Water Conditions

Kelly Ludwig                   Lincoln-Way High School
                               Route #30
                               New Lenox IL 60451
                               (815) 485-7655

Objective:

     The main objective of this Mini-teach is to show students that water is an 
important physical factor (abiotic) in the environment of all living things.

Materials Needed:
                 petri dish                      forceps
                 stapler/staples                 tooth picks
                 paper towel/filter paper        water-soaked radish seeds
                 vinegar-soaked radish seeds     soap-soaked radish seeds
                 alcohol-soaked radish seeds

Strategy:
 1.  Divide your petri dish into four parts.  Use the filter paper/paper towel, 
     tooth picks and stapler.
 2.  Label the four parts as follows; Water, Vinegar, Soap, Alcohol (in pencil).
 3.  Wet the paper towel/filter paper in the petri dish.
 4.  Place five water-soaked radish seeds on the part of the dish marked      
     "Water".
 5.  Use your forceps, rinse off five vinegar-soaked seeds.  Place them in the
     part of the dish marked "Vinegar".
 6.  Use your forceps, rinse off five soap-soaked seeds.  Place them in the 
     part of the dish marked "Soap".
 7.  Use your forceps, rinse off five alcohol-soaked seeds.  Place them in the
     part of the dish marked "Alcohol".
 8.  Cover the seeds with a wet paper towel circle or filter paper.
 9.  Label your petri dish (name & date).  Store your experiment for a few days.
10.  After a few days, examine your seeds.

Performance Assessment:
     At the conclusion of the Mini-teach, students will be able to answer the
following questions:
 1.  What were the four environments of your seeds?
 2.  Which seeds do you predict will not grow?
 3.  Which seeds do you predict will grow?  Explain your answer.
 4.  What happened to the vinegar-soaked seeds?
 5.  What happened to the soap-soaked seeds?
 6.  What happened to the alcohol-soaked seeds?
 7.  What happened to the water-soaked seeds?
 8.  Suppose you had placed five dry seeds in a dry petri dish, what would 
     have happened and why?
 9.  What must the environment provide seeds before they can grow?
10.  What must all living things obtain from their environment?

Conclusion:
     Students will understand that water is an important physical factor in
the environment of all living things.