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Elementary Earth Science Experiments on the Rain Forest

The National Geographic states that more than 50,000 square miles of Brazil's rainforests were cleared between 2000 and 2005, and this pattern continues. Earth's rainforests have a wealth of resources; for example, the National Cancer Institute notes that over 70 percent of known anti-cancer plants are rainforest plants. Earth science experiments can teach students how the rainforest works and what kinds of unique plants and animals exist in rainforests today.

Examining Rainforest Plants
- One common rainforest plant is the bromeliad, a plant with long, curved gutter-like leaves that catch water and take it to the roots. Because the bromeliad and pineapple are relative plants, you can buy a fresh pineapple at the grocery store to use for this experiment. To plant a pineapple and watch it grow, slice off the top with three inches of the fruit. Planting it in potting soil and placing it outside, you can watch how it collects water and becomes a home to insects and worms like a bromeliad does in the rainforest.
Model Rainforest Habitats
- Making a rainforest terrarium allows you to see a miniature rainforest and how it works. A fish tank or a halved two-liter bottle can work as a container. You can imitate rainforest soil by lining the bottom with charcoal, gravel and then potting soil. Plant and water small tropical plants such as ferns, cover the terrarium and place it in a warm, sunny place. You can then observe the water cycle of the model rainforest and the thriving environment first-hand.
Rainforest as a Sponge
- Students need a mound of potting soil in two shallow pans for this experiment. Place a sponge on top of one of the mounds. Water each mound the same amount. The soil with the sponge stays damp much longer than the soil without the sponge. This demonstrates how plants of the rainforest are able to effectively gather water from heavy rains with roots and leaves and hold it for extended periods of time, while soil without vegetation erodes and causes runoff.
Rainforest Deforestation and Erosion
- You need one hanging potted plant with drain holes and one similar empty hanging pot for this experiment, along with potting soil, two drain dishes and a watering can. Add soil to the empty pot and hang both close to the ground with drain dishes underneath them. Give both pots a substantial amount of water. Observers can watch the soil drain out of the empty pot because plant roots aren't holding it together. This shows how deforestation and erosion go hand in hand.

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