AGRISCIENCE EXERCISE

University of Arkansas - AgriScience Project

AGRISCIENCE EXERCISE

PLANT SCIENCE & BIOTECHNOLOGY

Key Concept: Sexual Reproduction in Plants

Sub-Concept: Germination

Agricultural Context: The germination rate of various agricultural crop plants is very important financially to producers; therefore, it is important for tests to be conducted to determine germination rates and factors which affect these rates.

Exercise: What Affects Germination?

Applied Principle: Seeds require certain environmental conditions to germinate properly.

Goals:

Define germination.
Describe factors affecting germination.
Design and carry out an experiment to test a factor affecting germination.
Prepare and present written and oral reports of the results of experiments carried out.

Materials:

Germination test information
Other materials will vary, depending upon the experiments designed and conducted by the students

References: Bonnet, R.L. and Keen, G.D. (1989). Botany: 49 science fair projects. New York: McGraw-Hill Publishers.

Chilton, J., Hehn, D., Sivertsen, D. (1994). South Dakota agriscience lab manual. Pierre, SD: South Dakota Office of Adult, Vocational and Technical Education.

Johnson, D.M., ed. (1991). "Determining the effect of oxygen level on seed germination"; "Examining factors that affect seedling germination." Agriscience learning activities

manual. Mississippi State, MS: Mississippi State University, College of Agriculture and Home Economics.

Osborne, E.W. (1994). Biological science applications in agriculture. Danville, IL: Interstate Publishers.

Thompson, D.E. (1986). Science laboratory exercises for vocational agriculture students. Honolulu: Hawaii State Department of Education.

Trudeau, M. (1994). Plant morphology and taxonomy. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Instructional Materials Service.

Teacher Preparation Notes:

This activity should take about one week of class time.
After the students have set up and started their experiments, it is suggested that an activity about seed anatomy be conducted.
When the students' seeds begin to germinate, spend some time discussing the difference between hypogeal and epigeal emergence.

Procedures for Conducting the Activity:

1. Lead the class in a discussion of what germination is and why it is important to agriculture. [For example, you would not want to spend the time and money to sow a whole field of wheat, then have only half of it come up.]

You may wish to have a root view box with seedlings in various stages of growth to help demonstrate your points.

2. Ask the students what factors they think have an influence on how well seeds germinate. Write these on the board as they think of them.

3. Divide the class into small groups of about 3 students each.

4. Have each group choose a factor affecting seed germination. Each group will be responsible for designing and carrying out an experiment to test the effects of the factor.

5. Allow the groups time to design their experiments. Remind them of the steps in the scientific process, and lead them through the steps in planning their own experiments. (You may wish to provide the students with additional information to help with this step.) Be sure that each group has included a plan for keeping records of the data gathered.

6. Once the students have completed their experimental designs, instruct them to write out their plans to turn in.

7. Each group will then describe their hypothesis and experiment design to the rest of the class. This will give the entire class the opportunity for input into each experiment; any suggestions or ideas for improving the experiment designs may be made at this time.

8. Each group will need to gather needed materials and set up the experiments.

9. Be sure to allow students time as needed to properly carry out the experiments, and that each group is keeping good records of what is occurring.

10. At the conclusion of the experiments, each group is responsible for preparing a final written report. (Refer to information from the Scientific Process activity.)

11. In addition to the written reports, the students will present their findings to their classmates in the form of an oral report. (It is recommended that this presentation be video taped.) (The combined written and oral reports may serve as the students' evaluation for this activity.)

Report any problems, comments or suggestions to the Webmaster.

This activity has been accessed content-type: text/html Could not get HTTP_REFERER Exitting times.