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.

  Launch Gizmo

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  • Determine what a seed needs to grow into a healthy plant.
  • Explore the effects of light intensity, water levels, and soil additives on plant growth.
  • Design a controlled experiment to investigate a question.
  • Collect data from multiple trials.
  • Analyze data using tables and graphs.
VOCABULARY:
  • compost, fertilizer, mass, seed, soil, variable

LESSON MATERIALS: