An activity you can use in the classroom
Experimenting with plants, Gregor Mendel and other scientists formulated basic laws of heredity that underlie modern genetics. One branch of genetic research still focuses on plants and how genetics may help improve food production. In this activity, you will design an experiment that tests how variables affect the growth and reproduction of food-producing plants.
- seeds
- potting soil
- seed trays
- forceps
- petri dishes
- hand lens
- What do you know about how plants reproduce? Discuss the subject with the other members of your team, and list the variables that affect the growth and reproductive rate of plants on the worksheet below.
- Select one variable you would like to test. Then design an experiment that tests what happens when you change this variable; focus on how it affects the plant's growth. Remember the need for a control in your experiment and the importance of keeping daily notes.
- Write details of the experiment you've designed on the worksheet.
- Scientists have created genetically engineered plants that grow rapidly from seed to plant. How would using these plants help or hurt your experiment? Write your answer on the worksheet.
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