Hobbies And Interests
Background Research
The first procedure in a plant growth project is to decide what you want to know and what questions you are trying to answer, and then to conduct background research on what is the best way to go about it. If you want to know how roots grow, you want to learn some terms about plant life, rooting and find out as much as possible about how to conduct these types of experiments.
Formulate Questions
The next procedure in the study of plant growth is to decide what you want to know. Do you want to know how the plant grows, what direction it grows in, how direct sunlight affects it, what is good for the plant and what will poison it or what types of insects it can live with or without? Decide exactly what you need to know and how to go about finding out.
Gathering Materials and Equipment
Gathering materials is a procedure in finding out about plant growth. Some materials you may need are blotting paper or paper towels, seeds, clear plastic sheet protectors or plastic baggies, rubber bands and a permanent marker, as well as paper and a pen to write down notes. You can also use plastic CD jewel cases or cut glass panes to make seed "sandwiches." For instance, if you are comparing the direction of root growth to gravitational pull, you will make seed sandwiches with the jewel cases or glass panes and the moistened paper towels and seeds. Place the sandwiches in different directions (up, down, left or right) to see which direction they grow in. How the seeds grow will tell you about the way roots grow with different gravitational directions.
Experiment
The experimentation procedure in the study of plant life includes bringing all of your thoughts, ideas, notes and materials together. Keep some extra paper towels around when dealing with water, plants and seeds, and follow the correct steps given for each procedure and experiment.
Observation and Recording
As you watch seeds germinate and the plant growth process, a final procedure is to take notes and write down any changes that you see over time. Note the similarities and differences in the plants, any color changes and, in particular, any directional differences in the way the plants grow as compared to the way they are turned. You may also want to draw some pictures and diagrams to help others understand what you observed during your study.