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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Mixing Baking Soda and Vinegar
2. Do Different Types of Liquid Affect Plant Growth?
3. Birds and the Weather They Prefer
4. The Difference Between Adult and Child Heart Rates Before and
After Exercise
5. The Effect of Polluted Water On Plant Growth
TITLE: Mixing Baking Soda and Vinegar
STUDENT RESEARCHERS: Kurt Morsink, Rocio Solano, Carolina Zamora,
Maria Oconitrilla, Monica Hernandez, Elena
Mendieta, Ernesto Campos
SCHOOL: Lincoln School
San Jose, Costa Rica
GRADE: 2
TEACHER: Elizabeth Taylor
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:
We wanted to find out what happens when vinegar and baking soda
are mixed. Our hypothesis stated that mixing vinegar and baking
soda will make a gas.
II. METHODOLOGY:
First, we put vinegar in a bottle. Then we put baking soda in a
plastic bag. Next, we tied the bag over the top of the bottle.
Then we lifted the bag and poured the baking soda into the
vinegar. Then we observed what happened when vinegar and soda
mixed. We recorded and analyzed our data. Then we drew our
conclusions.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA:
When the baking soda mixed with the vinegar it exploded and
produced a gas.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:
We found out that when you mix vinegar with baking soda it makes a
gas. We accepted our hypothesis.
TITLE: Do Different Types of Liquid Affect Plant Growth
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Christopher Hammond
SCHOOL: Lakeridge Elementary
Mercer Island, WA
GRADE: 4
TEACHER: Tarry Lindquist
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS
I wanted to find out if different types of liquids affect plant
growth. I wanted to observe the effects of using tap water and
Coke on plant growth. My hypothesis states that there will be a
significant difference of growth between the plant watered with
Coke and the plant watered with water.
II. METHODOLOGY
I grew 2 pots of seeds - one control and one experimental. I gave
them each the same amount of heat, liquid, light, and soil. The
seeds were planted in the same kind of pots. I then recorded my
data for 25 days. I recorded when seeds sprouted, the number of
leaves, and the color of the leaves.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA
Seven seeds in the control group watered with water sprouted on
days 7, 8, 9, and 10. The plants grew to an average height of 8
cm. and had a total of 15 leaves. Four seeds in the experimental
group sprouted on days 1, 5, 6, and 7. They grew to an average of
3 cm. and then died.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The plants watered with tap water grew the tallest and had the
most leaves. The plants watered with Coke grew the shortest, had
fewer leaves and died.
I accepted my hypothesis because there was a significant
difference in growth between the plants watered with Coke and the
ones watered with water. The type of liquid does affect the
growth of plants.
TITLE: Birds and the Weather They Prefer
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Jeslyn Miller
SCHOOL: Lakeridge Elementary
Mercer Island, WA
GRADE: 4
TEACHER: Tarry Lindquist
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
I wanted to find out how weather affects different types of birds.
I observed the number of birds outside my house when it was
snowing, raining, windy, calm, sunny, cloudy, and at different
temperatures. My hypothesis stated that birds do not care what
the weather is. They just come and go.
II. METHODOLOGY
To do my project I looked for and counted birds for 15 minutes
every morning. I recorded the date, temperature, and weather
conditions. I only counted a bird if it was in between my
neighbors' docks and was clearly identifiable.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA
I saw 14 species of water fowl and more than 6 species of land
birds in my 22 days of observation. The average number of gulls
each day was 76 and the median was 52. The number of gulls ranged
from 9 to 334. There appeared to be the largest number of gulls
each Thursday or Friday (average per Thursday or Friday was 156;
average on other days was 47). The first 13 days had more gulls
than the last 9 days (average per day for first 13 days was 133;
average per day for the last 9 days was 23). The average number
of waterfowl excluding gulls each day was 16. The median number
was 17. The number of waterfowl ranged from 6 to 25 and there was
very little variation.
The average number of land birds excluding bushtits each day was
5. The median number was 3. I excluded bushtits because they
only came on 2 days and in large flocks of about 25. The number
of land birds ranged from 0 to 17. Although there was no
significant correlation between number of land birds and the
temperature, the largest number of land birds, 17, came on the
single snowy day.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The number of gulls varied from 9 to 334. They were all flying
from north to south, so it might have had something to do with a
landfill near Renton. Also, the gulls might have begun migrating
during my observations since there were more gulls during the
first 2 weeks than during the last week. The numbers of
waterfowl, excluding gulls, and of land birds, excluding bushtits,
did not vary much.
I accepted my hypothesis because I could find no relationship
between the number of birds and the temperature or sky conditions.
