Mrs. Wolodkowicz
Biology 1H
MEGA PLANT:
An Exploration of the Scientific Method
I.
Purpose: The student will utilize the Gizmos web site
(http://www.explorelearning.com) to design an experiment for growing the
tallest plant in the class.
II.
Hypothesis: Create a hypothesis based on your individual experiment.
III.
Materials: List all materials utilized in the experiment.
IV.
Procedure: The student will include an individualized step by step procedure to
document how the experiment was conducted.
A. For this activity, all students must:
i. For this experiment the student will utilize 2 pots only. Pot A will be
the controlled experiment while Pot B will be the experimental
component of the experiment.
ii. The student must select the same seed for both pots (the seed
cannot be the variable).
iii. May only change one variable in Pot B (independent variable) all other
conditions MUST remain the same for both pots. For example both
pots must have the same amount of fertilizer, compost, light, seed,
and change the amount of water in Pot B’s experiment.
iv. Once you have found the optimum experiment that yields the tallest
plant (in your opinion), utilize this experiment for your materials,
procedure, results and conclusion.
Results:
A. Copy the Plant Height Data Table and the Plant Height Line Graph (height vs.
time). Be sure to include a key for the graph (color coded for Pot A and Pot
B).
V.
VI.
Variables: List the control, independent & dependent variables.
VII.
Conclusion: Incorporate a conclusion into the laboratory report. Be sure to
restate your purpose and explain your results. Don’t forget to back up your
results by referring to your data tables and drawings.