| Explore | Seeds are alive before being planted in the ground. They go into a dormant state and use stored energy to survive until germination time. Plants require the correct climate and amount of water to begin germination. Germination requires a lot of energy to happen so if the seed is dormant for to long they may not have enough energy to germinate. |
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| Research Question | How will the amount of rocks at the bottom of the bottle affect the germination rate of a pea seed? |
| Predictions | If less rocks are added to the soil, then the plant will germinate more quickly, because the plant will have more soil to dig its roots into, and the rocks will provide some extra space for the plant to grow. |
| Experimental Design | 1. Clean a clear plastic water bottle and cut off the top. 2. Add the required amount of rocks. Each bottle will either have, (no rocks) little rocks a (tbsp. of rocks), and a lot of rocks (2 tbsp. of rocks). (on-top of the paper towel) 3. Mark where each seed will be placed using a pencil. Make sure the formation is a circle that includes seven seeds. 4. Pour the soil on-top of the rocks to an inch in depth. 5. Place the seeds in the circle using seven seeds per water bottle. 6. Water the seeds (per bottle) a 2 teaspoon of water everyday. 7. record any new growth (for that day/everyday) 8. Once the seed germinates, calculate how long it took. (when you know the seed has germinated, a single leaf will have sprouted) |
| Investigation Theme | WOS |
| Grade Level | Middle School Students (grades 6,7,8) |
| Session | Spring 2019 |