Scientific Method Project:
Part A: Scientific Method Introduction
Step 1: Watch this video (click here) on the scientific method and answer the questions in your performance task.
Step 2: Fill in the table in your performance task, identifying whether the data is quantitative or qualitative.
Step 3: Mustard plants were tested with fertilizer to see if it helped the plants grow taller. The farmer first planted seeds, two plants per group and only gave group 1 water while giving group 2 both fertilizer and water. After 30 days, the farmer measured the plants to compare. Analyze this picture (click here) to see the results of the experiment. In this picture, I have identified the test subjects, control group, experimental group, independent variable, and dependent variable as an example so you can practice doing it on your own. Keep in mind that the independent variable is what the experimental group (aka test group) receives that was not given to the control group. In this case the Fertilizer is the independent variable. The dependent variable (i.e. faster growth) is essentially the result the fertilizer had on the test group in comparison to the control. Once finished analyzing this model and understanding how to identify each, answer the questions in this document (click here) on your performance task.
Step 4: Review this document (click here) and then answer the questions in your performance task.
Part B: Seed Lab
Step 1: Read the passage below and answer the questions below in your performance task.
Some substances are harmful to plants at all stages of life. They may cause damage to adult plant structures and prevent young plants from growing normally. Certain substances may also disrupt germination, the initial sprouting of seeds, or change the normal seasonal timing of seed germination. How a plant is affected depends on both the type of chemical substance and the individual plant species. In this investigation, a scientist performed an experiment to test whether a substance, caffeine and what effect increasing concentrations of caffeine had on seed germination.
1. What does germination mean?
2. What are three substances that can harm plants?
3. What is the question the scientist is trying to answer in this experiment?
4. If you were the scientist running this experiment, how would be your hypothesis? Remember to write your hypothesis in an "if" and "then" format.
Step 2: The scientist started his experiment and performed the following each day. Read through the information and then answer the questions in your performance task.
Experiment Day 1:
The scientist started his experiment by placing seeds in test tubes and adding various concentrations of caffeine solution. The caffeine, which was in power form, was mixed in water to form the solution. The scientist left the seeds to sit overnight for 24 hours. The following is what was placed in each test tube:
Test Tube #1 = 50 seeds + 0% Caffeine Solution
Test Tube #2 = 50 seeds + 0.25% Caffeine Solution
Test Tube #3 = 50 seeds + 0.50% Caffeine Solution
Experiment Day 2:
The next day (Day 2) the scientist used filter paper to drain the caffeine solutions from the test tubes, which left the seeds behind. He then transferred the seeds from each test tube on their own petri dish. In other words, the 50 seeds sitting in the 0% caffeine were placed on petri dish #1. The seeds sitting in 0.25% caffeine solution were placed on petri dish #2. The seeds sitting in 0.50% caffeine solution were placed on petri dish #3. He let the seeds sit overnight on the petri dish for another 24 hours.
Experiment Day 3:
The next day (Day 3) the scientist counted how many seeds had germinated on each petri dish. The data is listed below. After counting, the scientist let the seeds sit for another 24 hours.
Petri Dish #1: 25/50 seeds germinated
Petri Dish #2: 12/50 seeds germinated
Petri Dish #3: 0/50 seeds germinated
Experiment Day 4:
The next day (Day 4) the scientist took another count of how many seeds that had germinated overnight in each petri dish. The data is listed below. Afterward, the scientist threw out the materials, analyzed his data, developed graphs, and formed a conclusion.
Petri Dish #1: 25/50 seeds germinated
Petri Dish #2: 12/50 seeds germinated
Petri Dish #3: 0/50 seeds germinated
Based on this information, answer the questions below.
1. Fill in table in your performance task with the data discovered during the experiment. You will need to calculate the percentage of germinated seeds in each condition.
2. What caffeine solution was pure water and had the least amount of caffeine?
3. What caffeine solution had the greatest amount of caffeine?
4. Obtain a sheet of graph paper and graph the data using a bar graph. You will need to graph the percent of seeds that germinated after sitting for 24 hours (Day 3) and 48 hours (Day 4) on the petri dish. Color the 24 hour bars one color and the 48 bars another color and then add a color coded key on your graph. Add a main title, horizontal, and vertical title. Be sure to include units in the horizontal and vertical movement. Once finished with graph, take photo and upload in performance task.
5. Refer back to the hypothesis you created for this experiment and write a conclusion based on the data.
6. What were the test subjects, control group, test group, independent variable and dependent variable in this experiment.
