Materials List:
- Small containers (such as plastic cups)
- Beans or other small objects to represent a population of organisms
- Water
- Sunlight (either natural sunlight or a lamp)
- Soil
- Measuring cup
Written Procedure:
1. Place a layer of soil in each container.
2. Add the same number of beans (representing the population of organisms) to each container.
3. Water each container with the same amount of water.
4. Place the containers in different locations to represent varying levels of sunlight availability - some containers should be in direct sunlight, some in partial sunlight, and some in shade.
5. Record and observe the growth of the beans in each container over a period of time, noting any differences in growth rate or health of the population.
Data Table:
| Container | Sunlight Level | Number of Beans | Growth Rate |
|-----------|----------------|-----------------|-------------|
| 1 | Direct sunlight| 10 | |
| 2 | Partial sunlight| 10 | |
| 3 | Shade | 10 | |
Bar Graph:
Sunlight Level versus Growth Rate
10|
9 |0 **
8 | * ***
7 | ***
6 | ***
5 | ***
4 | *
3 | *
2 | *
1 |_______________________
Direct Partial Shade
Sunlight Sunlight
Analysis of Results:
From the data collected, it appears that the population of organisms in the container with direct sunlight had the highest growth rate, followed by the population in partial sunlight and then the population in shade. This suggests that resource availability, in this case sunlight, has a significant impact on population growth and health. Populations with access to more resources are able to thrive and grow at a faster rate compared to populations with limited resources. This simulation demonstrates the importance of resource availability in influencing populations within an ecosystem.
Now you will apply what you learned about populations and ecosystems by completing the following tasks for a portfolio:
Understanding how a simulation can help you investigate the effects of resource availability on populations
Designing and conducting your own simulation, including your materials list and a written procedure of your simulation
Collecting and displaying the data from your simulation using a data table
Creating a bar or line graph using your collected data
Analyzing and drawing conclusions from your results
When you have finished these tasks, you will turn in the following items:
The materials list for your simulation
The written procedure of the simulation
Your data table
Your bar or line graph
Your analysis of the results
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