- "Fast plants" are a type of fast-growing mustard plant (Brassica rapa)
that grows easily under laboratory conditions.
- Each group of students will be asked
design their own experiment using these "fast plants."
- Please get together with other students (ideal group size = 4).
Begin by exchanging email addresses.
- If there are fewer than four students in your group, please allow others to join.
- Larger groups should split into smaller ones. Maximum group size is 5. Minimum is 3.
- Read about "fast plants" in advance by going to these web sites:
- Together with the partners in your group, plan some experiment that
uses these "fast plants". For example, you could:
- Add something that might enhance the growth of the plants
- Add something that might interfere with growth
- Change some environmental condition (temperature, lighting, wind, etc.)
- Any other test condition that you would like to investigate
- The one important restriction is that you need to be able to gather data and write up
the report by the due date shortly after the second exam.
See the
syllabus
for the exact date.
- Each group is invited to email me or meet with me during lab
to discuss the possible project that you are interested in.
Some projects may be easier to do
than others;
some may be impossible with the resources at hand. No radioactive or highly toxic substances are allowed.
- Each lab group must get together and jointly write up a
research proposal, outlining what experiment you would like to conduct and why.
These proposals are due no later than the date listed
in the syllabus and are usually submitted as email attachments. Earlier submission is welcome and is encouraged because it will
allow your group to start early and have more time to conduct a better experiment.
Your proposal should minimally include:
- A title
- Everyone's name
- A hypothesis (at least one) that you wish to test
- A motivation, i.e., a reason why you think that a test of your hypothesis is important.
This usually includes bibliographic reference to similar studies (and their findings) on this or other plant species.
- A short explanation of the methods and materials that you plan to use,
including any measurements (always in metric units) that you plan to take and any statistical procedures
that you plan to use.
- Please be very clear and explicit about what you plan to test. If you are testing orange juice, don't call it "vitamin C"
because its effects may be caused by the sugar content, the acidity, or something else. If you specify "coffee," make it clear
whether you mean fresh grounds, used (leftover) grounds, or liquid beverage.
If anything has a brand name, be sure to include it, along with any
relevant label information about the contents: fertilizers, for example, always specify their nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus
content, so make sure to include this information.
- At least two references (more is better) relevant to your project, such as
similar studies on another plant species. See the next bullet for information
about finding relevant research articles. Also see the Lab Information page
(paragraph D) for information about what each reference must include.
- For research help, go to the Library! The Worcester State University Library
(www.worcester.edu/library), located on the second
and third floors of the Learning Resource Center, provides access to print materials
in addition to a wide variety of full-text online resources accessible both on- and off-campus,
including e-books, journal articles, newspapers, and magazines.
Additionally, as a member library of the ARC consortium (www.worcesterarc.org),
WSU students can also access resources at other college libraries.
The librarians at WSU can help you develop research questions,
identify research strategies, search for relevant and reliable information and data, select
the best sources for your paper or project, and cite that information.
A librarian can meet with you in person (one-on-one or in groups) and provide assistance via email,
phone, or chat. While every WSU Librarian is able to help students with a project in any discipline,
each department has a designated librarian to support the research needs of the students in that
department. You are welcome to stop by their office, or make an appointment!
Just go to
libguides.worcester.edu/askus
or consult the
Library Research 101 Guide
- Plants and other materials will only be given out
to groups that have handed in a suitable study proposal.
- If you need to locate supplies when I am not around, please check with the lab technicians:
- Mike Mayko, mmayko@worcester.edu (head lab coordinator), room 304
- Don Dineen, ddineen1@worcester.edu, room 310Z
- Additional information (please read):
- You will probably have the use of up to 8 styrofoam "quads" (32 total compartments) for your plants.
Thus, if you are testing one substance or treatment, you can do 16 experimental plants and 16 controls, or you
can do 8 with a low dose of something, 8 with a medium dose, 8 with a high dose, and 8 controls with no dose.
- Each group will have at least 32 seeds to put in the styrofoam quads. Each compartment should have
a small hole through the bottom. Insert a flag-shaped triangular wick through this hole, then add some potting soil
to a uniform depth, then a fertilizer pellet and more soil, then a seed and a final layer of soil. (If your
experimental protocol calls for it, you may omit the fertilizer pellet, or you may add additional solid material--
plan this carefully before you begin.)
- Illustrations: How to set up automatic watering for most experiments
- For projects that use solid materials, you can just measure out and put in the desired amount from the beginning.
Projects that use dissolved materials will require regular visits to replenish the materials-- your group
needs to decide upon a schedule of how often to re-supply and who should do it.
Liquid solutions can be administered with a medicine dropper.
- If your project involves dissolved laboratory chemicals (not store-bought),
please check here.
All bottles or flasks with liquid solutions (even water) must be properly labeled.
Please check here for label requirements.
- If some details are unresolved in your proposals, try to resolve them
as soon as you can before you get started.
- Fast plant projects will continue alongside other labs. The lab room will be available
during the daytime on weekdays (I'm not sure about evening access).
- Ask where the potting soil for the Fast Plants is located (possibly in a bag or a bucket);
please put the soil back if you move it, and clean up any mess.
Most other supplies for growing the Fast Plants are in cabinet drawers 24-35 along the windows.
- Along the windows in our lab, check out the large cardboard
box in the center of that bench. Many supplies are available there, left over from
previous years' Fast Plant experiments. Feel free to use these supplies.
- Please make sure to label your set-up and all of your supplies!
- Also be sure to label your growing compartments so you can distinguish which is which.
-
- IMPORTANT! — Each student must contribute to their group's effort. Please inform me
of any student(s) who is not contributing.
- Each student should write up some part of the final report, and all group members should read
the portions written by others and offer their corrections.
- Students in each lab group should keep in contact with one another by email.
- Please email me if you need any further advice or run into any difficulties.
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