In Science Class . . . Week of 4/9 and 4/16

Last week, students set up terrariums with soil, water, and seeds from various plants. Most of the seeds have since germinated and are looking great! The seedlings range from 1 to about 12 cm tall. We discussed the biotic and abiotic environmental factors that can influence plant growth, such as light, temperature, soil, water, insects, other plants, etc. We've also been focusing on measurement in the metric system, using our rulers to find the height of the seedlings in centimeters. This week, we continued our terrarium observations and also started to look at live beetles and isopods (aka "rolly pollies"). In the coming weeks, we'll be studying environmental preference and tolerance.

• What factors could influence plant growth?
• What is the difference between biotic and abiotic factors? (Biotic factors are living, while "abiotic" means nonliving)
• What do plants need to survive?
  
• What did you notice about your beetles and isopods?