This experiment can teach students how to purify water. The student will need muddy water, alum, beakers, filter stands, a glass funnel, filter paper, a glass rod and two tall glass jars. The experiment initially will test methods of filtration by running muddy water through a glass funnel and filter paper using a glass rod to direct the water into the filter. The second portion of the experiment will focus on the effects of alum, a purification chemical, added to the water, and on how long it takes to purify the water in the jars after it has run through the filter.
Composting can be a valuable environmental science experiment for a student to perform, because it teaches her the essentials of an important gardening technique. In this experiment, the student will determine whether composting is nature's own way of recycling. The student will prepare her own compost in a plastic bin, which you can purchase at a hardware store. Have the student create compost using grass clippings, leaves, kitchen leftovers and soil. This experiment will take up to four weeks to complete, so provide the student ample time.
Does music affect how fast plants grow? Have a student perform an environmental science project to find out whether this commonly held belief is true. For this experiment, the student will need three plants of the same type, two CD players, a rock CD, a classical music CD, measuring tape, labels and paper. Place each plant in its own room. One will "listen" to rock music, one will listen to classical, and the third plant will listen to nothing. The project will take one week to complete; the student will measure the growth and overall health of each type of plant and chart the results.
There is no better way to teach a student about what goes into his body than by showing him the amount of sugar that is in each can of soda. This chemistry experiment will require some parental supervision, since the student will need to use the stove top. The student will also need a scale, saucepan, can of soda, sugar, spoon, measuring cups and a glass container to complete the project. In this project, the student will weigh a saucepan with liquid soda in it. The student will then boil the soda until it turns into a thick, gooey, sugary substance. The saucepan and sugar mixture will be weighed again to determine how much sugar by weight is present in the soda itself, and what percentage of the soda's total weight that represents.