| Explore | We know that plants need soil, water, and light to grow from our experiences outside of school. In class we discovered that plants photosynthesize and preform cellular respiration. Where do plants get their mass from? |
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| Research Question | Do different plants photosynthesize at different rates? |
| Predictions | We think that plants do photosynthesize at different rates because of their size. The bigger the plant the more light it can absorb, then is photosynthesizes at a faster rate than smaller plants. |
| Experimental Design | We put 3 grams of three different kinds of plants (Submerged, terrestrial, and floating) in Phenol Red and put them under a light for 24 hours to see which would photosynthesize at the highest rate. |
| Conclusion | We found that the Elodea (the submerged plant) performed photosynthesis at the highest rate. The Phenol Red with the spinach (the terrestrial plant) stayed the same and surprisingly, the the Phenol Red with the Duckweed (the floating plant) turned yellow. We believe the reason for this is because it performed cell respiration. The Elodea photosynthesized the most because in nature it is always underwater, causing it to be used to wet conditions. |
| Investigation Theme | POS |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| School Name | Bristol High School |
| Session | Fall 2019 |
| About this Project | This team did a great job designing an investigation around the different types of aquatic plants. They applied what we were learning about to what they see in their lives. Its great when what kids are doing in school melds with their experiences outside of school! Their mentor did a great job sparking their curiosity and prompting them to take each step of their investigation to a higher level. |