Pollutants & Plants

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Pollutants & Plants
By Mindy

Hi. We finished our plants unit two weeks ago. One of the overall themes was how pollution affected plant life. We did an experiment in which I purchased 10 identical plants. Each of the 5 science groups was in charge
of a plant A and a plant B. Plant A was their control, and plant B was the plant that received the pollutant. The students planned their own investigations, and decided how much pollutant to add to the water, etc. The pollutants I used were motor oil, laundry detergent, bleach, salt, and vinegar. We did the experiment over a 3 week period and graphed results. Students then had to write

a report based on their hypotheses and results. It was a great way for students to see the direct affect polluted water has on the environment. Tie-ins included plant structure, photosynthesis, and environmental awareness. Hope this might help a bit.
Mindy