By Julia DeVincenzi and Tatyana
Dunn
6th grade, 1st quarter
Robert Louis Stevenson Middle
School
Background information:
1. What are seeds?
A seed is part of a plant that produces a new
plant.
2. Describe the process of germination.
The process of germination is when a seed
sprouts and grows.
3. What are the conditions that can cause a seed
to germinate?
The conditions are water, warmth and oxygen.
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Question: What is the fastest way to germinate
pinto beans in the greatest amount?
Hypothesis: If we germinate pinto beans using
rocks, soil from RLS campus, compost and paper
towels we think the compost will grow faster
healthier and in a greater amount.
Experimental variables: Rocks, paper towels,
compost and RLS soil
Constant variables: water, cups, pinto beans and
holes on bottom of cup
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4 cups
250 ml of Rocks
250 ml of RLS soil
250 ml of Compost
3 Paper towels
15-20 ml of Water
Beaker to water cups
40 Pinto beans
Label for each cup
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a. gather all required materials
b. label cups to what you put in it
c. fill one cup with 3 paper towels and 10 pinto beans
d. fill one cup with 250 ml of rocks and 10 pinto beans
e. fill one cup with 250 ml of compost and 10 pinto beans
f. fill one cup with 250 ml of RLS soil and 10 pinto beans
g. water all cups 15-20 ml.
h. observe growing patterns
i. conclusion (accept or reject
hypothesis)
j. share discovery
Date
Soil
Compost
Rocks
Paper towel
10/12
0 germination
Dark brown and spotted,
shaped like a kidney,
hard, smooth, dry
0 germination
Dark brown and spotted,
shaped like a kidney,
hard, smooth, dry
0 germination
Dark brown and spotted,
shaped like a kidney, hard,
smooth, dry
0 germination
Dark brown and spotted,
shaped like a kidney, hard,
smooth, dry
10/14
0 germination
Beans are pink with
brown spots, top layer of
soil is moist, bottom is
dry
0 germination
Beans are squishy, pink
and brown beans,
somewhat moist
0 germination
Rocks and seeds are moist
and beans are still hard,
pink, brown spots
0 germination
Beans are squishy, pink
with brown spots, paper
towels are moist
10/16
5 germination
5 have white sprouts, 4
have white lines, nearly
germinated, 1 not g.
6 germination
6 seeds have white
sprouts, four are squishy
but not germinated
4 germination
4 seeds show sprouts, 1
seed has white lines, 5
seeds not germinated
9 germination
9 have white sprouts, 1
seed is cracked
10/19
9 germinated
1 broken/ squished
6 germination
Roots are not big, 4
haven’t g. ,squishy
4 germination
All show green, 1 almost g,
5 not g. ,some crushed
9 germination
big roots, 1 not g. / partly
crushed or cracked
10/21
9 germination
1 has a leaf, 1 is missing,
all have big roots
6 germination
1 is missing, 3 not
germinated at all,
5 germination
4 have not germinated, 1 is
crushed
9 germination
1 cracked, all but 1 show
big roots
10/23
9 germination
5 have leaves, 1 is
missing
6 germination
3 not germinating, 1 is
missing
4 germination
1 is missing, 5 not
germinating
10 germination
All are sprouting, even the
one that is cracked
10
8
Soil
compost
6
rocks
4
paper towels
2
0
Soil
Compost
Paper towels
Rocks
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a. The paper towels germinated the most, the rocks
the least and the soil 9 and compost 6
b. Paper towels sprouted all ten beans
c. The paper towels had healthier (greener) sprouts
d. We thought the compost would work best but it
only germinated 6 beans
 1.Our hypothesis was incorrect
because the paper towels
sprouted more then the compost.
 2. Something that could have
affected our experiment was the
amount we watered each cup.
 3. If we were to do it again we
would have been sure about the
amount we watered them.
 4.Our recommendation to Farmer
Pham would be to begin to plant
your beans in paper towels then
move them into regular soil.
Work-Cited
Di Michele, William A. “seed.” World Book Advanced.
World Book, 2009.web.
Keating, Richard C. “Germination.” World Book
Advanced. World Book, 2009. web.
Special thanks: Farmer Pham, Tatyana Dunn,
Julia DeVincenzi