| Explore | From our experiences outside of school, we know that plants rely on soil, sun, and water to survive and thrive, and that compost (natural or otherwise) is helpful in the process of growth. From background research, we discovered that biotic is effects from living organisms (ex. cankers), abiotic is effects from things not living (ex. Cutting branches), and that invasive species origins can be from different parts of the world. A question we have is that does the type of tree affect the amount of discoloration or cankers to occur or is because of environmental factors? |
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| Research Question | How does the type of fruit tree (orange, lemon, kumquat, or papaya) influence the presence of cankers found on the trunk? -- To get more background, we observed different types of trees and their characteristics. This fits with what we know about our topic because it focuses on tree health and the factors that can contribute to damage or growth. |
| Predictions | We predict that the larger trees would have more cankers (largest to smallest): orange - kumquat - lemon - papaya. (the larger trees we are observing have been there longer and most likely have a higher probability of cankers being able to form) |
| Experimental Design | The variables we will measure and observe are: Quantitative - How many cankers are on it? How long and how wide are the cankers? Qualitative - Color around/on canker? Presence of life surrounding Overall shape? Depth if possible. The fact that it is a fruit tree is the constant variable. |
| 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 |