Agricultural Science Starter Lab Station
These are the 10 lab videos that go with the Agriculture starter and extension equipment. You may preview and download individual student lab activities as well as view detailed information regarding what files are included such as setup and example data files.
Grade Level: High School
Subject: Biology • Environmental Science
Activities
01) Determining Soil Quality
In this lab, students use carbon dioxide, conductivity, and pH sensors to determine the quality of different soil samples.
02) Water Treatment
In this lab, students will model several water treatment methods. Then they will use pH, conductivity, and turbidity sensors to assess the effectiveness of each filter.
03) Freshwater Quality Monitoring
In this lab, students assess the local water quality using measurements from pH, conductivity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity sensors.
04) Respiration of Germinating Seeds
In this lab, students will monitor the respiration rate of germinating seeds in different conditions. Then, they'll analyze their data as it pertains to cellular activity and discuss optimal germination conditions for various species.
05) Plant Pigments and Photosynthesis
In this lab, students will separate plant pigments from a sample using paper chromatography and measure the light reactions of photosynthesis using a colorimetric substitute for NADPH.
06) Plant Respiration and Photosynthesis
In this lab, students will monitor a plant's carbon exchange within a closed system in both light and dark conditions to determine the dominant metabolic pathway.
07) Modeling an Ecosystem
In this lab, students will design and study three, small ecosystems. Students will manipulate system interactions while monitoring gas exchange, environmental conditions, and subject health.
08) Greenhouse Gases
In this lab, students will create and study greenhouse gases in a closed system to observe how gases impact a system's heat retention.
09) Energy Content of Food
In this lab, students will build a calorimeter to measure the energy content of foods containing dominant macromolecules (carbohydrates vs. lipids). Then, they'll relate their results to energy storage.
10) Diffusion
In this lab, students will measure the pH, conductivity, and absorbance of a model cell containing a semi-permeable membrane to better understand cell regulation.
