The resources are all readily available and either cheap or free 4. If this happens, switch out the seeds when students are not there to ensure that each child has at least one bean that sprouts. Using liquids that are very acidic or very alkaline lead to mineral imbalances in the soil that will kill plants or slow growth. This method requires a bright sunny window on which you can hang baggies that contain the seeds. Background Knowledge: Photosynthesis forms the basis for this experiment. I used grass seed for this experiment because it sprouts fairly quickly but you can use bean seeds (lima beans soaked overnight in water work well) or any other type of seed you wish. Procedure: Separate bean seeds into two different piles with equal number of seeds (10 seeds in each pile). They plant them in cups, place half of the cups in the sun, and put the other half in a dark container. You can choose to have each student plant their own beans in their own baggie or plant a few baggies as a class. How do light and dark conditions affect the germination and growth of seedlings? If you choose to have students do their own seeds and baggies, it’s a good idea to plant extra seeds in case some students’ seeds do not grow. After cutting open the celery we discuss the results. You can cut open the stalks to allow students to see the small tubes inside the stalks that carried up the colored water to the leaves. We started with two plastic cups. Plants can be classified in terms of their responses to light for germination as follows: (i) those that require light to germinate, (ii) those that require darkness to germinate and (iii) those that have a large percentage of seeds neutral to light. Stuff a large jar with paper towels. Chlorophyll Fluorescence Measurements—Light Curves. Our hypothesis is if we use a fluorescent light bulb then the plant growth would be higher in quality (height and healthiness) because it supplies better supplemental light and the plant has a better chance of survival compared to the incandescent light bulb. A phototropic response involves the detection of a light wavelength by receptor molecules in plant cells, and transduction (i.e., conversion) of that signal into biochemical responses that lead to altered growth patterns. Because the light and dark affect Hpa vegetative growth and sporulation, we questioned whether the light or dark affect germination of spores and whether it is necessary to have a regular light/dark regime for germination. the effect light has on the growth of pea plants. Introduction. The one near the window shows the most growth, the one in the partial light has growth on the side of the container that received partial light and grows towards the light, the container in total darkness has no growth. Different characteristics of light such as spectral composition (wavelengths), intensity, duration and direction can influence plant growth and development. A student places three identical plants in the same type of containers, uses the same type of soil and the same amount of water for each plant. I thought this was very creative! You should see a root come out of the seed first within 3 days. Cv. I have the baggie already drawn for them to make it easier. This experiment has been around for years and is a great way to demonstrate to students how plants get water from their roots all the way up to their leaves. It also teaches them about the needs of plants and develops patience because they have to wait for the results and observe changes over time. environmental conditions that enable the plant growth. Last year students had the idea to test liquids that we drink to see if plants would drink them too. Place the celery stalks in the water. Leaf number and total leaf area per plant were determined at the age of 5 weeks. Growing Bean Experiment – Results. The stalks on the inside of the bundle of celery usually have the most leaves. After two weeks, compare the plants again. Environmental factors that affect plant growth include light, temperature, water, humidity, and nutrition. Interestingly… not all beans “hatched” at the same time. This makes room for more water to come rushing up through the stem. I also like to do a split stalk one. We added the same amount of soil and seed to each cup and labeled them. Unfortunately, your shopping bag is empty. I introduce some bigger vocabulary to them when we talk about the science behind the experiment, but I basically just want them to understand that the water travels up the stem through tiny tubes to the leaves. With a basic understanding of these factors, you may be able to manipulate plants to meet your needs, whether for increased leaf, flower, or fruit production. Optional: you can also have them write the date. The tap water grew the best, followed by the bottled water, the sugar water had a few blades come up, and the salt water did not have any. After a few weeks, they compare the growth of plants exposed to the different conditions and make comparative bar graphs that they analyze to draw conclusions about plant … Students make predictions as to which one they feel will work best. You are