Scientific Method Experiment #1

In the last few weeks the students have been learning about the scientific method.  We've discussed how scientists are curious about something, they ask questions, do research, form a hypothesis, and carry out an experiment to see if their hypothesis is correct.

We tried out the scientific method with "The Great Banana Experiment."  We asked the question: "How can we keep bananas fresher longer?"  We tried 3 methods: one banana was placed in a sealed plastic bag, another had plastic wrap wrapped around the stem, and the third banana was placed in the fridge.

The class was pretty split in their hypotheses. We recorded our observations for a few days and ultimately concluded that the banana in the sealed plastic bag held up the best.  The banana in the fridge turned brown very quickly.  Once peeled, the banana in the plastic bag looked very similar to the banana that had plastic wrap around the stem.  They both still looked yellow. The banana from fridge was just plain mushy!