Experiment 9: Oatmeal vs. Bran
Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the mealworms would prefer the bran over the oats because it is darker.
Materials:
-Oats
-Bran
Procedures:
1. Place a pile of bran on one side of the shoebox. Place a pile of oats on the other side.
2. Put the lid back on the shoebox and check back one hour later and at the end of the day. Count the number of mealworms in each pile.
Observations:
One hour later:
-Oats: 4 Bran: 3
-The mealworms that are in the oats do not burrow as much as those that are in the bran and mostly
stay on top or near the top of the pile.
End of the day:
-Oats: 5 Bran: 2
Conclusions: The mealworms prefer the oats to the bran. We think that this might be because the oats are bigger and provide more warmth and protection.
Independent Variables: Size and spacing of the piles, observation time.
Dependent Variables: Behaviour of the mealworms.
Hypothesis: We hypothesized that the mealworms would prefer the bran over the oats because it is darker.
Materials:
-Oats
-Bran
Procedures:
1. Place a pile of bran on one side of the shoebox. Place a pile of oats on the other side.
2. Put the lid back on the shoebox and check back one hour later and at the end of the day. Count the number of mealworms in each pile.
Observations:
One hour later:
-Oats: 4 Bran: 3
-The mealworms that are in the oats do not burrow as much as those that are in the bran and mostly
stay on top or near the top of the pile.
End of the day:
-Oats: 5 Bran: 2
Conclusions: The mealworms prefer the oats to the bran. We think that this might be because the oats are bigger and provide more warmth and protection.
Independent Variables: Size and spacing of the piles, observation time.
Dependent Variables: Behaviour of the mealworms.