making a plastic baggie “greenhouse” for the seeds. Light supplies the power to carry on photosynthesis, the food-making process in leaves. This experiment tests what type of liquid is best for growing seeds and can be done using a wide variety of liquids. Effect of Light Colors on Bean Plant Growth Grade: Grades 6-8 Delaware State Science Standard: Science Standard 6 - Life Processes Strand: Structure/Function Relationship Strand: Matter and Energy Transformations Background Information: When you look out on a sunny day, the light appears colorless. LED Lights Used in Plant Growth Experiments for Deep Space Missions. These are some great examples of easy experiments to do and I love that you have pictures as well! 3. Review how to do a science experiment. Once it sprouts the grass grows fairly quickly. Do household detergents affect plant growth? Some of the Amazon links on Lessons for Little Ones are affiliate links. Plants need light to grow because it is an important part of photosynthesis, the process plants use to convert carbon dioxide and water into food. Love them. Put the plant back in the cupboard. I have students record their observations by coloring the celery on their recording page (I created pages with the celery already drawn to make it easier for my young students). We then do the experiment with liquids other than water to see if another type of liquid could be used if water isn’t available. Experiments were performed on plants aged 5-6 weeks. This is mainly to facilitate the penetration of low levels of sunlight into the leaf. Keep reading to answer these questions on how light affects the growth of a plant. "So we placed one bean plant on the windowsill, and left another in the closet. Observe the containers for about 2 weeks (or however long it takes to see growth) watering as needed. Shortly after emerging from the soil and into the light, stem elongation slows. Write down your ideas. The leaves help pull the water up the xylem through transpiration. A house plant in a dark room will grow toward the light. I have students keep plant journals similar to the one shown above but the recording pages are slightly different. Light is the original source of energy for plant photosynthesis and growth. How did the seedlings “see” the light? My experiment was does plants grow better in the dark rather than the sunlight. I’m glad you found it useful! Use these experiments as described, or expand and modify them based on your own interests and imagination. You can use any liquids you have on hand, just make sure that one of them is water to use as the comparison. Our results were that water was best, followed by the vitamin water. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. In fact some took well over a week. Thank you, Sarah! While the light-grown seeds do not grow as tall as the dark-grown, they have more developed leaves, more rigid cell walls, and will not be as flimsy as the dark-grown plants. Thanks for sharing these! BUT, ONE of the beans in the dark, and ONE NOT in the dark started sprouting at the same time. Hang them on a sunny window and make daily observations. In fact some took well over a week. You can also do this activity around St. Patrick’s Day and put leprechaun faces on the containers and grow green leprechaun “hair”. Students can also upload real photos to Pic Collage and complete their journals using the app. Light incubation can be considered the control treatment. Liquids with very high sugar or salt levels can actually pull water away from the plant or seed rather than allowing the water to be absorbed. (Most plants’ growth is regulated by the light and dark cycle, with the majority of growth taking place in the morning.) In the pictures below the blue is on the left, red on the right, and some purple leaves in the center. Knowing that different colors of light can affect what a plant does is important in a world that depends on plants for food. Without light, a plant would not be able to produce the energy it needs to grow. During the transition from darkness to light, the rate of hypocotyl elongation is determined from the integration of light signals sensed through the phototropi What do you observe is happening now? What affect does the brightness of light have on the growth rate of a plant? If you have any excess water at the bottom pour it out. Purchasing through affiliate links is an easy, painless way to help out your favorite bloggers. We placed equal amounts of dirt in each cup, and labeled one cup “light” and one cup “dark.” To both cups we added three different seeds: a broccoli seed, a lettuce seed, and a pea seed. On the first page they have to circle the correct pictures. Place several seeds around each side of the jar. In conclusion, simple pure tap water worked best. You want the paper towels to be damp not soaking wet. “Surprisingly, Wolffia only has half the number of genes that are regulated by light/dark cycles compared to other plants,” Michael says. These groups have been named positive photoblastic, negative photoblastic and neutral photoblastic by Baskin and Baskin (2014). The relationship between