Scientific Research

...is currently being conducted. I guess that's how you would refer to it. Maybe data collection? Not sure, but I'm teaching elementary age kids, it can't be that big of deal, can it?

For biology, my teacher has us running some basic science experiments that I'm sure many of you have done before. The first is growing bush beans. We can grow them however we wish, so I'll tell you what I'm doing with mine. The second is growing mold. This isn't a hard one for me, it happens often in our fridge.

First up the beans. We were given 5 beans to plant however we please. So I put 3 in soil from my mom's nutrient rich garden soil (cool-whip container), and then 2 in soil that I just dug up from under the mulch in front of our house (paper bowl). I think we can all be certain that the ones in the rich soil will do better, but I want to see how much better they will do. They are sitting in the same spot, so they should get the same amount of sunlight, and I'll do my best to be sure they get about the same amount of water.


Next up is the mold growing. Our variable here is light and how much it makes a difference in mold growth. My thoughts are that while both pieces of bread will grow mold, the one left in the light will grow more mold.

I set this up by first letting the bread sit out on the counter for about 30 min - 1 hour in order to collect an adequate amount of mold spore. Oh, tip if you want to do this yourself, pick bread that doesn't have preservatives! That will help a lot!

Next up I got the bread damp with a spray bottle of water and then put them in the baggies and sealed them up. Then I put one in a Wheatables box. That will be the piece that will stay in the dark, other than when I open the box to check on it.

Both pieces are sitting next to each other on our kitchen counter to ensure that there is no difference in temperature, since we aren't testing how temperature affects mold growth. That's another good one to try though!

I'll keep you updated on my progress and your welcome to follow along with me! Be sure to let me know if you do! I'd love to see what kind of results others get!

Don't forget to post a little sign stating that your conducting scientific research!