2nd Semester PROJECT: Seed Germination / Plant Growth About the Project In order to demonstrate your understanding of the scientific process, you will design and conduct an experiment of your own. Your experiment will test the effects of a variable of your choice on seed germination & plant growth. After you have collected and analyzed your data, you will: (1) complete and turn in a SCIENTIFIC LAB REPORT, and (2) CREATE a “mini” scientific poster in the form of a tri-fold, stand-up poster. Groups are limited to three students and you are free to either work independently, or to choose your own lab partner(s) from within your class period. Choose carefully as you will all be responsible for all aspects of the experiment and presentation. Accordingly, you will all receive the same grade on this project. * NOTE: the majority of this project will be completed outside of class, so be sure to select partner(s) with whom it is easy to connect outside of the school day. Your first task is to decide which variable you would like to test in your experiment. Select one of the variables below to test (variables not in list below must be approved by Mrs. Howe.)

Salinity Alkalinity** Acidity** Light Color Biotic factors (e.g. earthworms) Temperature Monocot versus dicot

Competition with other plants Crowding Types of soil Light intensity Humidity Light duration Shade versus Full Sun (Light)

**May NOT use household items (e.g. Drano, vinegar) to alter pH. Must be something that a plant will naturally absorb or be in contact with. See Mrs. Howe if you have questions.

**Requirements for Final Project / Lab Report / Scientific Poster

���� Title (should include a hint as to your research question, and should be descriptive and clear…not just “Plant Experiment”…)

���� Abstract: The abstract is an overview of the entire research project. (see below) What is an abstract? “An informative abstract is a concise summary of the longer work it abstracts. The informative abstract can stand in for the longer work in terms of telling the reader what points the longer work actually makes. That is, it is a mini version of the work and contains the essence of the information conveyed in the longer work. For example, an informative abstract for a research paper would include, in 100-150 words: the problem under investigation, in one sentence if possible; the subjects, specifying pertinent characteristics, such as number, type, age, sex; the experimental method, including the data-gathering procedure; the findings, including statistical significance levels; conclusions and the implications or applications.” (copied from http://www.southernct.edu/~brownm/inform_ab.html)

���� Introduction / Background Research: Describe the problem that was investigated and provide extensive background information about what you investigated, including a summary of a published research study from a reputable source. The background information should directly relate to your research question. In your introduction you should describe what you know about the subject and how it influenced your question for the investigation. Include what you used as independent and dependent variables in your experiment. Explain why you chose the independent variable that you did. ���� Purpose / Research Question: What question are you attempting to answer, or what statement, if any, can you make regarding the variable you have chosen? ���� Hypothesis:

What is your hypothesis / prediction? Remember to include all parts of a proper hypothesis! (including WHY you are making a specific prediction) ���� Materials & Equipment: Make a complete list of materials to be used during your experiment. You should either draw pictures or take digital photos of these materials as necessary. **Include specific information (i.e. quantities, brand names, etc.) ���� Methodology: Give a detailed description of how you carried out your experiment. Remember, this should NOT be in cookbook format. What amounts of what substances did you use? What time frames did you follow? How did you label the different groups within your experiment? What were your control and experimental groups? What are the independent and dependent variables? How many replications? You should include pictures for this portion of your presentation. Is it obvious what data is needed to be collected? A guiding question for this section is: Could anyone without any knowledge of what I did repeat my experiment perfectly by following my procedure? ���� Data: Your data should be displayed as both a table and/or graphs. Tables and graphs need to have an appropriate title, as well as correct units, labels, and be VERY CLEAR!!! The data should be easy for the reader to read and interpret. You should be able to explain clearly what your data says. ���� Conclusion (Results): In this section, you will need to summarize your data and describe any patterns that you see with your data. Do your data support your hypothesis or not? Why? Make sure to comment on the accuracy of your procedure and identify any sources of error. Discuss any unsuspected or unusual results and explain why you think you saw these. What are some potential solutions for any problems that you had? Lastly, are there any new questions that arise as a result of your work? ���� Literature cited (Bibliography / References): At least 5 sources in APA format (primarily to be used in writing your background section and helping you formulate a hypothesis). You must use at least ONE scientific experiment from reliable source!.

**One copy of your group’s paper should be turned into Turnitin on Moodle and the printed copy will be presented on your tri-fold scientific poster. Timeline of Important Project Dates Date Due Introduction/Background Information section March 6 Proposal March 20 Methods/Procedure write-up April 3 Distribute Materials for experiment to be conducted at home April 3 Final Write up / Poster Presentations May 19 Research Proposal Must Include the Following:

1. Group Members: 2. Purpose/Question: 3. Independent Variable: 4. Dependent Variable(s)

5. Hypothesis: Point Distribution for Project: Intro/Background Info (rough draft) 10 points Proposal 10 points Methods/Procedure (rough draft) 10 points LAB REPORT/ POSTER 80 points

Total 110 points

3rd Quarter Project - Research Proposal – DUE FRIDAY 3/2015 (or earlier!) Group Members: Purpose/Question: Independent Variable: Dependent Variable(s): Hypothesis: > If:

> Then:

> Because:

HYPOTHESIS EXAMPLE: – let’s say I wanted to test the effect of environmental temperature on the heart rate of worms…my hypothesis would be: IF: a change in temperature affects the rate of blood circulation in earthworms; THEN: by exposing earthworms to an increase and decrease in temperature, I will see the heart rate increase in warmer temperatures and decrease in cooler temperatures. I predict this BECAUSE: earthworms are cold blooded animals and will therefore respond dramatically to external temperature changes.

3rd Quarter Project - Research Proposal – DUE FRIDAY 3/20/15 (or earlier!) Group Members: Purpose/Question: Independent Variable: Dependent Variable(s): Hypothesis: > If:

> Then:

> Because:

HYPOTHESIS EXAMPLE: – let’s say I wanted to test the effect of environmental temperature on the heart rate of worms…my hypothesis would be: IF: a change in temperature affects the rate of blood circulation in earthworms; THEN: by exposing earthworms to an increase and decrease in temperature, I will see the heart rate increase in warmer temperatures and decrease in cooler temperatures. I predict this BECAUSE: earthworms are cold blooded animals and will therefore respond dramatically to external temperature changes.