Hi Sarah, 

Thanks for the update! The protocol looks straightforward and well thought-out! I like the details like the space being left in the tube and the size of the plant. 

I second Deannah's question about the time concern. I think 1 hour is probably enough (what is the approximate volume of water in the tubes and size of the plant?), but in case 1 hour isn't enough, you could develop a back up protocol to take additional measurements. 

I look forward to hearing about how it goes! 

Hi Team! 

I am so proud of every one of you for all the work and thought you all put into this project! I am sad to see that it is over already, but it looks like you all learned a lot about seed germination and had fun in the process! You are all scientists and I hope you guys can apply this experience to whatever else you are curious about! 

I hope your second trial will go well and you will be able to see some interesting results :) 

Jacqui - Note taking is definitely essential when doing an experiment! To answer your questions: the dark box might have had the optimal conditions for the seed to germinate apart from light, like temperature and humidity. Seeds generally need a bit of light to germinate, seeds that are buried too deep tend to stay dormant. I'm not sure how long it takes for Nasturtium to grow, but you can test it out and see! You can consider whether it is an annual plant or a perennial plant. Annual plants would usually flower before it gets cold every year. Light quality is important for seed germination, but the wavelength (color) of light can also affect germination! Different light colors give the seed different signals that the seed will use to make decisions about whether to germinate. As a scientist, making a discovery is a process instead of a one-time event! Because we need a lot of evidence to support a new idea, we have to be able to eliminate all other possible explanations and directly find evidence in support of our new idea to be able to tell other scientists that this might be a new exciting thing! I've been a scientist for a few years now and it has always been fun I did always want to be a scientist, but that doesn't mean I didn't consider other options either. The key is to try! 

Evie - Thank you for your kind words, I am so touched to hear that I also very much enjoyed being the mentor for this group. For your questions: Some seeds germinate easier in petri dishes than in soil, but it's very variable depending on the species. Remember that seeds come with their own nutrient store so the germination process uses that mainly, but seeds do differ in the composition of different starches and sugar so you can say to some extent they prefer different nutrient forms. Seeds stay viable because of their seed coat, and it is also why you might need to soak the seeds to soften up the seed coat and for the seed to start absorbing water! 

Amelie - You can definitely do your own experiments at home! I hope you will learn many interesting things I think the germination in the dark was definitely surprising, but other factors might have affected germination apart from light. You can try to look up some information about it! My favorite thing about being a scientist is how it lets me explore my own curiosities and questions, and there are  so many possibilities for everything that it's very fun to think about! You are on the mark for the scientific process! It is very much a cycle that keeps repeating as we learn more and more! 

I am very proud to see everything that you all learned here, especially about seeds and the scientific process! I wish you all the best for your second trial, and for the rest of your school year! If you have a question about something, don't be afraid to test it out! Remember you are all scientists now :) 

Best, 

Julie