light and plant growth can be demonstrated by exposing leaves to various colors of light. If you used bean seeds you should be able to observe the plant until it grows to the top of the jar. In the first experiments, with two lamps with a light intensity about 2880 U.K. (metre candle), the control plants in the dark were One can say that all living things on earth require sunlight to survive, because without green plants, all life on earth would be unable to survive (all living things feed on plants or animals that have eaten plants). Three to seven days later, students compare the seedlings and then watch what happens when all are placed in the sun. A plant’s growth response to light is called phototropism, from the Greek words trope (for “turn”) and photo (for “light”). Built for science students by science teachers. In this post I’m sharing some of my favorites from over the years. If doing a class experiment, you can write the date on the baggies. Celery stalks that have leaves at the top work best. When you buy a new plant, you may wonder what kind of light do plants need? Definitely inspired me to try out something creative. The color lights used were green, red, blue, and white. Does cigarette smoke affect plant growth? All things need energy to grow. It is important to understand how these factors affect plant growth and development. After one week compare the plants. Do sounds (music, noise, etc.) We take the bean plants that have grown to the top of the jar or baggies and carefully put them in soil. If you had a seed sprout in the dark, it may have used energy stored up in the seed to begin growing but it will not continue to grow without light. This is how light affects the growth of a plant. We then measured out the same amount of water for each cup and watered the seeds with the different types of water and set them by the window. Do different colors of light affect the rate of photosynthesis? Neither the juice or pop had any sprouts. Keep reading to answer these questions on how light affects the growth of a plant. I have done this experiment 3 different ways. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! The students were amazed a week later to find that the one in the closet actually seemed to be growing better than the one in the light!" You can choose to plant 2 containers of seeds and set one in direct sunlight near a window and one in complete darkness OR plant 3 containers and set one in complete sunlight near a window, one in partial light, and one in complete darkness (it is important that there is NO light). Students build an experiment chamber to test the effects of light on Brassica rapa roots, and compare their results with outcomes from plant experiments conducted aboard the International Space Station as part of Mission STS-134.. I have students use plastic spoons to fill their cups about ¾ full with dirt/soil. Botany and Plant Growth Science Projects. Qianxi) were cultivated in growth medium of a mixture of peat and vermiculite (3:1, v/v) under white fluorescent lamp after germinating. They measure the seedlings' growth every few days using non-standard measurement (inch cubes). It is important to understand how these factors affect plant growth and development. How Light Affects the Growth of a Plant. Do all plants need the same amount of light? A fun option that I like to do is put faces on the cups or containers and have the grass be the face’s hair. Observe the celery at the end of the school day. Cool fluorescent light is great for cultivating plant growth indoors. Can plants conduct electricity? The premier destination for fun science projects & experiments for kids grades K-8 since 2010! Then they write what they learned along the bottom. BUT, ONE of the beans in the dark, and ONE NOT in the dark started sprouting at the same time. Materials: 20 bean seeds, 2 Ziploc bags, 2 damp paper towels, desk lamp. This is so much fun. After students’ grass hair grows, I let cut their hair with scissors and then estimate how long they think it will be until it grows back. This is covered in standard 5-LS1-1: Support an argument that plants fet the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water. Red light, when combined with blue, allows plants to flower. For one week, the plants were put under their assigned light color for 12 hours and spent 12 hours in darkness. Then have them cover the seeds with a small amount of dirt. Light supplies the power to carry on photosynthesis, the food-making process in leaves. What affect does the brightness of light have on the growth rate of a plant? Every grade-schooler knows that plants need light to grow, but just how plants respond to light is a deceptively complex process that has long puzzled scientists. “We think this is why it grows so fast. Learn how your comment data is processed. You should see a root come out of the seed first within 3 days. I’m glad they were helpful and inspirational . It should have a fair amount of water but not be soaking or dripping wet. Growth Parameter Measurements . We practice measurement skills by measuring how tall the grass has grown. After 48 hours you will really notice changes and color in the stalks and leaves showing that the water traveled up through the stalk to the leaves. Place one or several bean seeds between the paper towel and the baggie. 