What Factors Affect Plant Growth

What Factors Affect Plant Growth?

INTRODUCTION

Plants are vital to our existence on earth. We rely on them for food and oxygen. In this webquest, you will use the Internet to learn more about plants, design an experiment about plants and conduct background research for your experiment on the Internet. This background research will enable you to develop a hypothesis before conducting the experiment.

TASKS

1. Complete a webhunt about plants and seeds

2. Develop a question about factors that affect plant growth and design an experiment to answer that question

3. Conduct research about your experiment/project

4. Develop a hypothesis based on Internet research

RESOURCES

EXPERIMENTAL SET-UP

These websites will give you information about designing and planning experiments in general.

1. The first includes information about identifying independent variables, dependent variables, and controlled variables. It also describes the control. Click here for tips for planning and designing an experiment.

2. The second website provides you a framework with which you could keep a record of your experiment and project. You could copy pages from this website and save them as a Word document. Click here for information on planning an experiment

CONDUCTING RESEARCH

These are sites that will provide you with background information about your research topic. Keep in mind that valid sources of information on the Internet will have an author and a date listed.

Plant form and function: this site has information about plant structure and function and includes links to sites about plant hormones and photosynthesis. Click here www.win.co.nz/bioweb/plant.html

Plant Hormones and Growth Regulatory Substances: information about auxins, gibberellins, cytokinins, ethylene. Click here www.plant-hormones

Plants and light and photosynthesis (how wavelengths of light affect photosynthesis) http://wwwfac.wmdc.edu/HTMLpages/Academics/Biology/botf99/photo/i1ntrophoto.htm

Environmental Factors Affecting Growth. Click here

Selection of Fertilizers: information about fertilizers. Click here http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_a/a-113.html

Information about Gibberellins and Gibberellic Acid. Click here for Gibberellins

http://www.ultranet.com/~jkimball/BiologyPages/G/Gibberellins.html

Click here for "What are Gibberellins?"

http://az.essortment.com/what are gibbere_rjdn.html

For information about photosynthesis, chlorophyll and the absorption spectrum and an explanation of the graph below, visit http://photoscience.la.asu.edu/photosyn/education/photointro.html

FIGURE: Absorption spectrum of isolated chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments.

The color corresponding to the various wavelengths is indicated above the graph.

PROCESS

TASK#1

Let's begin with a WebHunt!

1. One way that plants can be classified is by how they reproduce.

What is a seed? http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case3/c3m1.html

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What is germination? http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/app/germination.html

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What do seeds need in order to germinate? http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case3/c3facts3.html

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If plants don't have seeds, how do they reproduce? http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case4/c4facts1c.html

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What do we call the first parts visible after a seed germinates and what is its function? http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case3/c3facts2.html

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Plants are classified based upon the number of seed leaves (cotyledons) in the seed. What names do we give to these two classifications and explain the differences between each. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case3/c3facts2.html

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2. Plants can also be classified by how long they live, or how long it takes them to grow, flower, or set seed. Use this Internet link http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/gpe/case1/c1facts1b.html to answer the following questions.

What is an annual?

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What is a perennial?

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What is a biennial?

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3. Now that you know what annuals, biennials, and perennials are, can you find two of each kind of plant and briefly describe some characteristics of each plant? www.gardencenters.com/library/azbiann/default.htm

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4. List the three main parts of a seed and describe each part. http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/botany/seeds.html

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4. List the four main parts of a plant and, in your own words, describe each part. http://primaryresources.co.uk/science/plants.htm

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TASK #2
Design an Experiment!

List as many factors as you can that would affect plant growth.

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Choose 1 question about plants that you would like to test. For some possible ideas, check out this science fair website for botany projects

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Identify the independent and dependent variable for your experiment. Also, identify the controlled variables for the experiment. If possible, include a control for the experiment. For definitions of these terms look at http://ei.cornell.edu/student/exptdesign.asp

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TASK # 3
Conduct Research

Visit at least 5 websites and gather information that is necessary to answer your questions and develop a hypothesis. Use the resources section at the top of the page to help you with your search.

