Teaching Tips!

Lead students on an Inquiry discussion with the following questions that are related to both Science and Mathematics. Write various answers down on the board (take every answer into consideration and list as a possibility).



Question: How do you think plant growth can be stimulated?

An Answer: Possible answers may include such things as light, water, carbon dioxide, fertilizer, hormones, etc. Accept all answers. Ask students if they know any of these to be 100% true.


Question: What else might we need to ask ourselves to be 100% sure about these factors? If all students are convinced that they are 100% correct, say "I am not convinced...I need more information."

An Answer: Possible answers may include questions such as "How do plants grow?" "How much of a particular factor is generally needed for plants to thrive?" "Do some kinds of plants have different needs?" etc. Accept all possible answers. Assign groups these questions to research.


Question: Since plants and people have to undergo some similar processes, it might be easier for us to ask the question: "What do we need to grow?" "Or rather, what do you have a lot of in your bodies right now that is forcing you to grow and change into an adult?"

An Answer: Hormones


Question: What affect do you think hormones might have on plants?

An Answer: Students may have conflicting views here. Possible answers may include nothing, death, growth, the same as humans. Accept all answers. Hopefully you will have students with conflicting views so that the experiment will have a little more uncertainty to it.


Question: How do you think we can go about testing our hypothesis?

An Answer: Through an experiment. Give a plant hormones and see if it grows tall. Students may forget the importance of a controlled experiment.


Question: How will we keep track of our experiment?

An Answer: Questions may vary but all should be guided towards keeping track of the data on a daily basis (at the same time of day). This should lead into the requirements for the lab journal.


Question: How will you display and analyze your data representing plant growth?

An Answer: Ultimately students should discuss graphs and charts. Teacher should require them to use Excel to graph the data.


Have students group themselves accordingly to investigate the hormone, gibberellic acid. Allow students to use books and Internet resources to answer their questions. Have students share their findings with the class during an informal discussion.
Ask students "How do you think hormones affect plant growth?" Give the students a list of possible materials (Wisconsin Fast Plant seeds, water, soil, vermiculite, light sources, and gibberellic acid). Instruct students to develop their own controlled experiment to answer the question. Experiment should run for about 7 weeks.
While students are setting up their labs. The teacher should set up the "mystery solution". Acquire two spray bottles. Fill one with water (placebo) and the other with a gibberellic acid solution. Bottles should look identical, students should not be able to tell which is which. Lable bottles A and B. Have students label pots A and B. Students should be expected to always spray bottle A on plant A and vice versa. This will keep the placebo and hormone seperate.
Present background on accuracy of regression lines and data.
Guide students through Excel with the sample data provided in Activities.
During the eight week run, plants will be tended to and measured every weekday at the same time. Students will gather data by measuring plant height.
Throughout the experiment students should be checking the Activities page and completing the weekly journal entries and Excel projects.
Teacher should discuss with students on a weekly basis where their project is headed and what plant they believe is being treated with the gibberellic acid.
When the eight weeks is completed have students write a technical lab report using Microsoft Word. The students should make a conclusion about the affects of gibberellic acid and which plant was being treated with it. Conclusions should be supported by journal entries, data, and graphs.
Students will be expected to present their conclusions to the class. The presentation can be 3-5 minutes long and displayed on power point. Students should summarize and support their lab results.