Download Plants - Science Project Guide

Plants - Science Project Guide
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Use this form as a guide to write steps 1-5 BEFORE growing your cabbage plant.
You will complete step 6-9 AFTER the cabbage is fully grown (or has died) and all data has
been collected. DUE: May 2012 (Plants need a long time to grow.)
Remember, this isn’t about winning. It’s about collecting data and the scientific process.
Do not worry if your plants die. That is data. It’s part of the scientific process.
BEFORE PLANTING THE CABBAGE:
1. Testable Question: _________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Examples: Will the amount of water used during the cabbage plant’s growing period affect the size of the plants?
Will fertilizer affect the growth of a cabbage plant?
How does the amount of sun affect the growth of a cabbage plant?
If one cabbage is planted in the sun and another in the shade, will they grow at the same rate?
2. Variable: _________________________________________________________________
The ONE thing you will be different about the way you grow each plant. Only ONE thing may be different
Examples: The variable could be the amount of water used OR the amount of fertilizer used OR the amount of
sunlight each plant receives.
3. Hypothesis: _______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Example: I hypothesize that _________________ will happen because __________________.
4. Procedure or Steps: ________________________________________________________
Example: First, __________. Next, __________. Then, ___________. Finally, ___________.
 First, I planted both cabbage plants next to my house. Both get the same amount of sunlight during the day.
 Next, I measured the amount of water for each plant to make sure they both received the same amount.
 Then, I gave one plant 1 tablespoon of fertilizer but the other plant didn’t get any. This is my variable. I did the
same thing for the next two months. Each plant got the same amount of water but one plant always got fertilizer
while the other did not. I measured each plant once a week for the height and diameter of the stem.
 Finally, I watched each plant grow for two months and collected data. The plant that grew bigger was _______. The
variable that helped it grow larger was _____.
__________________________________________________________________________
5. Materials: ________________________________________________________________
Example:
2 cabbage plants
1 cup of water every week
1 tablespoon of fertilizer each week
_________________________________________________________________________
6. Data: What kind of data did you collect? Record your data on the graph provided
Results: What happened?_____________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
7. Explain your findings:
Example: I believe the cabbage plant that received more/less ____ grew larger because … _______________.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
8. What strange or unexpected results did you have?
Example: I thought it was strange that …
OR I did not expect …
_____________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
9. What would you change about your cabbage experiment if you were to do it over?
Example: If I were to do this experiment again I would …
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
SAMPLE Project
Cabbage Patch Project
Testable Question:
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Will the amount of fertilizer affect the growth of a cabbage plant?
Hypothesis:
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I hypothesize that the cabbage that receives fertilizer will grow larger than the cabbage that does not receive
any fertilizer.
Procedure:
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First, I planted both cabbage plants in separate pots and placed them in my kitchen window. Both get the
same amount of sunlight during the day.
Next, I measured the amount of water for each plant to make sure they both received the same amount.
Then, I gave one plant 1 tablespoon of fertilizer but the other plant didn’t get any. This is my variable. I
did the same thing once a week for the next two months. Each plant got the same amount of water but one
plant always got fertilizer while the other did not.
I measured each plant once a week for the height and diameter of the stem. I recorded my data on a graph.
Finally, I watched each plant grow for two months and collected data. The plant that grew bigger
was ____________. The variable that helped it grow larger was ________.
Materials:
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2 cabbage plants
1 cup of water every week
1 tablespoon of fertilizer each week for ONE of the plants
Data:
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This is your graph of height and diameter of the stem.
Results:
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Both plants grew at the same rate until week 4. Suddenly, the cabbage that got/did not get the
fertilizer grew larger. This is not what I predicted.
Explanation:
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I believe that the plant that received/did not receive the fertilizer grew larger because…
Unexpected Results:
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I think it was strange that both plants grew at the same rate for a month then suddenly one plant grew
faster (or one plant died).
What I Would Change:
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If I were to redo this experiment I would give one plant half the amount of fertilizer I used because I
think I used too much.
3rd Grade – California Science Standards
Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful
investigations. As a basis for understanding this, students should develop their own questions and
perform investigations. Students will:
a. Repeat observations to improve accuracy and know that the results of similar scientific
investigations seldom turn out exactly the same because of differences in the things being
investigated, methods being used, or uncertainty in the observation.
b. Differentiate evidence from opinion and know that scientists do not rely on claims or
conclusions unless they are backed by observations that can be confirmed.
c. Use numerical data in describing and comparing objects, events,
and measurements.
d. Predict the outcome of a simple investigation and compare the
result with the prediction.
e. Collect data in an investigation and analyze those data to develop
a logical conclusion.