Part A: Scientific Method Introduction
Step 1: Watch this video (click here) on the scientific method and answer the questions in your performance task.
Step 2: Fill in the table in your performance task, identifying whether the data is quantitative or qualitative.
Step 3: Mustard plants were tested with fertilizer to see if it helped the plants grow taller. The farmer first planted seeds, two plants per group and only gave group 1 water while giving group 2 both fertilizer and water. After 30 days, the farmer measured the plants to compare. Analyze this picture (click here) to see the results of the experiment. In this picture, I have identified the test subjects, control group, experimental group, independent variable, and dependent variable as an example so you can practice doing it on your own. Keep in mind that the independent variable is what the experimental group (aka test group) receives that was not given to the control group. In this case the Fertilizer is the independent variable. The dependent variable (i.e. faster growth) is essentially the result the fertilizer had on the test group in comparison to the control. Once finished analyzing this model and understanding how to identify each, answer the questions in this document (click here) on your performance task.
Step 4: Review this document (click here) and then answer the questions in your performance task.
Part B: Seed Lab
Step 1: Read the passage below and answer the questions below in your performance task.
Some substances are harmful to plants at all stages of life. They may cause damage to adult plant structures and prevent young plants from growing normally. Certain substances may also disrupt germination, the initial sprouting of seeds, or change the normal seasonal timing of seed germination. How a plant is affected depends on both the type of chemical substance and the individual plant species. In this investigation, a scientist performed an experiment to test whether a substance, caffeine and what effect increasing concentrations of caffeine had on seed germination.
1. What does germination mean?
2. What are three substances that can harm plants?
3. What is the question the scientist is trying to answer in this experiment?
4. If you were the scientist running this experiment, how would be your hypothesis? Remember to write your hypothesis in an "if" and "then" format.
Step 2: The scientist started his experiment and performed the following each day. Read through the information and then answer the questions in your performance task.
Experiment Day 1:
The scientist started his experiment by placing seeds in test tubes and adding various concentrations of caffeine solution. The caffeine, which was in power form, was mixed in water to form the solution. The scientist left the seeds to sit overnight for 24 hours. The following is what was placed in each test tube:
Test Tube #1 = 50 seeds + 0% Caffeine Solution
Test Tube #2 = 50 seeds + 0.25% Caffeine Solution
Test Tube #3 = 50 seeds + 0.50% Caffeine Solution
Experiment Day 2:
The next day (Day 2) the scientist used filter paper to drain the caffeine solutions from the test tubes, which left the seeds behind. He then transferred the seeds from each test tube on their own petri dish. In other words, the 50 seeds sitting in the 0% caffeine were placed on petri dish #1. The seeds sitting in 0.25% caffeine solution were placed on petri dish #2. The seeds sitting in 0.50% caffeine solution were placed on petri dish #3. He let the seeds sit overnight on the petri dish for another 24 hours.
Experiment Day 3:
The next day (Day 3) the scientist counted how many seeds had germinated on each petri dish. The data is listed below. After counting, the scientist let the seeds sit for another 24 hours.
Petri Dish #1: 25/50 seeds germinated
Petri Dish #2: 12/50 seeds germinated
Petri Dish #3: 0/50 seeds germinated
Experiment Day 4:
The next day (Day 4) the scientist took another count of how many seeds that had germinated overnight in each petri dish. The data is listed below. Afterward, the scientist threw out the materials, analyzed his data, developed graphs, and formed a conclusion.
Petri Dish #1: 25/50 seeds germinated
Petri Dish #2: 12/50 seeds germinated
Petri Dish #3: 0/50 seeds germinated
Based on this information, answer the questions below.
1. Fill in table in your performance task with the data discovered during the experiment. You will need to calculate the percentage of germinated seeds in each condition.
2. What caffeine solution was pure water and had the least amount of caffeine?
3. What caffeine solution had the greatest amount of caffeine?
4. Obtain a sheet of graph paper and graph the data using a bar graph. You will need to graph the percent of seeds that germinated after sitting for 24 hours (Day 3) and 48 hours (Day 4) on the petri dish. Color the 24 hour bars one color and the 48 bars another color and then add a color coded key on your graph. Add a main title, horizontal, and vertical title. Be sure to include units in the horizontal and vertical movement. Once finished with graph, take photo and upload in performance task.
5. Refer back to the hypothesis you created for this experiment and write a conclusion based on the data.
6. What were the test subjects, control group, test group, independent variable and dependent variable in this experiment.