This science experiment investigates how long it takes beans to germinate in light versus dark conditions. Students will place beans in two cups, with one kept in darkness and one in light, and observe and record their growth over 2-3 weeks. Their hypothesis is that one condition will allow for faster germination. The experiment outlines safety procedures, materials needed, and procedures for observation and data collection daily. Students will compare germination times and growth rates between the two conditions and draw conclusions.

1. Science Experiment – The time it takes the bean to germinate.
LI: To investigate how long it would take for the beans to germinate in a dark or light environment.
LI: To gather the growth rate of the beans between light and dark conditions.
Safety Issues
 Wash hands
 Be careful when touching germinated seeds so that you don’t pull them out.
Time Taken to Complete the Project
2 - 3 weeks – In a cup with just wet paper.
Equipment:
 Paper towels
 2 clear plastic cups per group – 14 cups
 14 beans
 Tap water
 Magnifying glass
 Landscape Learning book to glue observation sheets into.
 Digital Camera
 Ruler to measure the rate of growth.
One way a plant grows is from a seed. When a seed sprouts it is called germination. The first sign
that a seed is sprouting is when the seed coat or case breaks open and the root (or hypocotyls)
pushes out. All seeds do not germinate in the same amount of time. The time it takes for a seed to
begin to grow is called germination starting time (GST).
Hypothesis:
What do you think will happen to the beans? Which one will grow faster, the one in the dark or the
one in the light? Discuss with your group and write this down on your sheet.
Method:
 Put your names at the bottom of the cup and label each one light or dark.
 Wet your paper towel and put it inside your cup. Make sure there is enough in there to keep the
bean in place.
 Put the beans in the cup but have it showing on the outside. Make sure the bean is placed 3cm
above the bottom of the cup. Use a ruler to measure. Do the same for both cups.
 Put the cups either on the science table or in the cupboard.
 Check your beans 2 times a day for germination. Note down any changes. When you see the first
sign of growth – roots, measure the growth and note the day, time and growth rate (in mm). Make
sure you do it at the same time each day.
 Mark outside of the cups as the beans sprout.
 Write down your observations on the sheet given, with day 1, day 2 etc.
 Take pictures – Ask your teacher to do this for you.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Observation Process: Note down these factors for the next 2 weeks.
 How long did it take for the beans to germinate? How much did it grow per day? Note down the
day you see the roots or shoots appear. Gather the measurement of its growth rate at the same
time each day.
 Did both beans take the same amount of time to germinate?
 Do beans need light to germinate? How do you know this?
 Which bean shoot reached the top of the cup first?
Week1: Day 1
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Day 2
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Day 3
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Day 4
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Day 5
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Week2: Day 1
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Day 2
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Day 3
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________

3. Day 4
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Day 5
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
Conclusion/Results:Whatdidyoulearn?Wasyour hypothesiscorrect?Whichconditionwasbetterforthe
bean?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________