I could not test rain or strong wind. There was only dry, calm
weather during my period of observation which is unusual for
Seattle in February.
TITLE: The Difference Between Adult and Child Heart Rates Before
and After Exercise
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Marion Abercrombie
SCHOOL: Mandeville Middle School
Mandeville, Louisiana
GRADE: 6
TEACHER: John I. Swang, Ph.D.
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:
I would like to find out how much the heart rate of adults and
children differ. My first hypothesis states that the heart rate
of a full grown adult and a child while resting will be about the
same. My second hypothesis states that an adult's heart will
increase more than a child's after running 100 feet.
II. METHODOLOGY:
First, I wrote my statement of purpose, review of literature, and
my hypothesis. Next, I gathered my materials which were a tape
measurer to measure 100 feet, a data collection sheet, four adults
ranging from age 40-45 and four children aged 11-12. I then took
the pulse of the adults and children while resting. Then, one by
one, I had them run 100 feet. I then took their pulse rates
again. Next, I averaged the pulse rates. I repeated this twice.
Finally, I wrote my analysis of data, summary and conclusion, and
application.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA:
I found out that the children's average heart rate while resting
was 78. The adults' average while resting was 79 beats a minute.
After having run 100 meters, the children's average heart rate was
114, and the adults' average heart rate was 131.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:
While resting, the adults' and children's heart rate was about the
same. Therefore, I accepted my first hypothesis which stated that
the heart rate of a full grown adult and a child while resting
will be about the same. After having run 100 meters, the adults'
heart rate increased more than the childern's did. Therefore, I
accepted my second hypothesis which stated that an adult's heart
rate will increase more than the child's would after running 100
meters. I feel that this was because the adult' were not
physically fit and the children were.
V. APPLICATION
The adults' heart rate increased more than the child's did after
running 100 meters. I felt this was because the adults were not
as fit as the children were, requiring their hearts to be harder
and faster, and making them more prone to heart diseases. If a
person does not want to have a heart disease, then they should
keep themselves physically fit.
TITLE: The Effect of Polluted Water on Plant Growth
STUDENT RESEARCHER: Paul Richard
SCHOOL: Mandeville Middle School
Mandeville, Louisiana
GRADE: 6
TEACHER: John I. Swang, Ph.D.
I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE AND HYPOTHESIS:
I want to know the effect of polluted water on plant growth. My
hypothesis states that the plants watered with distilled water
will grow taller than the ones watered with polluted Lake
Ponchartrain water.
II. METHODOLOGY:
First, I stated my purpose, reviewed the literature, and developed
my hypothesis. Next, I poured 200 ml of charcoal and 400 ml of
potting soil in each of the two pots. Then I labeled the pots
"Clean Water" and "Dirty Water." After that I put 40 grass seeds
in each. Next, I watered the pot labeled "Clean Water" with 50 ml
distilled water. I did the same with the polluted water in the
second pot labeled "Dirty Water." I watered the pots every third
day for ten days after germination. I took notes and pictures of
the plants' growth each of the ten days. Then I recorded my data
on my data collection sheet, analyzed it, wrote my summary and
conclusion, and applied my findings to the real world.
III. ANALYSIS OF DATA:
On the first day, after the five days allowed for germination, the
tallest plant watered with clean water was four cm tall. The
tallest plant watered with dirty water was two cm tall. On the
second day, the tallest clean water plant was six cm tall and the
dirty water plant was four cm tall. On the third day, the dirty
water plant was five cm tall and the clean water plant was seven
cm tall. On the fourth day, the dirty water plant was seven cm
tall and the clean water plant was eight and a half cm tall. On
the fifth day, the dirty water plant was eight and a half cm tall
and the clean water plant was nine cm tall. On the sixth day,
there wasn't any growth in either plants' part. On the seventh
day, the dirty water plant was nine cm tall and the clean water
plant was eleven cm tall. On the eighth day, the dirty water
plant was still nine cm tall and the clean water plant was
thirteen cm tall. On the ninth day, the dirty water plant was ten
cm tall and the clean water plant was fifteen cm tall. On the
tenth day, the dirty water plant was ten and a half cm tall and
the clean water plant was seventeen cm tall.
IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:
The plants watered with distilled water grew faster and taller
than the plants watered with polluted water. I accepted my
hypothesis which stated that the plant watered with clean water
would grow faster than the one watered with clean water.
V. APPLICATION:
Now that I know that polluted water stunts plant growth I will
report my findings to the local government and tell them to do
what ever possible to clean up Lake Pontchartrain.
© 1993 John I. Swang, Ph.D.