Plant Growth – Sample Project

Why do this project?

Having a stable food supply is critical to feeding the world. Growing food in the most efficient way possible will allow more people to be fed.

Project Details

In this project, we will test growing a plant (radish) in different soil types.
Independent Variable: what we are testing and changing
- Soil Type that our seeds are planted in - sand, top soil, potting soil
- There are many options that we could use - water amount, sunlight, fertilizer type or amount => since we are only testing a single variable, these will be controls
Dependent Variable: what we are going to use to measure the results of our experiment
- Weight of radish
Controls: Variables that we will "control" to ensure that the only thing different in our tests is the independent variable.
- For this project: temperature of the room and soil, water amount, sunlight, fertilizer
Hypothesis: our educated guess on the outcome of the project
- I predict that the radishes planted in the sand will have the largest mass

Procedure

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5

Measurements

What can you record?
Record your measurements! - plot the results in this spreadsheet

Analysis

How can you make this project your own?

Are there different soil types you can use as the independent variable?
Is there a different variable you can test?

How to take this project to the next level

Are there controls that were not controlled?
- Ex. how much moisture was in the soil to start?
Run additional tests - is there another variable to test?
Is there something you can design based on your project observations?
- Example: Automatic water based on the moisture content of the soil
- Example: Fertilizer application based on the color of the leaves
Develop a new measurement method.