| Explore | As a group, we have learned that plants that can produce flowers are called angiosperms. There are two types of angiosperms: monocot and dicot. Monocots have one cotyledon with a fibrous root system. They have long, blade-like leaves and straight veins. On the other hand, dicots have two cotyledons with a taproot system. They have rounded leaves and web-like veins. Plants are autotrophs because they use the process of photosynthesis to make their food. Photosynthesis requires water, sunlight, carbon dioxide, and chlorophyll. Once the chloroplast has completed this process, the phloem transports the food up the stem and into different plant parts. All the extra food is transported to the vacuoles in the cells. While the phloem does this, the xylem transports water and other dissolved minerals and nutrients, up the roots and stems into the veins of the leaves. |
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| Research Question | Question: How would the nasturtium seeds be affected if we watered them with watered-down food coloring? |
| Predictions | What if we water the nasturtium with colored water will it change the color of the plant? Our explanation is that the dye in the water will grow through the plant and change the color. |
| Experimental Design | Our plan is to see if the color from the water will go through the roots and into the flower to change its color. The independent variable is the colored water and the dependent is the amount of sun, water, and fertilizer. We will measure and observe the height and speed of growth of all five plants. The variables that we will keep constant are the amount of sun, water, and fertilizer. We will record our data for this experiment by measuring the plants everyday and writing the results in a notebook. |