Many science-inclined students would wish to conduct a home-based high school biology experiment, especially during the holidays. The love and pursuit of science is motivated by an urge to discover how physical elements in the world work. This is best understood by conducting experiments that test various processes and substances. Whether in classroom setups, at home or in laboratories, scientific experimentation is the most excellent way a high school student can comprehend most science subjects, more so biology.
By experiments, we refer to procedures that demonstrate a natural process in a way that consolidates the practical understanding of its occurrence in the physical world. In this regard, high school biology is one branch of the sciences that relies heavily on experimentation. It is the scientific study (via experiments) of living things, both plants and animals. High school students who develop a love for biology usually spend a lot of time in the laboratory trying to learn the numerous interesting processes and living things the subject covers. Incidentally, there are many simple, insightful and interesting biological experiments that one can conduct at home even without the access to laboratories.
One such experiment is for high school biology and which can be conducted at home is vermicomposting. Vermicomposting is a complex process usually carried out by companies and research centers on a very large scale. For high school biology, the process can be experimented on using a small bin at home on a small scale for learning purposes. This is an interesting undertaking that allows the student to experiment on earthworms and their value in increasing agricultural land fertility and why the earthworms are usually called farmers friends. Basically, earthworms are responsible for most decomposing processes in the soil that breaks down and transforms plant material in the soil to components of the soil itself.
For the experiment, a student will need a metal or plastic bin with a fitting but removable lid. The student should also ensure that the bin has holes in the sides to enable flow of air. The bin should be placed in temperature range of between 120 C and 210 C especially inside the bin (a basic thermometer should be used to measure this). To start the experiment, the student should prepare a bedding of soil at the bottom of the bin. Secondly some dried leaves should be placed on top of the soil and then some damp kitchen waste placed on top most layers. This arrangement is reminiscent of what happens naturally when plant materials fall on the ground (on top of the soil) and then wet compost or other rotting materials land on top of the foliage cover.
The top-most layer is what provides worms with a natural habitat to thrive in. For high school biology students, the intent here is to observe the behavior of earthworms as they dominate the controlled environment. To begin with, they transverse to and from the three different layers and in the process mix up these layers of soil completely. Within a few days, the three layers have been turned upside down. This process helps in increasing soil aeration which is vital for germination to occur and for the establishment of roots as plants grow. The warms also excrete and this increases the nitrogen levels in the soil as well as its fertility.
This is just one type of home-based experiments that a high school biology student can find interesting and insightful. One can come up with many similar biology experimentation ideas by simply observing the natural environment at home expanse and improvising on the apparatus found around the house.