classic because it enables students to see and document photosynthesis while it’s happening. It also helps them remember the elements necessary for photosynthesis to occur: light, water, and carbon.

The idea that plants need light is something younger schoolchildren can easily grasp. Older students can develop and deepen that knowledge by experimenting with phototropism: plants’ tendency to grow towards their light source.

Students could conduct experiments to see what color of light different plant species prefer. You could also challenge your them to design and build shoebox mazes for plants to navigate while growing towards the light.

With these experiments, you can either give your students a clear goal and directions to follow, or you can encourage your students to create their own hypotheses and design experiments to test them.

As your students gain more knowledge of biology and ecology, you can incorporate plant science experiments into larger units about the environment. For example, here is a simple experiment in which students test how man-made chemicals affect the growth of algae. Like terrestrial plans, algae depends on photosynthesis, but it also grows relatively quickly, so you’ll be able to see results within only one or two weeks.

This water filtration experiment demonstrates how essential plants are for the welfare of our soil and water. To get started, create three miniature milk-carton landscapes: one with living plants, one with dead leaves and sticks, and one with no plant matter at all. Then, pour water into each of them and harvest whatever “groundwater” drips out. The landscape with plants should have the clearest groundwater of all.

To take this experiment to a higher level, have your students perform a couple of chemical tests on your groundwater using paper test strips. You may be surprised to discover what chemicals the soil contains!

Creating Strong Scientific Roots

Classroom plant science is about much more than basic agriculture. It’s an essential step for children in learning how science works and in becoming good environmental stewards. It can be incredibly rewarding for your students and, through hands-on experience, give them lessons in problem solving, patience, diligence and teamwork that will last a lifetime.

Check out more plant science links over on our Pinterest board , and tell us about your plant science experiments, too. What plant science hypotheses have your students tested? What have you grown in your classroom?

Rebecca Reynandez

One comment on “ easy plant science experiments for the classroom ”.

Love these ideas

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Botany Science Projects for High School Students

If you’re a high school student with an avid interest in botany, you’re already way past the bean-in-the-paper-cup phase, you’ve done the, “Which fertilizer makes the plants grow best?” experiment to death, and you already know the answers to, “What conditions make seeds germinate fastest?” and, “How well do plants grow if they’re missing an important nutrient?” You’re ready for something different and more challenging, whether it’s for a school project, a science fair project, or for your own interests. Here are several projects that you might try.

SELF-POLLINATION VS. CROSS-POLLINATION While some plants, such as peas, self-pollinate very well, others are structured in such a way as to assure cross-pollination. What would happen if flowers that usually cross-pollinate were self-pollinated instead? For this experiment, consider using Wisconsin Fast Plants (http://www.fastplants.org/), which carry out their entire life cycle in less than a month if grown under constant lighting. See the Bottle Biology website (http://www.bottlebiology.org/) for plans for an inexpensive growth chamber (http://www.bottlebiology.org/basics/lighthouse.html). The flowers of Fast Plants have long pistils and short stamens, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, for them to self-pollinate. You can easily cross-pollinate the plants by gently touching the flowers with a cotton swab, carrying pollen from flower to flower as an insect would. To self-pollinate the flowers, use a pair of tweezers to remove one ripe anther from a stamen and gently dab it on the pistil of the same flower. Once the plants set seed, wait for the fruits to ripen, then count the seeds in the fruits and examine their quality. Which plants set the most seeds: the cross-pollinated plants or the selfed plants? Was there any difference in the size and development of the seeds? Try germinating the seeds from each set of plants, either on moist soil or moist paper towels. Is there a difference in germination rates?

PLANT GENETICS Because of their rapid life cycle, Wisconsin Fast Plants are also good subjects for plant genetics experiments. The Fast Plants website (http://www.fastplants.org/) describes the various genetic variations available: colors, leaf hair types, tall and dwarf plants. You can use these plants to set up experimental crosses, predict the results, cross the plants, save their seeds, then grow the offspring to test your predictions. While the outcomes of most of these crosses are already well known, see if you can come up with some novel crosses, or try some selective breeding to see if you can enhance a particular trait. If your science teacher has an ultraviolet light, you could see if exposing the young flowers to UV radiation before pollination creates mutations in the ovules or pollen that affect the resulting offspring.

BOTANICAL CENSUS Choose a natural area to study where you can observe native plants. Get a good field guide to plants of that area, and do a thorough census of all the plants you can find within a plot that you mark out within that area. You may want to recruit the help of a professional botanist the first time you visit the area to help you identify the plants. Create a plant list for the area, and determine how much of the area is influenced by each species. There are a number of ways you can do this. One way is to use stakes and string to create a transect across the plot, then list the plants along the transect and count their numbers. Percent cover is another way to determine influence, especially within a forest. A single tree may not touch your transect, but the canopy of the tree may shade the plot. You might compare two plots in two different areas and describe why there are different plants living there, or examine the same plot in different seasons to describe the changes.

NATIVE PLANT LIFE HISTORY While the whole plant life cycle may seem like elementary school science, many native plants have not been closely studied and there are still mysteries about their life cycle yet to be discovered. Select a seasonal native flowering plant in your area and do a thorough study of the species. Record when the plant first appears, when it flowers, and when it dies back. Observe it frequently during its flowering time to see which insects visit it. See if you can catch some of the insects and remove pollen from them. Under a good microscope, compare the pollen from the insect to the pollen you harvest from the anthers of the flowers. Does the insect actually carry pollen from your chosen species? That’s a good indication that the insect is a pollinator of that flower. A professional botanist may be able to suggest several natives in your area that have not been well-studied, and whose pollinator may not be known. You might make new discoveries!

PLANT CLONING EXPERIMENTS Horticulturists have been cloning plants for years. The easiest way to clone a plant is to take a cutting, dip the cutting in rooting compound, and place the cutting in a sterile growth medium such as perlite or sterile seed-starting mix. Try setting up an experiment with different concentrations of the rooting compound (which can be purchased at a garden center).

Plants can also be cloned from a tissue callus. The techniques go well beyond the scope of this article, but inexpensive tissue culture kits can be purchased from science supply houses such as Boreal Labs (http://sciencekit.com/) or Carolina Biological Supply (http://www.carolina.com/). Once you’ve tried the basic techniques with the kits, design an experiment of your own. You might change the level of one of the nutrients, or try growing tissue from various garden plants to see if they can be cloned using the same techniques. Check the websites of these companies for even more advanced ideas in botany.

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18 Must-Try Science Experiments for High School: From Basic Chemistry to Complex Reactions

P5 have been looking at changes of state in science, and today investigated the water cycle! We did an experiment with water & food colouring in a plastic bag to see if we could see any changes, and noticed signs of evaporation and condensation inside the bag @SLC_RAiSE #Science pic.twitter.com/cla3opitiT — Burgh Primary School (@BurghPrimary) October 25, 2023

Experiment 1: Investigating Osmosis with Potato Slices

Experiment 2: Making a Homemade Volcano

Experiment 3: exploring density with oil and water, experiment 4: building a simple electric motor.

High school students possess an innate curiosity, constantly seeking to understand the world around them. Dive deep into the captivating realm of electromagnetism with this enlightening project, revealing the intricate process that enables an electric motor to effortlessly transform electrical impulses into tangible mechanical movements. As students embark on this hands-on journey, they’ll gain an intimate appreciation for the underlying principles that power much of today’s technology.

Experience the mesmerizing magnificence of an electric motor as this video unravels the mystery behind its seamless conversion of electrical energy into mechanical power. Unlock the inner workings of this wonder machine in the science projects for high school.