RESEARCH BIBLIOGRAPHY INFORMATION

SOURCE #1:

AUTHOR(S)_____________________________________________

"TITLE OF TEXT" _______________________________________

TYPE OF RESOURCE ____________________________________

PUBLISHER ____________________________________________

DATE PUBLISHED ______________________________________

PAGES ________________________________________________

URL ___________________________________________________

RESEARCH NOTES:

Record your research in a table like this. On the left side write the information exactly as it appears (with the page number in parentheses) and on the left side write the information in your own words. You may include as many quotes as you would like.

"Direct quote" (page number)	The quote in your own words

SOURCE #2:

AUTHOR(S)_____________________________________________

"TITLE OF TEXT" _______________________________________

TYPE OF RESOURCE ____________________________________

PUBLISHER ____________________________________________

DATE PUBLISHED ______________________________________

PAGES ________________________________________________

URL ___________________________________________________

RESEARCH NOTES:

Record your research in a table like this. On the left side write the information exactly as it appears (with the page number in parentheses) and on the left side write the information in your own words. You may include as many quotes as you would like.

"Direct quote" (page number)	The quote in your own words

SOURCE #3:

AUTHOR(S)_____________________________________________

"TITLE OF TEXT" _______________________________________

TYPE OF RESOURCE ____________________________________

PUBLISHER ____________________________________________

DATE PUBLISHED ______________________________________

PAGES ________________________________________________

URL ___________________________________________________

RESEARCH NOTES:

Record your research in a table like this. On the left side write the information exactly as it appears (with the page number in parentheses) and on the left side write the information in your own words. You may include as many quotes as you would like.

"Direct quote" (page number)	The quote in your own words

SOURCE #4:

AUTHOR(S)_____________________________________________

"TITLE OF TEXT" _______________________________________

TYPE OF RESOURCE ____________________________________

PUBLISHER ____________________________________________

DATE PUBLISHED ______________________________________

PAGES ________________________________________________

URL ___________________________________________________

RESEARCH NOTES:

Record your research in a table like this. On the left side write the information exactly as it appears (with the page number in parentheses) and on the left side write the information in your own words. You may include as many quotes as you would like.

"Direct quote" (page number)	The quote in your own words

SOURCE #5:

AUTHOR(S)_____________________________________________

"TITLE OF TEXT" _______________________________________

TYPE OF RESOURCE ____________________________________

PUBLISHER ____________________________________________

DATE PUBLISHED ______________________________________

PAGES ________________________________________________

URL ___________________________________________________

RESEARCH NOTES:

Record your research in a table like this. On the left side write the information exactly as it appears (with the page number in parentheses) and on the left side write the information in your own words. You may include as many quotes as you would like.

"Direct quote" (page number)	The quote in your own words

: TASK #4
: Based on your research, develop a hypothesis that answers your question. You must explain why you think this is the answer to the question. Your hypothesis must also be testable.
HYPOTHESIS: ________________________________________________________________________: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
ASSESSMENT
Your webquest will be assessed using the rubric below:

OBJECTIVES	NOT PASSING	COMPETENT	GOOD	SCORE
1. Completion of webhunt	· Few questions are completed and/or answered correctly	· Most questions are completed and answered correctly	· All questions are completed and answered correctly
2. Question and Experimental Design	· Question is not appropriate or too basic · Does not isolate 1 independent variable to test	· Question is appropriate · Appropriately identifies and isolates 1 variable (controlled experiment)	· Question is self-directed and advanced in content · Able to identify independent, dependent, and controlled variables Includes a control (if applicable)
3. Research	· Information is not gathered from 5 sources does not include bibliography for each source, information is unnecessary or irrelevant or insufficient	· Information is gathered from 5 good sources, all bibliography information is recorded, information is organized and relevant	· Information is gathered from 5 or more excellent sources, all information is recorded correctly and student demonstrates understanding of the content
4. Hypothesis	· No hypothesis or hypothesis is difficult to test or doesn�t answer question · Hypothesis is not based on understanding of background research or is a guess	· Hypothesis is testable and reflects basic understanding of background research	· Hypothesis reflects thorough understanding of the topic and research and is testable