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Dr. Biology's Virtual Pocket Seed Experiment

By Dr. Biology
Photography by Dr. Biology

show/hide words to know

  • Control: an experimental group that is used to compare the effect of different treatments.
  • Controlled Variable: variables that are not changed are called controlled variables.
  • Data: the results (values) obtained in a scientific experiment, or investigation.
  • Dependent Variable: the variable that is being observed, which changes in response to the independent variable.
  • Experimental group: group of individuals (such a group of animals or seeds) that are treated the same way in an experiment.
  • Independent variable: variable purposely changed.
  • Treatment: treatments are what is done to the different experimental groups, that is, how they are treated.
  • Variables: factors that may affect a particular experimental group. There are several forms of variables.
  • Virtual: a simulated (made up) environment based on the real world. Often computers are used to create virtual worlds.

Dr. Biology has been busy working on a new experiment and he needs your help. He has collected so much information from the experiment that he needs someone to analyze the data. All the results  have been recorded in photographs, including some cool animations. 

To become Dr. Biology's assistant, just read the information below and collect and analyze the data from the experiment. There is also a packet to download and print on your computer. It includes instructions about the experiment, information about seed germination, blank data cards, and graph paper to record your results. You will need Adobe Reader to print the packet which is about one megabyte in size.

Hey, have you read the companion article, Time Traveling Plants, for this experiment? You can learn about seed development and also how seeds are tiny time capsules that survive in suspended animation for hundreds to thousands of years making them little time travelers.

Details of the Experiment

soaking seeds

Pick your experiment - hands-on, virtual, or both and then have some fun. You can also get instructions with the new how-to video.

play icon How-to video

Read this story in: French | Spanish |

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