Name Date

UNIT PROJECT
Investigating Plant Systems
We depend on growing plants to sustain life on Earth. What factors MATERIALS
contribute to seeds sprouting and growing into healthy plants? What • safety goggles, nonlatex apron,
happens inside the seed, and how does homeostasis regulate this process?
nonlatex gloves
How do seedlings survive and grow in changing conditions? How does the
plant make new structures? • container, large, with a lid, or an
aquarium
Over the course of the next three weeks, you will grow seedlings under • graduated cylinder, 100 mL
different conditions. You will select variables that may affect the growth of • grow light or access to sunlight,
seedlings, and investigate how engineering can help solve problems related along with other growing
to plant growth.
conditions, such as a refrigerator
• measuring scale
MAKE A CLAIM • peat moss
• plant fertilizer
1. What environmental factors will affect the growth of your seedlings?
• planting pots (5–10)
• potting soil
• saline solution (optional)
• seeds from any plants in the
cabbage family
2. What role will homeostasis play in their growth and development?
• water
• weather thermometer

3. What evidence do you need to gather to answer Questions 1 and 2?

SAFETY INFORMATION
• Wear safety goggles, a nonlatex apron, and nonlatex gloves during the setup, hands-on, and
takedown segments of the activity.
• Use nonlatex gloves when handling any seeds, plants, soil, or fertilizer.
• Immediately wipe up any spilled water or soil on the floor so it does not become a slip/fall
hazard.
• Use caution when working with glassware, which can shatter if dropped and cut skin.
• Wash your hands with soap and water immediately after completing this activity.

Unit Project 1 Structure and Function in Living Things

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CARRY OUT THE INVESTIGATION

1. First, decide on conditions that you would like to test as you grow seedlings. These may
include different amounts of water, soil acidity or salinity, amount or type of light, high or low
temperature, etc. You will set up one or more variable groups, and one control group to test
against. The control group should be grown under conditions considered to be optimal.

2. Prepare planting pots by filling each pot with the same amount of soil, measured on a scale,
or a mixture of soil and peat moss mixed 1:1.

3. For each group, plant seeds ¼” to ½” deep with adequate spacing, covering each seed with a
light layer of soil. Each group should have 5–10 seeds. Water the seeds.

4. Label each group according to the conditions under which they are grown. For example:
a) control group, b) drought, c) cold, d) heat, e) high acidity/salinity, f) low light, and so on.

5. Depending on the variables you have chosen, place pots in sunlight, partial sunlight, artificial
light, darkness, in cold conditions, and so on.

6. Each day or class period, check on the conditions of each group of seedlings/plants. You
should measure and add a predetermined amount of water and monitor temperature, or
expose the seedlings/plants to a predetermined amount of light/sunlight.

7. In your Evidence Notebook, keep a record of plant growth and other characteristics. Begin
your qualitative and quantitative observations on the day after planting, and continue until the
end of the unit. At the end of the unit, plants and their roots may be examined for evidence of
homeostatic adaptations, such as growing longer roots.

8. Develop conclusions about the conditions and growth of each group. Consult with your
teacher to try to account for any uncontrolled conditions that have occurred during the
experiment.

9. Develop conclusions and share with other students or peer groups. If some data seem to
vary greatly, think about the possible causes.

10. Work with your peers to determine the most advantageous factors for plant growth. How
could engineering solutions help to solve problems you encountered? If time allows,
implement these design solutions and continue the trial.

COLLECT DATA
Over the course of three weeks, you will collect both qualitative and quantitative data. You will need
to observe your seedlings for a few minutes every day. Write up a data collection plan for your
teacher to approve. Include sample data tables, and explain which data you can graph and how you
can present the data at the end of the experiment.

Examples of qualitative data to record:

• what the control group and variable groups look like every day and how they change
• the colors and textures of each seedling
• noticeable changes over time for each group
• daily photos to track the growth and viability of your seedlings

Examples of quantitative data to record:

• number of seeds that are alive and dead
• the heights of plants and number of new leaves
• light, temperature, water, and other conditions in each group
• measurements of roots and other parts of one plant from each group

Unit Project 2 Structure and Function in Living Things

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LESSON 1: MITOSIS AND THE CELL CYCLE

In your Evidence Notebook, draw a diagram modeling the main stages of mitosis. Label each stage
and briefly describe what is happening in the cell at each stage.

Answer the following questions in your Evidence Notebook:

1. Which kind of cell division is happening as your seedlings grow: mitosis, binary fission, or
meiosis? Support your answer with information from Lesson 1.

2. In which part of the seedling would you expect more mitosis to be happening: in a fully grown
leaf or in a root tip that is growing toward a source of water? Explain your answer.

LESSON 2: ORGANISMS: CELLS TO BODY SYSTEMS

In your Evidence Notebook, draw a model of a plant cell. In your model, explain the roles of cell
walls, vacuoles, and chloroplasts in maintaining the cell.

Answer the following questions in your Evidence Notebook:

1. Describe the hierarchical organization in organisms, from cells to organ systems. What levels
of organization are present in your plant? Use evidence to support your claims.

2. How do different systems in the plant interact to carry out functions such as water uptake,
photosynthesis, and growth? How did the variable you tested affect these functions?

LESSON 3: MECHANISMS OF HOMEOSTASIS

In your Evidence Notebook, make a chart indicating the development of your seedlings, including
your control group and variable groups.

Answer the following questions in your Evidence Notebook:

1. Describe conditions that must remain relatively stable for ideal plant growth. Explain how you
altered these conditions in your experiment.

2. Explain how plants use homeostasis to maintain balance over a period of less-than-ideal
conditions. What evidence of homeostasis do you observe in your seedlings?

Unit Project 3 Structure and Function in Living Things

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DRAW CONCLUSIONS
Write a conclusion demonstrating your findings from this experiment in your Evidence Notebook.
Include all data you collected and create at least one graphic representation of your data. In your
conclusion, answer the following questions:

Claim How did environmental factors affect the growth of your seedlings?

Evidence Give specific examples from your results to support your claim. What environmental
factors did you vary in growing your seedlings? How did you control these factors for the control
group? How did you maintain the variables throughout the experiment? How did the growth of the
seedlings with varied conditions compare with the growth of the seedlings grown under controlled
conditions? Were your predictions about the effect of the variables confirmed? Why or why not?

Reasoning Explain how the evidence you gave supports your claim about the effect of
environmental factors on seedling growth. Describe, in detail, the connections between the evidence
from your experiment and the argument you are making.

Unit Project 4 Structure and Function in Living Things

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EXTEND
Alter your seedling experiment in one of the following ways and monitor the results of the
changes: double the number of plants in each group to gather more accurate data; change the
type of seeds used; increase the intensity of the variables—for example, give each plant even less
water for a longer period of time; experiment with a different soil type, such as rocky soil or soil
with high salinity; experiment with a type of natural fertilizer.

COMMUNICATE
Return to your unit project. Using your research and materials, prepare a presentation to share
with the class. In your final presentation, evaluate the strength of your hypothesis, data, analysis,
and conclusions. Remember these tips while evaluating the results of your project:

• Look at the empirical evidence—that is, the evidence based on observations and data. Does
the evidence support the explanation? Does the evidence support your claim regarding the
processes involved in the formation of a new plant?
• Consider whether your explanation is logical. Is your explanation contradicted by any
evidence you have seen?
• Think of further tests you could do to support or contradict your hypothesis and conclusion.

Use evidence gathered over the course of the experiment to support your claims. Photos,
drawings, data tables, and graphs may be useful evidence to include in your presentation.

Unit Project 5 Structure and Function in Living Things

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