This activity will take approximately 5 class periods to complete. It may take longer if students are expected to present detailed results from their investigation to their peers. Remember that in this activity, students are forming their own questions and hypotheses on the subject. Many students who have little or no previous experience with forming their own questions may need more than a little guidance and direction in this process. A certain amount of preparation is necessary for this lab.
Vinegar works well.
Background to top Tropism is the growth or bending of a plant in response to an outside source of stimulation. The teacher should acquire some background knowledge on both germination and on tropisms before attempting this lab with students . On the first day of this lab the goal for the teacher should be to determine what students may already think or know about the subject of seed germination and how seedlings respond to certain stimuli. After students have discussed and written responses to these questions have a class discussion about them. Make a note of any interesting questions or comments that are made.