| Explore | Information gathered from our initial observations are in the files. |
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| Research Question | Possible Research Question: Does the amount of sunlight the leaves of a tree receive affect how long the leaves are able to survive after being picked? (Do the leaves that receive the most sunlight remain the healthiest after being picked?) |
| Predictions | Based on what I can see from my lemon tree the area that appears to receive the most light has leaves with lost of discoloration. Based on this observation I think that the leaves that are receiving the most sunlight are getting an excessive amount and will not be as healthy. Therefore I think those leaves will die, and shrivel up the fastest after being picked. I believe that leaves on south side of the tree and ones deeper into the tree will last a lot longer than those on the east side of the tree and those on the top that get direct sunlight everyday. |
| Experimental Design | - Analyze the amount of sunlight the tree is receiving and compare with others - List any obstacles that may be blocking the sun - Measure the length of time it takes for the leaves to become dry and fragile after being picked - Compare the qualities of the leaves before and after being picked - We will be testing the health of the leaves after being picked by monitoring how long it takes the leaves to shrivel up. Those that shrivel up at a slower rate will be considered a lot more healthy. - We will measure the length of the leaves to see how fast the leaves that receive different amounts of sunlight shrink. - We will monitor stiffness, size and color. - The leaves will all be kept in doors under the same conditions. Quantitative Data: - Amount of sunlight the tree receives at different times of the day - Time it takes to shrivel up after being removed from the tree - Length of the leaves as it shrivels up Qualitative Data: - Color and discoloration of the leaves in relation to sun exposure - Texture and brittleness of leaves before and after it is removed from the tree - Buildings or any light obstacles - We will record our quantitative data by table and statistics, and our qualitative data by taking physical pictures to provide the observations and changes that would occur over the course of the experiment. - Take pictures of all leaves in each time phase (recently picked, estimated time of color change, dead leaf) |
| Conclusion | If the leaves were in contact with sunlight more than others, it would discolor, shrivel and become brittle faster than those who were in less contact with sunlight. Therefore, our hypothesis is correct because we predicted that more sunlight would lead to loss of color and shriveling up faster. Out of all the trees, the leaves from tree 1 died at the fastest rate. The trees that were exposed to more sunlight changed color, became brittle and shrunk. We have concluded that the more exposed to sunlight the tree is, the quicker it would die. By staying in areas with less sun, the leaves would stay green, stiff, and would not shrivel. |
| Investigation Theme | TREE |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| Teacher Name | Crystal Davis |
| School Name | California Academy of Mathematics and Science |
| Session | Spring 2021 |