2004). Tape or Sticky Tac them on a bright, sunny window. Wet the paper towels until completely dampened. Do different colors of light affect the direction of plant growth? Comparing the Growth of Pea Plants Grown in the Light and in the Dark Aim: To compare the vertical growth and weight gain of pea plants grown in the light and in the dark. For each baggie, place a dampened, folded paper towel along the bottom. This is why your plant under the full light spectrum grew better than the plants with the cellophane filters. (The … A new study sheds light on this enigma by showing that plants actually get ready to respond to light (by growing, flowering or straining toward the light) while it’s still dark. Have students help you decide the best places in the room to place each container (by a sunny window, in a closet that gets NO light, in a file cabinet drawer, on a shelf in partial light, inside a closed box, etc.). I have students record their results on recording pages. All plants require light and CO2 for photosynthesis. The experiment itself can be extended to enable pupils to develop their ideas about collecting evidence in science and their investigative skills. Lastly, I have students water their seeds with a spray bottle. We then measured out the same amount of liquid for each cup and watered the seeds with the different types of liquids and set them by the window. If doing individual bags for each student, have students write their name on their baggie with a marker. Plant material and growth conditions. Plant the same number of seeds in each container with the same amount of soil and label each container. Environmental factors that affect plant growth include light, temperature, water, humidity, and nutrition. Without light, photosynthesis does not work properly and therefore the plant does not get enough food. I like using these pages to check individual student understanding of what plants need to grow. All green plants, including bean plants, need sunlight or another source of light to make 'chlorophyll' to thrive or just to survive. Students plant sunflower seeds in plastic cups, and once germinated, expose them to varying light or soil moisture conditions. Questions : A couple of ideas for using the problem in the classroom including 2-3 central questions that can be used to elicit student thinking or lead a discussion. On the second page they unscramble the words and write the correct words on the lines. But the spectrum of light most utilized by a leaf is limited to three distinct colors, red, blue and yellow. Plants absorb mostly blue and red light (think of the colours present in a rainbow, plants use two particularly) in order to grow and flower. Then have them sprinkle grass seed on top of the dirt. Background: The relationship between light and plant growth can be demonstrated by exposing leaves to various colors of light. Not only do they get excited to see how plants grow but planting seeds also teaches them patience and how to wait for gratification which is very important in this fast-paced, instant gratification world in which we now live. After 2-3 days our beans started to grow. We do 3 containers – one by the window in full sunlight, one on a shelf that gets partial light, and one in the back of the closet behind a box. With a basic understanding of these factors, you may be able to manipulate plants to meet your needs, whether for increased leaf, flower, or fruit production. This experiment studied the effect of different light intensities on the growth of plant. This experiment was designed to test the growth of plants when only receiving light from a certain direction. The split celery stalk should show the separate colors on each side and then a mix of the colors in the leaves in the middle. "My third graders wanted to experiment to find out whether plants need light," reports Jane Carver from Boston, MA. Blue light, for example, helps encourage vegetative leaf growth. Capillary action is the process in which a liquid, like water, moves up something solid, like the tubes (xylem) in the stem. I have learnt that the increased A wide range of signals and information for morphogenesis and many other physiological processes is triggered by light (Chen et al. The Effect of Light on Tomato Plant Growth. After 2-3 days our beans started to grow. One is having them predict how long they think it will take their grass to grow and then recording the actual results. What Liquid is Best for Growing Seeds? I used Scott’s grass seed. Summary – Plants Grown in Light vs Dark Plants photosynthesise, and their rate of photosynthesis mainly depends on the intensity of light. We kept one bean in the dark and one in the light, both germinated and grew into small bean plants. Because we wanted to test how seeds grow in different lighting conditions, it was important that all of the growing conditions for our seeds be the same EXCEPT for the lighting conditions.