In Science we stated a new unit called " Growing a Crystal Garden". We all had to make our own garden out of materials such as cardboard, plastic and so on. Then, in school Mrs. Medenica gave us the solutions to put into our gardens.
Day 1- January 26, 2011
Today I noticed that my crystals started growing. ( Mostly the salt crystals). I added more salt crystals on my garden, and I noticed that my map mostly shows that I used salt and Epsom salt crystals. I updated my map with the salt and sugar crystals and can hardly wait to see what will happen tomorrow!
Day 2- January 27, 2011
Today I noticed that even more Epsom salt crystals grew on my garden. I evidently lost my map too, but I drew another one! I also noticed that even though I didn't add solution to some places it grew bigger and more colorful! On my garden I have everything pored with salt and Epsom salt solution, except for one little bit which is sugar crystal!
Day 5- January 31, 2011
Today I started using a solution called Borax. I hope that it grows as fats as the salt crystals! Which I cant say for my sugar crystallized spots. Anyway tons of crystals started growing their way of the ground and they look amazing! My garden is very colorful and I cant wait to see the end product!
Day 6- February 21, 2011
It is right after the break and I had TONS of fun. Well today, when I came into Science class I saw my garden and................ OMG! It looked soooo beautiful! I noticed that the sugar crystals woke up and started growing! My garden looks..........I don't have any words to describe it! It is colorful, and it is finally starting to get the real shape. By shape I mean its real look! The Epsom salt is growing the fastest, but the normal salt is not far behind. Now the sugar solution finally started growing and I think it was worth waiting and adding more of the solution on it because in my opinion those crystals are the nicest ones ever! It is still not the end product for me, but I hope to get more crystals every day!
Conclusion-
This unit was fun and I really enjoyed it. To grow a crystal garden you need a lot of patience. First, when you need to design a garden and then the fun part comes. The fun part is spilling all those different solutions on it! But then when you are done, you need to keep the journal entry! Man can it be more boring?? I mean yes its fun LOOKING at your garden but then writing about it? Well its not that bad cause you get to tell your opinion and compare your garden with the rest of them, that your classmates have! On my garden there are 3 different solutions. Epsom salt, salt and sugar. I have seen Clare's garden and I noticed that we both used Epsom salt but that mine grew faster. Then I thought that maybe I used better materials, but then I remembered that Ms. M. said that the material doesn't really matter. So what can it be? Maybe I put more solution on it? Did I? I also noticed that when Ms. M. left some crystal solution in a normal cup over the weekend it grew really big, and by really big I mean bigger then mine! And I put it on a stick! I have learned that it doesn't really matter on what the crystal grows, but that it meters how much of the solution you put on i OR what solution do you put on! My new hypothesis is this---- I think that it doesn't matter on what the crystal solution is growing on, but it matters how it grows and where it grows! Because if you grow it outside, on the snow where it is icy cold, you are not going to be very happy!
Further Inquiry-
The errors that have occurred in my garden are......well there really wasn't any ERRORS but I noticed that if you put 2 solutions on the same stick that it will grow faster and that it looks cooler! If we did the experiment all over again I would try and get more different solutions and try and research more about the topic myself, not only let the teacher do all the work. While researching one of the things would be finding out which materials are the most appropriate for this experiment. I have a few questions about this unit or experiment. Can you make even more crystal solutions then we had? What is the recipe for the solutions? What are the appropriate materials for growing crystals? And last.....If we where to add more solution every day and let it be there for a year how much would it change? Would it start smelling bad? If you leave it on the heater will the heat melt the crystals? Will it? Will it? There is more questions that I can fit on here and that I feel like writing but what I am trying to say is that if you go deeper and deeper into inquiry you can discover more and more things about it!
This is my Crystal garden on day 5. It has improved a lot since I've seen it on day 2. I am really proud to say that its my garden. I am very sure that it is going to look better on day 6 (and 7, if 6 is not my last day).
This is my garden on day 6. It looked better then day 5, not only because it had more crystals but because of the color it had. It really isn't day 6 but I call it that, because it was winter break after day 5 so really like 10 days past!
This what I wanted to make my garden look like, but obviously i didn't seceded that much. I am proud of what I made but I am sure that when I make the solution at home it will improve.
