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Resources · Before university

The High School Track

18 real, verifiable science experiments across seven disciplines, done at home with easy-to-buy materials. Every full procedure below is free to read for anyone, no account needed, click any experiment to see the complete step-by-step method. An account (and a parent/guardian's confirmation if you're under 18) is only needed once you're ready to submit your own results.

Molecular Biology & Genetics

Fruit DNA extraction (strawberry, banana, or kiwi)

Strawberries/bananas, Naivas, Quickmart, Chandarana, or any open-air market, bananas ~KSh 10–20 each, strawberries ~KSh 150–300/punnet. Dish soap ~KSh 100–150. Table salt ~KSh 30–50/500g. Rubbing alcohol/surgical spirit, Goodlife Pharmacy, MYDAWA, Carrefour, Nila Pharmaceuticals (100ml Rosapharm surgical spirit sold at Carrefour Kenya; 5L container KSh 999 at Tiba Quip Africa, buy the smallest size available).

See the full step-by-step procedure

Comparing DNA yield across fruits

Strawberries/bananas, Naivas, Quickmart, Chandarana, or any open-air market, bananas ~KSh 10–20 each, strawberries ~KSh 150–300/punnet, buy two different fruits for this comparison. Dish soap ~KSh 100–150. Table salt ~KSh 30–50/500g. Rubbing alcohol/surgical spirit, Goodlife Pharmacy, MYDAWA, Carrefour, Nila Pharmaceuticals (100ml Rosapharm surgical spirit sold at Carrefour Kenya; 5L container KSh 999 at Tiba Quip Africa, buy the smallest size available, you'll need enough for two extractions).

See the full step-by-step procedure

Biochemistry

Pineapple or papaya enzyme test on gelatin

Fresh pineapple/papaya ~KSh 100–200. Canned pineapple (control) ~KSh 150–250. Jelly crystals ~KSh 50–100/packet, all at any supermarket or market.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Enzymatic browning and its inhibition

Apple ~KSh 20–40. Lemon ~KSh 10–20. Vitamin C tablets, Goodlife/MYDAWA ~KSh 200–400.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Red cabbage pH indicator (no-heat blender method)

Red cabbage, Naivas/Chandarana/larger markets ~KSh 80–150/head. Test liquids already in most kitchens.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Microbiology

Homemade agar culture plates + swab test

Unflavored gelatin ~KSh 100–150. Bouillon cube (Royco) ~KSh 10–20. Clear containers, reused or bought cheaply.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Fermenting sauerkraut (lacto-fermentation)

Cabbage ~KSh 30–60/head. Non-iodized salt ~KSh 30–60. Jar reused.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Kefir fermentation

Real grains, KefirKenya (Nanyuki, ships nationwide), 10g ~KSh 2,000 + shipping; cheaper backup, Naivas sells ready-made "Jolly Fresh Kefir" (500ml), use 1–2 tbsp as a starter. Milk ~KSh 60–70/500ml.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Zoology / Animal Behaviour

Invertebrate choice-chamber behaviour test

Small invertebrates show measurable preferences (taxis/kinesis) for damp vs. dry, or light vs. dark conditions, a real, standard technique in behavioural ecology.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Ecology / Environmental Conservation & Wildlife Management

Quadrat biodiversity sampling

A real field-ecology method, placing a fixed-size frame randomly in an area and counting/identifying species inside it, then using multiple samples to estimate biodiversity across a larger area.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Environmental Science

Composting and decomposition-rate comparison

Free, food scraps on hand, soil (garden or ~KSh 50–100/bag if bought), reused container.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Water filtration + microbial growth comparison

Plastic bottle (reused, cut in half), sand/gravel free or ~KSh 50, activated charcoal (aquarium charcoal, pet shop) ~KSh 100–200. Also requires a second set of homemade agar plates: unflavored gelatin ~KSh 100–150, bouillon cube (Royco) ~KSh 10–20, two small clear containers reused or bought cheaply.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Water hardness soap-suds test

Hard water (high mineral content, calcium/magnesium) produces less soap lather than soft water, a real, simple water-chemistry indicator test.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Botany / Plant Biochemistry / Agricultural Biotechnology

Paper chromatography of leaf pigments

Spinach/sukuma wiki ~KSh 20–30/bunch. Rubbing alcohol (same source as the DNA extraction experiment). Coffee filters ~KSh 100–200/pack.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Plant propagation, testing a natural rooting aid (aloe vera)

Why aloe, not willow: true willow isn't realistically available in Kenya; aloe vera is common, often free, and backed by real peer-reviewed research (a 2026 avocado-cutting study).

See the full step-by-step procedure

Seed viability testing across storage conditions

Not "factors affecting germination" (excluded KCSE content), but a genuine quality-control technique, testing what percentage of a seed batch is actually viable, exactly as KEPHIS does professionally for seed certification in Kenya.

See the full step-by-step procedure

Homemade butter from cream

Mechanical agitation of cream causes fat globules to collide and coalesce, separating butterfat (butter) from buttermilk, a real, simple dairy-science process.

See the full step-by-step procedure