Photosynthesis Virtual Lab – Glencoe Photosynthesis Lab
(you can also type “glencoe photosynthesis” into a search engine like Google to find this resource)
To earn the points for this lab packet you must write a scientific report about the virtual lab experiment.
Do you remember the first step in the scientific method? Here is the question that is being asked
“Which colors of the light spectrum are most important for plant growth?”
BEFORE you begin the experiment – Make an appointment with the Writing Center to review your rough draft
Go to the Photosynthesis virtual lab and read the information in the left window.
Watch the video about sunlight in the virtual lab. (Click on video camera in left corner of virtual lab set-up)
Write your hypothesis about which part of the light spectrum causes the most plant growth and which part of the light spectrum causes the least plant growth. Assume all conditions; soil, moisture, viability of seeds are the same in each set up.
Design an experiment to test your hypothesis by choosing different plant seeds then observe how they grow under different colors of light.
Write your predictions that will help you to determine if your hypothesis is supported. You can use “If…then…” statements.
Create a data table to record your results
BEGIN THE EXPERIMENT(S) – Use the virtual lab to conduct your experiments and collect the results.
Create a graph for a visual representation of your results
Analyze your results and answer the questions below
Research various topics to provide background for Introduction and Discussion sections
List your references according to APA formatting
REVIEW THE RUBRIC
Write a rough draft using APA formatting (No Abstract Required) then review with Writing Center
Make adjustments, additions & deletions to your paper. Re-read your paper out loud.
Submit your paper before the due date.
HINTS FOR FINAL PHOTOSYNTHESIS PAPER
A. Use APA format. The Writing Center as well as the following link to Purdue OWL (online writing lab) can assist you.
B. Remember: Your paper should explain the experiment to anyone who reads it without doing it themselves. Provide background information in the introduction and end that section with your hypothesis and predict what the results will be if your hypothesis is supported. Important! your hypothesis does not have to be supported, but you must be able to test it in the virtual lab.
C. In the materials and methods section do not create a list. Explain how you will test your hypothesis in the virtual lab with enough details of the experiment so anyone could set up and repeat the experiment without the virtual lab. Why is it important to include the assumptions the lab instructions reported? Hint – Which variables did you control in your experiment and which variable did you change in order to compare your growth results? What materials and equipment would be needed?
D. When discussing the results include the numbers to support your conclusions. *If you write something similar to “the plants grew larger in the light” you MUST include results that support this statement.
E. Create as many graphs as necessary to show your results. They must be clearly labeled and easy to read.
F. Analyze the results of your experiment. Did your data support your hypothesis? Explain how, provide the proof. If your hypothesis is not supported include how you would re-write the hypothesis for another experiment. If you conducted tests with at least two types of seeds, remember to explain any differences or similarities you found among the types of seeds that you tested.
G. Explain what you can conclude from the results. What have you discovered about colors in the visible light spectrum and plant growth? Given that white light contains all colors of the spectrum, what growth results would you expect under white light?
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