 | |
| DESCRIPTION | In this activity students work online and in a labratory setting to research, design, and run plant growth experiments. The online activities require access to computers for reporting and sharing data.
| | GRADE LEVEL | K - 12 | | OBJECTIVES | - Research current scientific knowledge and develop ideas for new plant investigations.
- Identify research questions that can be addressed through experimentation.
- Design an experiment using a building block model.
- Learn techniques for conducting plant-based experiments.
- Analyze data and interpret results.
| NATIONAL
SCIENCE
STANDARDS | 1. Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry Design and conduct a scientific investigation.
Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data.
Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence.
Think critically and logically to make the relationship between evidence and explanation.
Use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry.
2. Understandings about scientific inquiry Current scientific knowledge and understanding guide scientific investigations.
Mathematics is important in all aspects of scientific inquiry.
Technology used to gather data enhances accuracy and allows scientists to analyze and quantify results of investigations.
Scientific explanations emphasize evidence, have logically consistent arguments, and use scientific principles, models, and theories.
Scientific investigations can result in new ideas and phenomena for study, generate new methods or procedures for investigation, or develop new technologies to improve the collection of data. |
| Section | Description | Suggested Duration | | ACTIVITY BACKGROUND | Students read three web pages and become familiar with current space-based plant research. | One class period (45 - 50 minutes) | | PLAN AND DESIGN YOUR EXPERIMENT | Students use web-based research blocks to learn about current scientific knowledge. Students formulate an experiment and then design it using Flash™ animation-based building blocks. | One or two class periods (45-50 minutes) | | BUILD YOUR EQUIPMENT | Students build a soda bottle hydroponic production unit and a cardboard plant light house. | Two class periods (45 - 50 minutes) | | RUN YOUR EXPERIMENT | Using a web-based interactive calendar, students generate a timeline of their experiment and dates to perform experimental tasks. Students conduct plant experiments and collect data using printout data sheets. | The experiments take from three days to 14 weeks, depending on the type of analyses performed and the plant species used for the experiments. | REPORT YOUR DATA | Data are reported directly into the interactive calendar and into the Flash™ animation building blocks. | Depending on analyses performed, from three days to 14 weeks. | ANALYZE YOUR DATA | Data are analyzed in the Flash™ animation-based data analyzer. | One or two class periods (45- 50 minutes) |
Technology Requirements | Browser Requirements | | Windows | Windows, 95, 98, Me: Internet Explorer, 4.0 or later; Netscape Navigator, 4 or later; and Netscape, 6.2 or later. | | Macintosh | System 8.6-9.2: Netscape, 4.5 or later; Netscape, 6.2 or later; and Microsoft, Internet Explorer, 5.0 or later.
System 10.1 or later: Netscape, 6.2 or later; and Microsoft, Internet Explorer, 5.1 or later. |
| Plug-in / software requirements | Macromedia‚ Flash™ 6 or later Plug-in
Quicktime® 4 or later Plug-in
Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® 3 or later |
Sources and costs of materials
(gather materials in advance) | MATERIALS FOR 1 PLANT LIGHT HOUSE (PLHS) - 4-8 STUDENTS PER PLH | SUGGESTED SOURCE
| Cost | | 1 copy paper box | School office
| | | 1 14 cm x 28 cm piece of cardboard or foam board | Classroom
| | | 1 socket | Department store
| $ 6.00 | 1 30-watt or 39-watt fluorescent bulb
(150-watt equivalent) with adapter | Department store - 30-W
Department store - 39-W
| $10.00
$17.00 | | 1 glue stick | Office store
| $ 0.50 | | 1 box of aluminum foil | Grocery store
| $ 2.00 | | 1 utility knife | Dollar store
| $ 1.00 | | 1 black, permanent marker | Office store
|
$ 0.50 | | 1 roll 2" wide packing tape | Dollar store
| $ 0.50 | | 1 minimum-maximum thermometer | Department store | $12.00 |
| MATERIALS FOR UP TO 7 PLHS - 4 HYDROPONIC PRODUCTION UNITS (HPU) PER PLH | Suggested Source | Cost | | 4 clear, plastic, 2-liter bottles/PLH | Students
| | | 1 container of Peters or other 20-20-20 (N:P:K) fertilizer | Garden store
| $ 3.00
| | 8 L bag of soil | Garden store
| $ 7.00
| | 8 L bag of vermiculite | Garden store
| $ 7.00
| | 1 remnant white, felt-like material (for 0.5 cm x 10 cm HPU wicks) | Fabric store
| $ 1.00
| | Seeds (Apogee or Perigee wheat available from USU at http://www.usu.edu/cpl by online request; Fast Plant or AstroPlant seeds available from Carolina Biological, 800-334-5551) | Wheat seeds-Utah State University (USU) Fast & AstroPlant seeds (200/pack) - Carolina Biological | $ 0.00 $21.00 | | Pollination wands, pack of 12 | Carolina Biological | $ 3.50 | | 2 rolls 1" wide masking tape | Dollar store | $ 1.00 |
|
