What Makes Plants Grow Best? Using a Data-based STEM Approach to Find Out

<div><div>Life as we know it would not be possible without</div><div>plants. Plants supply food to many organisms</div><div>(including people), produce oxygen, absorb</div><div>carbon dioxide from the air, provide products</div><div>for human use, and homes for many other</div><div>living things. It is not surprising, therefore,</div><div>that plant growth is a familiar topic in the</div><div>primary school science curriculum. This paper</div><div>describes an extension of the topic of plant</div><div>growth for Year 6 students to include elements</div><div>from the mathematics, in particular, statistics,</div><div>and technologies curricula. In doing so, the</div><div>importance of carefully collecting and analysing</div><div>data to make decisions illustrates the way in</div><div>which the practice of statistics supports learning</div><div>outcomes in science. In the activity described</div><div>here, students decide on the details for their</div><div>science inquiry about plant growth to answer</div><div>the question “What makes plants grow best?”,</div><div>collect and analyse data over time using digital</div><div>technology, and present a report of their findings</div><div>to their class.</div></div><div><br></div>Note: Publisher requested version of record be used in institutional repository.<div><br></div><div>https://search.informit.org/doi/10.3316/informit.873905003141629<br></div>