Monday+2+April+2012

Seeing how you six are my absolute little angels... yeah right.... you have the tremendous privilege of conducting our very first experiment. After you’ve read through this page (and actually know what you’re supposed to be doing), please create a template for your hypothesis (or hypotheses), procedure(s), control(s), variable(s), space for your observations (this will take place in the coming weeks - starting today and continuing until after Easter, as well as your findings. The following is a rough idea of what it could look like, but seeing how I have severely deficient artistic/creative capabilities, I do expect you to come up with something much more imaginative. Group name(s)_____ __ Experiment _______ __ Hypothesis ___ Control __ Variable __ __ Procedure __ __ Safety considerations __ Equipment  Observations || Colour: ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Group 1 - Lili, Ash, Toni, Edward, Hamish and Angus**
 * Date
 * || Day 1 || Day 10 || Day 15 ||  ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Seed in sugar water || Size:
 * Seed in water (control) ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Seed in salt water ||  ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * Findings ||

You will need:
 * 1) Safety goggles
 * 2) Face masks
 * 3) Lab coats
 * 4) Petri dishes
 * 5) Scrapers/plastic spoons
 * 6) Samples of the not-so-appetising products Mr LF and I have for you

What is our experiment I hear you ask? Well.... it is.... growing.... FUNGI!!! That’s right, we are going to grow us some very (hopefully) disgusting looking cells... ISN’T SCIENCE FUN?!

But... yes, there is always a but... because you could - theoretically - inhale or come into contact with the spores of these organisms, we HAVE to wear the safety stuff. If I catch one of you even looking at a petri dish without goggles on I will personally gouge your eyes out with a blunt spoon =}

As you will see, we have some established moulds as well as stuff that could make a decent food source for new ones. I want you to think about what we can test here... does it need sunlight to grow? Could we put one in the shade (like in a cupboard) and one in the sun? Will it grow if it is covered in water? No idea is too silly. As long as you don’t ask me to get you some moon dust so you can see if it will grow on that... that simply would be too silly. Please talk to me or Mr LF (but I so would prefer me) about your thoughts and ideas... it would be great to hear what you come up with! :)