Day 1- January 26, 2011
Today I noticed that my crystals started growing. ( Mostly the salt crystals). I added more salt crystals on my garden, and I noticed that my map mostly shows that I used salt and Epsom salt crystals. I updated my map with the salt and sugar crystals and can hardly wait to see what will happen tomorrow!
Day 2- January 27, 2011
Today I noticed that even more Epsom salt crystals grew on my garden. I evidently lost my map too, but I drew another one! I also noticed that even though I didn't add solution to some places it grew bigger and more colorful! On my garden I have everything pored with salt and Epsom salt solution, except for one little bit which is sugar crystal!
Day 5- January 31, 2011
Today I started using a solution called Borax. I hope that it grows as fats as the salt crystals! Which I cant say for my sugar crystallized spots. Anyway tons of crystals started growing their way of the ground and they look amazing! My garden is very colorful and I cant wait to see the end product!
Day 6- February 21, 2011
It is right after the break and I had TONS of fun. Well today, when I came into Science class I saw my garden and................ OMG! It looked soooo beautiful! I noticed that the sugar crystals woke up and started growing! My garden looks..........I don't have any words to describe it! It is colorful, and it is finally starting to get the real shape. By shape I mean its real look! The Epsom salt is growing the fastest, but the normal salt is not far behind. Now the sugar solution finally started growing and I think it was worth waiting and adding more of the solution on it because in my opinion those crystals are the nicest ones ever! It is still not the end product for me, but I hope to get more crystals every day!
Conclusion-
This unit was fun and I really enjoyed it. To grow a crystal garden you need a lot of patience. First, when you need to design a garden and then the fun part comes. The fun part is spilling all those different solutions on it! But then when you are done, you need to keep the journal entry! Man can it be more boring?? I mean yes its fun LOOKING at your garden but then writing about it? Well its not that bad cause you get to tell your opinion and compare your garden with the rest of them, that your classmates have! On my garden there are 3 different solutions. Epsom salt, salt and sugar. I have seen Clare's garden and I noticed that we both used Epsom salt but that mine grew faster. Then I thought that maybe I used better materials, but then I remembered that Ms. M. said that the material doesn't really matter. So what can it be? Maybe I put more solution on it? Did I? I also noticed that when Ms. M. left some crystal solution in a normal cup over the weekend it grew really big, and by really big I mean bigger then mine! And I put it on a stick! I have learned that it doesn't really matter on what the crystal grows, but that it meters how much of the solution you put on i OR what solution do you put on! My new hypothesis is this---- I think that it doesn't matter on what the crystal solution is growing on, but it matters how it grows and where it grows! Because if you grow it outside, on the snow where it is icy cold, you are not going to be very happy!
Further Inquiry-
The errors that have occurred in my garden are......well there really wasn't any ERRORS but I noticed that if you put 2 solutions on the same stick that it will grow faster and that it looks cooler! If we did the experiment all over again I would try and get more different solutions and try and research more about the topic myself, not only let the teacher do all the work. While researching one of the things would be finding out which materials are the most appropriate for this experiment. I have a few questions about this unit or experiment. Can you make even more crystal solutions then we had? What is the recipe for the solutions? What are the appropriate materials for growing crystals? And last.....If we where to add more solution every day and let it be there for a year how much would it change? Would it start smelling bad? If you leave it on the heater will the heat melt the crystals? Will it? Will it? There is more questions that I can fit on here and that I feel like writing but what I am trying to say is that if you go deeper and deeper into inquiry you can discover more and more things about it!
This is my Crystal garden on day 5. It has improved a lot since I've seen it on day 2. I am really proud to say that its my garden. I am very sure that it is going to look better on day 6 (and 7, if 6 is not my last day).
This is my garden on day 6. It looked better then day 5, not only because it had more crystals but because of the color it had. It really isn't day 6 but I call it that, because it was winter break after day 5 so really like 10 days past!
This what I wanted to make my garden look like, but obviously i didn't seceded that much. I am proud of what I made but I am sure that when I make the solution at home it will improve.
Good reflections and observations made during your garden growing project. Good job! I like how you asked many new questions in the further inquiry. Crystals are fun aren't they?
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