Introduction:

For my science project, I tested [something cheap and easy to obtain but also pretty hazardous] on [some sort of living organism that you won’t get in trouble for torturing and/or killing] to see if [living thing] would [logical result of applying hazardous material to a living thing].

Hypothesis: [Hazardous material] will stunt the growth of [living thing].

Background:

Based on my Google search, I discovered this experiment has already been done about a million times by high-school students across the globe. However, I didn’t trust their data, so I am trying it again. Several reliable sources, such as [not Wikipedia], have confirmed that [hazardous chemical] will prevent [living thing] from growing. This is apparently due to [hazardous chemical] being toxic to living tissues, which explains the warning label on the bottle.

Procedure:

Take three [nearly identical living things] and label them A, B and C. Jot down in a notebook that A will be the control, B will get [this much] of [chemical] and C will get [a little more] of [chemical]. Apply designated treatments once a day for [sort of long period of time]. Measure [characteristic of living thing] every other day and record in a data table or just on random pieces of paper that you will lose.

Data:

*Cheat Sheet. Do not include in actual final draft.*

For A: As time goes on, numbers should increase gradually to simulate normal growth.

For B: As time goes on, measurements should somewhat stop increasing.

For C: As time goes on, measurements should completely stop increasing and potentially decrease.

Make a pretty graph comparing all three data sets.

Analysis:

My [living things] did exactly what I thought they would because my experiment was not very original. I am completely confident in the data because I am a confident person, and I made up the numbers all by myself. I basically have nothing to analyze because I already know what [hazardous chemical] does to [living things]. Some potential errors are that I am a teenager and lack a genuine understanding of inquiry. I am also lazy and forgot to do most of the treatments and measurements. If I were to do this experiment over, I would strive to do something original and unexpected, like applying [favorite soft drink] to my [living things], or something applicable, like changing [something about their environment].

Conclusion:

This was the most boring science project I could have chosen, but it was also a giant success. However, it is very obvious to myself, and probably my teacher, that I was looking for an easy A. In the end, I accepted my hypothesis that [hazardous material] stunts the growth of [living thing].

-Heidi Thomasoni teaches science. Duh.

(Photo Credit, and mad respect for that little girl.)