Fast Plants Project
 September through December, 2004
On September 21 students from both Ajinadai Nishi Elementary and Allen Elementary Schools planted Fast Plant (brassica rapa) seeds simultaneously during a video conference via Yahoo Messenger. Fast Plants have been developed to live one life cycle in 30 to 45 days. Many of our plants were still alive after 90 days, but had produced seeds earlier. Most seeds sprouted in a few days under flourescent grow lights that were on 24 hours each day. For the next three months plants were observed, measured, drawn, photographed and shared between schools. Two of the questions we had: how tall would the plants get? how many seeds would each plant produce? Allen grade 3 students planted seeds in three types of soil but could not determine whether soil made any difference in plant size or seed production.    




Plants developed flowers very quickly.

We measured height at least once per week.

Pollinating with a toothpick and a dead bee.



Observing and pollinating the entire
 plant collection.

Taking a close look.

Plants were often quite short in height
with complete seed pods and
continued flowering.



Another session of observing and
recording data.

The first seed planted produced the most
seeds: 80. Here are many of the seed pods.

Careful measurement was recorded
in Fast Plant journals.

                                                             Fast Plants varied in height from 7 cm. to 34 cm.  

                                                    The number of seeds produced per plant varied from 6 to 82.

                          We used three soil types: commercial potting soil, Children's Wet Meadow soil, and Allen Nature Area soil.



Home