Plants

=Plants=

When using plants for a research project:

Really think about WHY you want to use plants. What science topic are you interested in? Could you investigate that topic using another material?

For example, let's say that you love nature and feel badly about pollution. You decide, I want to study the effect of pollution on plants! This seems like a great idea, until your science teacher bursts your bubble with difficult questions such as:

- where will you put all of these plants? (you need at least 30 plants for each value of your MV)
=== - will you have time to measure 150 plants? (even if you only measure them twice during the experiment, 1 plant could take 3-5 minutes to measure. You do the math on how long measuring each plant could take!) ===

These questions seem frustrating because you want to study something important- and you know that pollution does cause damage. Designing an experiment that is successful takes a lot of planning ahead of time. One tip is to do a lot of research- which is done when you write introduction section of your paper.

=Seed Germination=

Another idea to consider is seed germination. This can be a useful study of plants and is less complicated than having 150 plants in your closet at home.

Here is some information on seeds: [] [] = = =Growing Plants in a Controlled Environment=

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This light fixture was a $10-$12 under counter light I purchased at a hardware store. Our custodian (Thank you Mr. Williams!) kindly installed the lights underneath the cabinets in my classroom, but you could ask a parent or handy neighbor to show you how to attach it to a piece of wood, etc. Be careful about power cords and electricity and be sure to have a conversation with your parents about installing items in their home!



I placed this 18 inch, 15 watt, plant and aquarium bulb into the light fixture above. This is the important part, because plants need the right wavelengths of light for photosynthesis to occur. To make it a controlled experiment, plants also need the same amount of light each day at the same time. That is something you cannot count on using your windowsill. Cloudy days happen, but more importantly, the angle of the sun changes in the fall, just when your project is underway. What works in the summer may not work in the fall. While you're at it, be sure to research what a "watt" is, along with the "visible light spectrum". Also, I have a light meter that you can borrow that will measure foot candles, which are a unit of light measurement. You can ensure that each of your plants is getting equal light. That information, along with how photosynthesis occurs (but you learned that in 7th grade) will help you to explain what is happening with your plants.



Next, decide what hours of the day your plants will get light. It is also important to place them far enough apart. For example, if you have one group of plants that should receive 12 hours of light, and another set of plants that should only get 1 hour of light, they should be in separate rooms, or divided by a dark sheet to block the light. Plants are really good at absorbing whatever light they can, and that can affect your results so be sure to think the environment through carefully. Does the room have windows? You will need to cover them, or close the blinds, at times when your plants are supposed to have darkness. There is a really good Mythbusters about "Talking to Plants" that sets a good example for controlling plant growth environments.