Question: How does the amount of water given to a plant affect how much it grows?
Hypothesis: If I give water to a marigold seed then it will germinate and the plant will grow more than a seed not given water.
Independent Variable (IV): the amount of water given a seed/plant
Dependent Variable (DV): the amount of plant growth
Control Group: The group of plants given water
Experimental Group: The group of plants given no water
Constants: amount of sunlight, the amount of soil, the temperature, the amount of fertilizer, the size of the pot, the type of plant, the number of plants, the age of the plants.
Materials: • 20 plant seeds (marigolds) • 20 - 3” pots • Masking tape • Pen/Marker • Potting soil • Measuring cups/spoons • Plant fertilizer • Spoon • Water
Procedure: 1. Gather materials. 2. Using tape and pen, label each pot 1-20. 3. 1-10 pots are the Control group and 11-20 pots are the Experimental group. 4. Place 1 cup of soil in each pot. 5. Place 1 tsp of fertilizer in each pot. 6. Using spoon, mix fertilizer in soil until evenly distributed. 7. Make small indentation in soil, approximately 2 cm deep. 8. Place one seed in each indentation in pot. 9. Lightly cover over seed with soil from pot. 10. Add 20 ml of water to 25 pots labeled “Control”. Do NOT add any water to 25 pots labeled “Experimental”. 11. Place all pots on windowsill. 12. Make data table for data. 13. Everyday at the same time record observations of plants/growth. 14. Everyday at the same time add 20 ml of water to 25 pots labeled “Control”. Do NOT add any water to 25 pots labeled “Experimental” 15. After 14 days, measure the height of each plant and record in data table. 16. After 14 days, average the growth for each group of plants (Control and Experimental). 17. Graph results. 18. Draw conclusions. 19. Write formal lab report. 20.