To extend our study of ecology, we will invest the next two weeks reviewing the scientific process through the lens of plant biology. Our work today will involve identifying testable experimental variables associated with plant seed germination. Tomorrow, students will establish baggie gardens in order to test whether their selected variable impacts seed germination and/or seedling growth. Our collective data will enable us to make detailed scientific observations and conclusions about factors affecting seed germination, seedling growth, and photosynthesis. Along the way, students will practice the art of inquiry by:
- identifying variables (manipulated, responding, and controlled)
- writing hypothesis statements (using the if…then…because… format)
- writing a detailed experimental procedure (incorporating the concepts of validity, reliability, repeated trials, and experimental control conditions)
- recording, organizing, and analyzing detailed observations
- writing a conclusion statement
Students will be expected to produce a typed lab report which includes a data table and a graph of the data.
Notes from class today:
The Art of Science 