Lesson 6 of 6

Investigating dispersal

Goal: Investigate how a seed’s features affect how far it travels.

Puzzles for this lesson

A model lets you test one feature of a seed at a time. A paper spinner is a model of a winged seed.

Change one thing: the wing length. This is the independent variable.
Measure one thing: how far the spinner travels. This is the dependent variable.
Keep everything else the same: the height of the drop, the speed of the fan and the mass of the spinner. These are control variables.
Repeat each drop and work out the mean, so that one odd result does not mislead you.

Your turn

This lesson’s activity starts here in a moment.

I can name the variable I change and the one I measure.I can plot the results.I can state a conclusion.

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Seed Contains the embryo of a new plant and a food store

For teachers: AQA 3.9.2