Activity: Planets in Space

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Objectives

• Students will investigate the value of green plants in space research .
• Students will list the qualities required such as excellent food source, generator of oxygen, physical space requirements.
• Students will discover the best converter of light energy to biomass .

Materials

• Wheat or Rye seed
• Oats (whole only, not milled)
• Corn seed
• Potting soil
• 3 half-gallon milk cartons
• Balance scale
• Grow-type fluorescent lamp (top of plants should be 7.5-10 cm from lamp)

Procedure

• Procedure A
• Cut the milk cartons in half and poke drainage holes in the bottom of each carton
• Fill with potting soil and plant the seeds
• Keep moist
• Grow the plants under a fluorescent lamp
• Record your results on a graph
• Procedure B
• After 14 days pull the plants
• Wash off the dirt and dry with a paper towel
• Weight the plants and record the results on a graph
• Procedure C
• Dry the plants in the sun until they are crisp
• Weight plants and record the results on a graph

Questions

• Have the students think about and answer how the plants will help the atmosphere on an International Space Station .
• Which plant is the best converter of light energy to biomass?
• How can knowing more about plant growth in space benefit plant growth on earth?