Test Your HypothesisMake a Plan1. As a group, agree upon the hypothesis and decide how you will test it. Identifywhich results challenge or confirm the hypothesis.2. List the steps you will need to take to test your hypothesis. Describe exactlywhat you will do in each step.3. Prepare a data table in your Science Journal to record your observations.4. Read over the entire experiment to make sure all steps are in logical order, andthat you have all necessary materials.5. Identify all constants and variables and the control of the experiment. A control isa standard for comparing the results of an experiment. One possible control for thisexperiment would be the results of the treatment of an uncovered soil sample.Follow Your Plan1. Make sure your teacher approvesyour plan before you start.2. Carry out the experiment step bystep as planned.3. While doing the experiment,record your observations andcomplete the data table in yourScience Journal.Vegetation and ErosionCoveredsoil sampleUncoveredsoil sampleAnalyze Your Data1. Compare the percent of soil loss from each soil sample.2. Compare your results with those of other groups.3. What was your control in this experiment? Why is it a control?4. Which were the variables you kept constant?Which did you vary?(A) Mass of (B) Mass of % of Soil LossSoil at Start Eroded Soil (B/A) 100Do not write in this book.Conclude and Apply1. Did the results support your hypothesis?Explain.2. Infer what effect other types of plants wouldhave in reducing soil erosion. Do you think thatgrass is better or worse than most other plantsat reducing erosion? Explain your answer.Write a letter to the editor of a newspaper.In your letter, summarize what you learnedin your experiment about the effect ofplants on soil erosion.LAB 333
SCIENCEANDHISTORYSCIENCECAN CHANGETHE COURSEOF HISTORY!Acid rain is destroyingsome of the world’s mostfamous monumentsThe Taj Mahal in India, the Acropolis inGreece, and the Colosseum in Italy havestood for centuries. They’ve survived wars,souvenir-hunters, and natural weathering fromwind and rain. But now, something far worsethreatens their existence—acidrain. Overthe last few decades,this form of pollutionhas eaten away at someof history’s greatestmonuments.Most of these structuresare made of sandstone,limestone, andmarble. Acid rain causesthe calcium in thesestones to form calciumsulfate, or gypsum.Gypsum’s powdery little blotches are sometimescalled “marble cancer.” When it rains, the gypsumwashes away, along with some of the surface of themonument.In Agra, India, the smooth, white marble mausoleumcalled the Taj Mahal has stood since theseventeenth century. But acid rain is making thesurface of the building yellow and flaky. The pollutionis caused by hundreds of factories surroundingAgra that emit damaging chemicals.Acid rain has not been kind tothis Mayan figure.What moisture, molds, and the roots of vegetationcouldn’t do in 1,500 years, acid rain is doing ina few decades. It is destroying the Mayan ruins ofMexico. Acid rain is causing statues to crumble andpaintings on walls to flake off.Acid rain is a hugeproblem affectingnational monuments andtreasures in just aboutevery urban location inthe world. These includethe Capitol building inWashington, D.C.,churches in Germany,and stained-glass windowsin Sweden. InLondon, acid rain hasforced workers to repairand replace so much ofWestminster Abbey that the structure is becominga mere copy of the original.Throughout the world, acid rain has weatheredmany structures more in the last 20 yearsthan in the 2,000 years before. This is one reasonsome steps have been taken in Europe and theUnited States to reduce emissions from theburning of fossil fuels. If these laws don’t work,many irreplaceable art treasures may be goneforever.Identify What are some famous monuments and buildings in theUnited States? Brainstorm a list with your class. Then choose amonument and, using your school’s media center or the Science Onlineaddress, learn more about it. Is acid rain affecting it in any way?For more information, visitred.msscience.com/time(t)Morton Beebe, SF/CORBIS, (b)Will & Deni McIntyre/Photo Researchers