Name ___________________________________
Section ______________
Lab #1: Window to Inquiry
Question: Is a Mexican jumping bean alive? Is so, what type of organism is it?
Lab Overview: In this investigation you will study Mexican jumping beans. After
making your observations, you will design an experiment to answer questions about your
observations.
Materials:
Mexican jumping beans
Clear mailing tape
Metric ruler
Scissors
Slide
Transfer pipette
Microscope
Cover slip
Prelab Activity
1. Hold the jumping bean in your band for several minutes. Record your
observations below.
2. Use a hand lens to look closely at the outside of the jumping bean’s shell. Record
your observations below.
3. Do you think the jumping bean is alive? Explain your reasoning.
4. What characteristics of a Mexican jumping bean are similar to those of a plant?
What characteristics of a Mexican jumping bean are similar to those of an animal?
5. After making your observations, what are some additional questions you have
about Mexican jumping beans?
Procedure
PART A: TAKING A CLOSER LOOK
1. Use scissors to cut a 1-cm square of clear mailing tape. Trim the square to make a
half circle. The half circle should be slightly larger than one of the flat sides of
your jumping bean.
2. Hold the bean between the index finger and thumb of one hand so that one of the
flat sides of the bean is facing out. Use the scissors to carefully shave off this flat
section. Do not shave more off the jumping bean then can be covered with the
piece of mailing tape. Put the shaving to the side. Later you will view it under a
microscope.
3. Place the tape over the open side of the bean and press down to seal it. Look
closely at the interior of the bean. Record your observations below.
4. Notice the paper-thin layer that was the inside layer of the jumping bean. Place
the shaving on a microscope slide with the paper-thin layer facing up. Use a
transfer pipette to place one drop of water on the shaving. Cover the shaving with
a cover slip. This type of slide is called a wet mount.
5. Place the slide on the microscope stage and view it with the high-power objective
in place. In the space below, sketch what you see.
PART B: DESIGNING AN EXPERIMENT
In the Prelab Activity you identified additional questions about Mexican jumping beans.
Choose a question and design an experiment to try to answer it. Describe your
experiment below.
Question:
Hypothesis: (This should be a statement that describes what you think the answer to your
question is and why.)
Prediction: (An “if… then” statement.)
Procedure: (Be specific in your design. What materials would you need? How would
you test this?)
Analysis and Conclusions
1. Based on your observations in Part A, what kind of organism do you conclude
that a Mexican jumping bean is? Explain.
2. Predict what will happen when you test your hypothesis. Write your predictions
below, and explain them.