1.     We collected orange jewel weed plants.

• In our experiment, we used all of the same type of plant and made sure we didn't touch a poisonous plant for safety (i.e. poison ivy).

• For your experiment, it's important to use all of the same kind of plant (like we did) or all different types of plants in order to control for nutrient absorbtion rate among the plant samples from each different site.

• If poisonous plants are all that are available, then make sure to wear gloves! If you are unsure whether or not it is poisonous, it is better to wear gloves just in case.

2.      Place each soil sample in a separate bag appropriately labeled. Make sure that the label includes the corresponding day the sample was collected and the corresponding level of sunlight exposure.

 Labeling everything is very important!

  3. We used the LaMotte Combination Soil chemical test kit model number STH-14 to test for manganese and iron levels in both the soil and plant samples.

• Remember, before doing any chemical testing, make sure you have a clean area to do it in and have an adult to supervise you for safety measures.

• When using chemicals, don't forget to ALWAYS wear safety goggles and gloves.

• When cutting plant material, make sure the surface is appropriate and can be scratched so as not to damage the surface.

• If a scalpel or any materials break, make sure they go in appropriate waste disposal (i.e. glass in a broken glassware box).

Link to website of the test kit we used: http://lamotte.com/soil/where_to_buy.html

4. Chemical Testing

• If you ever spill chemicals on yourself, TELL AN ADULT IMMEDIATELY. If this happens, you may need to wash your skin or clothes for a certain amount of time.

• Keep an extra change of clothes around in case there is a spill that requires you to change your clothes.

• When shaking a tube, make sure there is a cap and your thumb is over it so it will not spill.

5. To avoid cross contamination:

•   Make sure to clean/rinse the soil extractor in between each soil extraction.

• Make sure to rinse pipets, mixing sticks, spot plates, and anything else used for chemical testing or extractions in between each time you use it for another soil or plant soil.