This being my first 20 Time Project I have ever done, I did not really know what to expect and also how to really do it. My goal for this project was to test whether vegetables grown in better conditions actually grew bigger. I chose to do this because I have always loved gardening, so this was a perfect way to do something I enjoy but at the same time it being a project for my biology class. I also felt that it fit well with what we had learned, when we learned about photosynthesis and other things about plants. Through this project, I was trying to both create something and improve myself. In this project, I created an experiment, which then resulted in creating a result, vegetables. I also improved myself by practicing time management and also how to create a lab myself without any guidelines.
My initial plan to reach my goal was to do a little of research into what vegetables would be suitable for my experiment. I would then go to a local plant nursery to buy their seeds and then I would plant them in two different places, with two different sun orientation. By doing this, I was hoping that the two plants would grow with different light intensity. I was then going to water the two equally on a weekly basis making sure that the other variables were the same. After a few months, I was planning that I could measure their edible parts to see which ones grew the biggest.
As I soon found out, my plan would quickly change. One of the biggest one is that I first wanted to plant green beans, basil, and carrots. Quickly, I realized that growing green beans would not be possible. A few days later when I went to the store to buy seeds, I was surprised that they were sold out of both basil and carrots, so I went with the next best thing, radishes. I decided ti make my lab smaller by only growing one vegetable, radishes. Not only was it one of the only seeds left, but it would also help with the time constraints because the due date was coming near. After the rough start, I feel that everything then went according to plan. I watered them every four days, I kept most variables constant, and finally the radishes were growing! When it was time to wrap things up, I realized that weighing their edible parts was not the best thing to do, for they were not fully grown. Instead, I decided to measure their leaves and average it to see which one grew the biggest. Though I finished the experiment at the end, I feel that I could prolong it by trying it again with more vegetables this time. The only difference is that I would be for a longer period and I would also have more freedom with when I finish it. By saying this, I do believe that I might want to make it a some what long term project, at least for another year, maybe.
Another really important aspect that I got from doing this project is that I learned a ton both in content and in process skills. With the research I have done, I have learned a ton about growing plants, and I also got a lot of hands in learning with plants and how to care for them better. The biggest thing I have learned during this project has to be time management because unlike other projects in the past, I had to create it from top to bottom and also it lasted almost a whole semester. Before this, I had never done a project which lasted so long. I also learned how to be my own leader because I decided to work alone and that resulted in me having to do everything and also having to make the guidelines. If I had the possibility to do this project again, I think that I would not do anything differently because I feel that I reached my goal and finished on time. 20 Time being a project that you decide on your own, there is no wrong or right way to do this, so I feel that I did really well for my first 20 Time Project. I stayed to what my goal was and accomplished it and through the experience, I learned many new things and lessons. Overall, I feel that I did the best I could and would change a thing. I have also learned a lot bout myself during this project. I learned that I work best alone in projects, I am pretty good at managing time, and last but not least, I have found that I do enjoy gardening more than I thought I did.
As I said before, I think that I might want to prolong my 20 Time by redoing my experiment, but this time do it with a bigger array of plants and also doing it for a longer amount of time. I might start it this new lab this summer and make it finish at the spring of 2018. A reason I would like to do this again is because I truly really enjoyed the process, and I also felt like it improved how I worked at school a lot. Overall 20 Time was a really great experience for me, and I hope that everyone would try it for themselves. Here is my work.
No comments:
Post a Comment