Name:____________________________________________________
Date:___________
Honors Biology
Seed Germination Lab
Objectives: The purpose of this lab experience is to provide an
opportunity to:
1. Grow a plant to the early stages of maturity and observe the
various stages of germination
2. Use the scientific method to solve a problem
3. Understand the the effect of an environmental problem on how
seeds grow and develop
Introduction:
In the spring, flowers begin to bloom and you may see sprouts in the garden. How do plants know when it's
spring and when to grow? If a seed grew too early, it might be exposed to a harsh cold environment. If it grew
too late, it might not have enough water to survive. The process by which an organism grows from a seed into a
plant is called germination. The seed of a plant is the embryo, and it contains enough energy for the plant to
survive until it is time to start growing. In some cases, these seeds can survive for years.
What triggers the seed to start growing? It varies by plant and by the environmental conditions where the plant
grows. The giant sequoia trees of California require fire to germinate. This adaptation ensures that new trees
will grow when there is an opening created by the death of other trees. If the seeds germinated without fire, the
seedlings would be too shaded to grow. Not all plants need fire to start growing, but most do take the cues from
the environment. In this activity, you will investigate factors that can affect the germination of a seedling.
Pre-Lab:
1. As a class, we will discuss some potential variables that control the rate at which seeds will germinate. List
those variables below:
2. Choose ONE variable to investigate. Write your groups’ hypothesis below. Remember, that the hypothesis
should be a complete sentence and it should be written in “If...then…” format.
Hypothesis-________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Experimental Design:
Answer the questions below to organize your experimental design and set up.
Identify the independent variable (what is changed).______________________________________________
Identify the dependent variable (what is measured).______________________________________________
How will you measure the dependent variable?__________________________________________________
What will be your control group?_____________________________________________________________
What are three (3) controlled variables?________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
List all Materials
Method:
1. Obtain two petri dishes and label on each dish:
a. One of your names
b. Period
c. Independent variable or control
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Select a total of 20 seeds (10 for each petri dish).
Cut two pieces of paper towel to fit the petri dish.
Insert one paper towel into the petri dish and then place the seeds on top
Place the other paper towel on top of the seeds and water
Set petri dishes in desired location
Data Collection:
Use the table below to collect data and observations for each day of the experiment.
The experiment will last 5 days.
Day
Number of seeds
germinating
0
zero
Observations
1
2
3
4
5
Graph
Construct a graph of the data that was collected. Remember the independent variable goes along the x-axis and
the dependent variable goes on the y-axis. The graph should have: a title, the x-axis labeled, y-axis labeled and
each independent variable labeled.