Nature of science
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Forest Ecosystem
Observe and manipulate the populations of four creatures (trees, deer, bears, and mushrooms) in a forest. Investigate the … feeding relationships (food web) in the forest. Determine which creatures are producers, consumers, and decomposers. Pictographs and line graphs show changes in populations over time.
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Germination
Plant seeds and watch how many sprout. Examine what factors affect germination. Vary the amount of heat, water, and light the seeds … get. Practice designing controlled experiments and using the scientific method.
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Growing Plants
Investigate the growth of three common garden plants: tomatoes, beans, and turnips. You can change the amount of light each plant gets, … the amount of water added each day, and the type of soil the seed is planted in. Observe the effect of each variable on plant height, plant mass, leaf color and leaf size. Determine what conditions produce the tallest and healthiest plants. Height and mass data are displayed on tables and graphs.
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Pattern Finder
Observe frogs jumping around on colored lily pads. Find, test, and reason about patterns you see in their jumping.
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Pendulum Clock
Find the effect of length, mass, and angle on the period of a pendulum. The pendulum is attached to a clock that can be adjusted to tell … time accurately. The clock can be located on Earth or Jupiter to determine the effect of gravity.
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Plants and Snails
Study the production and use of gases by plants and animals. Measure the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in a test tube containing snails … and elodea (a type of plant) in both light and dark conditions. Learn about the interdependence of plants and animals.
