Seed
Respiration: What makes a seed breathe faster?
Lynn
Vaccaro
2003-2004 Fellow
This two-day
experiment allows students to detect cellular respiration
from a surprising source, a seed. The activity reinforces
a basic understanding of cellular respiration, seed dormancy
and germination, and experimental design. Depending on the
course goals, each of these topics could become the primary
focus of class discussions surrounding the experiment. During
the activity, students are presented with an overarching
goal: to determine how various factors influence the respiration
rate of a seed. In small groups or pairs they decide on
one factor to test, such as seed size, seed type, or moisture,
light, or temperature conditions. Students all use a standardized
protocol for detecting and measuring a visible indicator
of respiration. This relatively simple and flexible experiment
challenges the common misperception that only animals need
to respire.
This curriculum
was developed by Lynn Vaccaro, a graduate student in Natural
Resources. The curriculum was piloted and refined in Mary
Jo Doyle’s and Laurie Assermily’s 10th grade
biology classes at Mynderse Academy in Seneca Falls, NY.
Downloadable
WORD files:
Teacher's
Guide
Student
Version
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