Lab #1: Window to Inquiry

Name ___________________________________ Section ______________

Lab #1: Window to Inquiry

Question: Is a Mexican jumping bean alive? Is so, what type of organism is it?

Lab Overview: In this investigation you will study Mexican jumping beans. After making your observations, you will design an experiment to answer questions about your observations.

Materials:

Mexican jumping beans

Clear mailing tape

Metric ruler

Scissors

Slide

Transfer pipette

Microscope

Cover slip

Prelab Activity

1. Hold the jumping bean in your band for several minutes. Record your observations below.

2. Use a hand lens to look closely at the outside of the jumping bean’s shell. Record your observations below.

3. Do you think the jumping bean is alive? Explain your reasoning.

4. What characteristics of a Mexican jumping bean are similar to those of a plant? What characteristics of a Mexican jumping bean are similar to those of an animal?

5. After making your observations, what are some additional questions you have about Mexican jumping beans?

Procedure

PART A: TAKING A CLOSER LOOK

1. Use scissors to cut a 1-cm square of clear mailing tape. Trim the square to make a half circle. The half circle should be slightly larger than one of the flat sides of your jumping bean.

2. Hold the bean between the index finger and thumb of one hand so that one of the flat sides of the bean is facing out. Use the scissors to carefully shave off this flat section. Do not shave more off the jumping bean then can be covered with the piece of mailing tape. Put the shaving to the side. Later you will view it under a microscope.

3. Place the tape over the open side of the bean and press down to seal it. Look closely at the interior of the bean. Record your observations below.

4. Notice the paper-thin layer that was the inside layer of the jumping bean. Place the shaving on a microscope slide with the paper-thin layer facing up. Use a transfer pipette to place one drop of water on the shaving. Cover the shaving with a cover slip. This type of slide is called a wet mount.

5. Place the slide on the microscope stage and view it with the high-power objective in place. In the space below, sketch what you see.

PART B: DESIGNING AN EXPERIMENT

In the Prelab Activity you identified additional questions about Mexican jumping beans. Choose a question and design an experiment to try to answer it. Describe your experiment below.

Question:

Hypothesis: (This should be a statement that describes what you think the answer to your question is and why.)

Prediction: (An “if… then” statement.)

Procedure: (Be specific in your design. What materials would you need? How would you test this?)

Analysis and Conclusions

1. Based on your observations in Part A, what kind of organism do you conclude that a Mexican jumping bean is? Explain.

2. Predict what will happen when you test your hypothesis. Write your predictions below, and explain them.