Bottle Biology | TerrAqua Investigation Column | Build

Build a TerrAqua Investigation Column (option 1)

Build Option 1 | Build Option 2

Option 1

Materials

One 2-liter soda bottle
One bottle cap
Tool Box
Wicking material-fabric interfacing or cotton string
Water, soil and plants

Step 1 – Remove label from the 2-liter bottle. Cut bottle 1 cm below shoulder.

Bottle #1

Step 2 – Poke or drill a 1 cm hole in bottle cap.

Step 3 – Thread a thoroughly wet wick strip through bottle top, invert top, and set into base. Wick should reach bottom of reservoir and thread loosely through cap.

Step 4 – Fill reservoir with water. Add soil and plants to top chamber. To be effective, the wick should run up into soil, not be plastered along a side of the bottle. For better drainage, place a layer of gravel, sand or vermiculite in the bottom of the soil unit.

Bottle Biology, an instructional materials development program, was funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation administered by the University of Wisconsin-Madison.