上星期，女儿的科学课要求在家做了一个小实验观察：种子发芽的时间。可用黄豆、绿豆、花生等作为种子，再找一个小容器，里边放上湿纸巾作培养基。女儿选取了绿豆作种子；选择了刚吃完的绿豆饼塑料盒作培养容器，剪成了三组两格一对的小容器，衬上湿纸巾，每格里放一颗绿豆粒，分别置于阳台、洗手间的洗具架上、和遮有紫红天鹅绒布钢琴盖上。课本上有一条规律说：在阳光下作物生长更快。结果却出乎此规律。在阴暗的钢琴盖上种子发芽，更快，长得更长；次之为洗手间的绿豆；在阳台上的绿豆发了芽，但几乎没有长出茎来就快夭折。女儿对这个结果颇感意外，却没能得到解释。
钢琴上
相形之下，在美国，女儿的科学课要求做过一个科学项目（Scienc Project) ，尽管在学习其他科目时，孩子的学习是以快乐为主，作业每天也会有一点，或几道数学题，或几个词语，包括正式的英语课与为外国孩子专门开的英语课，但这个Science Project却要求得非常全面，前后总共跨时近两个月的时间，整个过程学生们人手一个册子，按照小册子上做的时间、步骤规定，教师一步一步要求学生记录下全过程。下边列出时间表为例：
Project timeline (项目时间安排表)： Due week of ( 到期交查时间)：
Purpose (实验项目目的） April 5th (4月5日）
Hypothesis and materials list (实验假设与所需材料单） April 19th (4月19日）
Procedures （实验步骤） April 26th (4月26日）
Results (实验结果） May 3rd (5月3日）
Conclusion and rough draft of report (结论及报告初稿） May 10th (5月10日）
Final draft of report (终稿） May 17th (5月17日）
Display （展示） May 27th (5月27日）
在此过程中，家长被明确要求要让孩子明白需要做什么、调查研究阶段进展交报告时间，并为孩子提供所需材料。
论题不限，由学生自己选择，最终将整个实验的过程及结果展示出来。我也拍摄了一些照片，作为参考。
附：我女儿的实验报告（教师与家长指导下完成）
The Growth of Soy Beans
Soy beans are thought to be easy to plant. At first I planted a soy bean seed in a glass tube with sands in it, but it failed to grow. Then I planted them in a big glass bowl with sands, and put the bowl in the open air. Perhaps because the impermeable bowl was not good in irrigation, the growth of soy beans in it was also unsuccessful. At last I used a flower pot with soil to plant the soybeans in the natural open air. This time I succeeded. But there are on
1. On April 18th, ten soy bean seeds were selected and sowed in a flower pot. And they were watered everyday.
2. On April 21st, the soy bean seeds began to germinate. (Pictures 1-6)
Picture-1
Picture-2
Picture-3
Picture-4
Picture-5
Picture-6
3. On April 26th the soy beans began to turn green (Picture-7)
Picture-7
4. Some of soy beans were eaten by birds or insects (Picture-8).
Picture-8
5. On April 30th, they began to grow leaves (Pictures 9-11).
Picture-9
Picture-10
Picture-11
6. In order to protect the seedlings, a siege was used to cover the pot (Picture-12).
Picture-12
7. On May 5th, the soy beans began to grow taller, with more leaves (Pictures 13-14).
Picture-13
8. On May 23rd, the present (Picture-14).
Picture-14
9. Compared with growth in water (Pictures 15-16):
Picture 15
Picture 16
The soy bean in the water grew more slowly, and even got stale.
Basic Information:
Purpose: To know about the growth of soy beans.
Hypothesis: Soy beans grow better in soil than in water.
Materials: Flower pot, ten soy beans, soil, glass bowl, sands, and water.
Procedures:
1) Prepare glass tube with water and a flower pot with soil;
2) Select soy bean seeds;
3) Plant the soy bean seeds;
4) Tend the plant everyday;
5) Take photos everyday;
6) Write a report of observation.
Results: March 21st, I put the soy beans into the tube. March 27th, the tubes were put outside, but they were ruined by the rain. April 4th, replanted the soy beans, in a big glass bowl. April 18th, replanted ten soy beans in a flower pot. May 1st, the soy beans began to burgeon.
Conclusion: I learned the way soy beans grow. During the course of growth, what natural disasters may happen to the plants. I am able to answer my purpose question. The results agree with my hypothesis, because there are more nutrients in the soil than in water.
Class Presentation:
The Growth of Soy Beans
Soy beans are thought to be easy to plant. At first I planted a soy bean seed in a glass tube with sands in it, but it failed to grow. Then I planted them in a big glass bowl with sands, and put the bowl in the open air. Perhaps because the impermeable bowl was not good in irrigation, the growth of soy beans in it was also unsuccessful. At last I used a flower pot with soil to plant the soybeans in the natural open air. This time I succeeded. But there are on
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