| Explore | Outside of school we know that plants need water and sunlight to grow and they go through photosynthesis. In class we discovered how photosynthesis actually works and the steps that go into it. We also discovered what causes the mass in plants. |
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| Research Question | We are studying the effects of light and leaves on the rate of photosynthesis in African Violet plants. We cut the leaves off of 2 plants and want to see the outcome, ( one in light and one in darkness) and we also have two other plants (one will be in light and one in darkness) with leaves. Our group came up with this question when we were learning about stomates in class. After learning about this, we wanted to see how else the leaves of plants affect photosynthesis. |
| Predictions | We think the plant in the light with leaves will survive the longest, but the one without leaves in light will survive longer than the 2 plants in the dark, but still not as long as the plant with leaves in light. |
| Experimental Design | Step1: Obtain 4 African Violet Plants Step2: Label each plant as one of each of the following: leaves and light, leaves and no light, no leaves and light, and no leaves and no light. Step3: Cut off the leaves (using scissors) off of the 2 "no leaves" plants. Leave the stems! Step4: Put "no light plants" in a dark place. Example: a cabinet. Put the "light plants" in a lit up place/ close to sunlight. Example: A window sill. Make sure the temperature for all 4 plants is between 65-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Step5: Measure out water in a graduated cylinder as needed for every other day. Water needs to be room temperature. Step6: Water each plant, but make sure to not touch the leaves with the water. Step7: Continue to water every other day and record growth. |
| Conclusion | A claim we can make from our experiment is that the plants with the leaves in both light and darkness are healthier than those without leaves. One possible explanation for our results Is the fact that the leaves have stomata which helps retain water and create glucose through photosynthesis. Our data supports our claim because the plants without leaves are dying and shriveling and that proves that the leaves of these plants are essential for the process of photosynthesis. We could repeat this experiment in the future with different plants and with more time to assess their growth. |
| Investigation Theme | POS |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| School Name | Mother of Mercy High School |
| Session | Fall 2017 |