A Hydroponic Lesson Plan
The same qualities that make hydroponics attractive for commercial growers--less mess, no soil-born diseases, speedy production, and visible root growth--also make hydroponics an ideal teaching tool. Demonstrating that plants can grow without soil is fascinating to students. And a variety of fun and inexpensive classroom experiments have been developed that rely on hydroponic plant culture to teach diverse aspects of plant biology. Since nutrient supply can be precisely controlled in hydroponic systems, experimenting with plant nutrition is an exciting application of hydroponics in the classroom.
This experiment in plant mineral nutrition doesn’t require expensive equipment. Anyone can assemble a cheap, effective hydroponic system from an aquarium air pump and old jars. And, if teachers have access to the proper chemicals (possibly in your chemistry lab at school), they can make their own nutrient solutions.
