Honors Biology I Core Labs

Links:

Purpose:
Review components of good experimental design. Design and conduct an experiment to determine the factors that affect plant germination and growth. Create a closed ecosystem for future discussions of biogeochemical cycles.

Summary:
Students will build a closed bottle ecosystem. They will design an experiment using the ecosystem to determine the factors that affect plant germination and growth. They will collect data for 4-6 weeks, and then maintain the ecosystems for the duration of the school year. Ecosystems will be used in the spring to model the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles.

Objectives Links:
4. The Interdependence of Organisms
    A: Matter Cycles

5. Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems
    A: Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration

5. Matter, Energy, and Organization in Living Systems
    B: Matter and Energy Cycles

Process Skills Checklist

Materials:

• 2 L soda bottles ("old style")
• Wick material
• Potting soil, sand, garden soil
• Rain water, tap water, 0.5% vinegar solution
• Miracle Grow, plant food spikes
• Radish seeds
• pH paper
• sealing tape

Safety Concerns:
Care when cutting bottles; teacher will drill holes in sieve plate

Revision Date:
July 2007