Marcus had been working on his science fair project for three weeks. He wanted to prove that plants grow better when you talk to them. His mom had laughed when he first told her his idea, but Marcus was determined to show everyone that his theory was correct.
He had planted six bean seeds in identical pots with the same soil and placed them in the same sunny window. Three plants he talked to every day, reading them stories and telling them about his day. The other three plants he ignored completely, only watering them when needed.
After two weeks, Marcus was amazed by the results. The plants he had talked to were noticeably taller and had more leaves. They seemed to lean toward him when he entered the room, as if they were listening for his voice.
On the day of the science fair, Marcus carefully carried his plants to school. He had created a colorful poster explaining his experiment and written down all his observations in a notebook. His teacher, Mrs. Johnson, was impressed by his careful work.
"Marcus, this is excellent scientific work," Mrs. Johnson said. "You had a hypothesis, you tested it with a controlled experiment, and you recorded your results. That's exactly how real scientists work!"
Marcus felt proud as other students and parents stopped by his display. Some people were surprised by his results, while others nodded knowingly. One parent even asked if he could try the experiment at home with his own plants.
At the end of the day, Marcus won second place in his grade level. But more importantly, he had learned that asking questions and testing ideas was the most exciting part of science. He was already thinking about his project for next year.