How Does Your Garden Grow?-Abel

As our Kohlrabi plants grows and gets bigger, it is adding biomass. Photosynthesis uses
Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen, water, and sunlight to create food for the plant. The Kohlrabi
uses the Carbon Dioxide to create glucose (sugar) providing it with energy. Cellular
Respiration is the exact opposite of this process and after complete, it lets out Carbon
Dioxide in which will be again used in photosynthesis. Cell Division is the main part of
adding biomass. As the cells divide, the plant slowly increases in size because new cells
are constantly being created. Using mitosis, the cells divide through five steps resulting with
the plants growing at a steady pace.

During the process of photosynthesis, enzymes are often used to speed up the reaction. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) are two very important enzymes used in photosynthesis. As more cells are created, more of these enzymes are as well and to create more, a message is sent to the nucleus. Enzymes are a type of protein and because of that, with the help of a ribosome, they are created in each cell. The DNA has to split and find its complementary RNA strand. Afterwards, the messenger RNA moves itself out of the nucleus and into the cytoplasm in which it splits into groups of three creating codons. mRNA and tRNA are complementary to each other. The tRNA forms an anticodon to compliment the RNA’s. This helps to connect to the ribosome so that it can transcript correctly. Each and every combination of codons creates a specific amino acid. The start signal is Methionine and it will eventually reach a stop signal and when that occurs, the polypeptide chain will have been completed. The chain is now a protein and in some cases, it’s a enzyme which can be used in photosynthesis.

Photos/Videos (December)

Timeline (December)

November 15- Chose two dates to come in for garden cleanup (one hour each day for a total of two)

November   - Garden Cleanup from 2:40-3:40. Pulled out weeds, cut grass around Kohlrabi plants with scissors, and fertilized the plants with the grass cut.

November   - Garden Cleanup from 2:35-3:35. Pulled more weeds out, pulled out grass from near fence, and shoveled mulch. 

December 10- Completed Outline and Budget Statement.

December 14- Completed Timeline and Photos/Videos.

Budget Statement (December)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xnIrDr3JCQQQr0XPCHpIwWz0G7JSEKivZtUKlUVWMiU/edit?usp=sharing

Outline (December)

Steps:

1. Choose two days available for garden cleanup.

2. After school on the first day stay for one hour cleaning up the garden, taking out weeds, and cutting grass surrounding the Kohlrabi.

3. After school the second day, stay for the last hour and continue to take out weeds and fertilize the Kohlrabi by leaving some of the cut grass on the soil. 

4. Each of these days, write a blog on what you did.

5. Finish the four part blog and post on Blogger.

Project Activity Log

Abel November 15- We chose two dates that we will do garden cleanup today. The plan is to work for one hour after school on each of the days for the necessary two hours.

Abel November   - Today was the first day of garden cleanup. We cut the grass around the Kohlrabi plants and left the cut grass on the soil to fertilize the plants. We also pulled out weeds and put them in black buckets to compost.

Abel November   - Today was the second and final day of garden cleanup. We cut more grass around the Kohlrabi and continued to pull out weeds. We also pulled out the grass next to the fence. Lastly, we also shoveled and wheelbarrowed mulch. We did this for an hour like the last day and we have finished our two hours.

Abel December 14- Today we finished the Outline, Budget Statement, Timeline, Photos/Videos, and the Project Activity Log.

Blogpost #3 (by Maya Lewis)

The Kohlrabi plant has grown considerably since it was first planted in the garden. The plant has a brownish tinge to the edges of the leaves, but overall the plant has a healthy green color. Kohlrabi participates in the movement of water in the biosphere by using transpiration. Transpiration is evidence that the kohlrabi is receiving water and therefore growing. Kohlrabi also participates in the carbon cycle because the growth seen in the plant is dependent on photosynthesis and the intake of carbon dioxide. Without this intake, the plant would not survive. In the carbon cycle, the process of photosynthesis allows the Kohlrabi to take in carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere and combine that with water. From that point, with the added power of the sun, the Kohlrabi turns it into sugars and oxygen. Kohlrabi is also a part of the nitrogen cycle. Nitrifying bacteria in the soil turn ammonia into nitrite and then after, into nitrate. This process is called nitrification. Plants can take up any of those compounds from the soil of which will be used in the formation of both plant and animal proteins. Our Kohlrabi plant most likely took up a plentiful amount of these compounds from the soil in which it's growing, which would have created proteins for itself.

Blogpost #4 (by Maya Lewis)

Blogspot #4

The kohlrabi plant need both abiotic and biotic factors for its survival. Abiotic factors the kohlrabi needs are water, sunlight, and soil in which will allow it to grow. While the kohlrabi needs all three of these to survive, it also needs biotic factors like decomposers to help make the soil suitable to grow in. But, not all biotic factors contribute to the well-being of the plant. Bugs eat at the leaves of the plant, while other plants around the kohlrabi create competition for much needed resources, like sunlight, making it harder for the kohlrabi to grow to its fullest potential. With other plants being in such close proximity to the Kohlrabi, it's obvious that the kohlrabi is also competing with other plants for space and water. In plant competition the 'winners' are the plants that get the most resources needed to survive and flourish, while the 'losers' are the ones the resources are being taken from by their competition. 'Winners' and 'losers' aren't always so distinctively identified because even though one plant may be 'losing' to another both still can survive. Plants and bugs are another interaction. For some bugs, plants are their main source of nutrition. The bug benefits from this, while the plant doesn't. Plants also have interaction with bacteria. They participate in mutualism. The plant provides a home for the bacteria and the bacteria helps to get the plant the nutrition it needs. There is evidence of secondary succession occurring because the garden already has an environment thriving on it and new plants continue to reproduce and grow.

Chase's Seed Story (by Maya Lewis)

I have learned more about the carbon nitrogen water cycle.  I learned more about the phosphorus cycles  (nutrient cycles) and that these cycles include both the living biosphere, and the nonliving lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. I also learned that plants can grow upside down and can grow just as well as the right-side up plants, and I found that interesting.  What made me think was what our plant played such a huge role in the ecosystem. As photosynthesizers, plants provide organic molecules for energy (food) for the entire ecosystem. 

Ian's Seed Story (by Sam)

Q: What have you learned?
A: "I learned that plants can grow upside down".
Q: What surprised/amazed you?
A: "I was surprised that plants can grow upside down as well as they can right-side up, somehow".
Q: What made you laugh?
A: "I laughed when my teammates (Nate and Mario) yelled at each other over stupid things.
Q: What made you pause and think a little deeper?
A: " I thought a little bit deeper when I realized plants could grow upside down".

Student Blog Assignment #5 (Abel)

This year I have learned about cells, photosynthesis, and many other science topics. It amazed me how tiny something can be while being complicated and hard to comprehend which in this case was the cells. The fun that came along with doing the labs often made me laugh during class. The presentations that were shown to us made me think deeper and to it was necessary to do so if I wanted to understand the concepts. One question I have is what will we be learning next year and will it be based off this one?

Mario's Seed Story (interviewed by Abel)

What have you learned?
Mario: I have learned the branches of biology and the different parts of a cell.

What surprised or amazed you?
Mario: I was surprised we had to do multiple service projects.

What made you laugh?
Mario: My own sense of humor made me laugh.

What made you pause and think a little deeper?
Mario: The slide shows made me think deeper to fully understand the concepts.

What questions do you have about things you observed or experienced in the garden?
Mario: I do not have any questions.

Enzyme Lab

https://docs.google.com/a/sjusd.org/document/d/1gM7HsUx1qJwW0x_K5bA9ES8jNtjEQIKQk7kYnUsjAs8/edit?usp=sharing