Urban Ecology

Growing Temperatures

What it does

This experiment shows how temperature affects the growth of plants.

What you need

• 8 pinto beans
• Paper towels
• Two drinking glasses
• Refrigerator

What to do

1. Line each glass with a folded paper towel.
2. Crumple up more paper towels and stuff them in the glasses to hold the lining in place.
3. Place four beans in each glass between the glass and the paper towel liner. Try to space the beans evenly around the glass.
4. Dampen the paper towels with water, but do not make them dripping wet.
5. Put one glass in the refrigerator, and keep the other one at room temperature.
6. Watch the glasses for one week, keeping the paper towels moist all the time.

What it's all about

The beans at room temperature will sprout and begin to grow, but the ones in the refrigerator will not. Seeds require specific temperatures to grow, and beans need warmth. Plants that typically grow in cold places will sprout at colder temperatures, while desert plants can survive in extreme heat that other plants cannot tolerate.

Remember, be sure you have a parent, teacher, or other adult help you!

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