Seeds!! What’s inside; How does it grow and Why is it important?
Name: Nicole DavisDate: October 8, 2012 Grade/Level: K-6 Time: 60mins Subject: Hands On Science No. of Students: 14
Science Standards:
K/1 Life Sciences: 2c. Students know how to identify major structures of common plants and animals (e.g., stems, leaves, roots, arms, wings, legs).
2/3 Life Sciences: 2e. Students know light, gravity, touch, or environmental stress can affect the germination, growth, and development of plants.
4/5 Life Sciences: 2f. Students know plants use carbon dioxide (CO2) and energy from sunlight to build molecules of sugar and release oxygen.
TPE # 5: Student Engagement- Model effective communication skills (i.e. grammar, spelling, handwriting, vocabulary, rate of speech, and voice quality). Ensure the students understand what they are to do during instruction.
Materials:
*Books: How a Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan
*Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert
*All About Seeds by Susan Kuchalla
*The Lima Bean Monster by Dan Yaccarino
*Seed, Sprout, Flower poem by Helen H. Moore
*Chart paper divided into 4 columns
*Variety of seeds
*Bag of lima beans
*Paper towels
*Soil
*Plastic cups *plastic bags
Lesson Objectives/Goals:
• Students will become aware of seeds by making a collection of seeds from home, school or surrounding playground or forest area.
• Students will think about how seeds travel from place to place.
• Students will understand what kind of environment seeds will flourish in.
• Students will plant two different kinds of seeds and observe them growing.
Instruction:
Day 1:
K-3 Read and discuss book, “Jack and the Beanstalk” and “The Lima Bean Monster.” Then show them a handful of dried lima beans. Ask them if they know what type of bean it is.
Discuss whole group the parts of the plant: seed, roots, stem, leaves, flower, and fruits:
*Stem -A lima bean plant has a soft green stem rather than a hard woody stem. A perennial plant can live for three or more years if conditions allow.
*Roots- of the lima bean offer support and anchor the plant in the soil. Lima beans have a long taproot that grows up to 13 inches straight down and produces lateral roots that grow out in cone shape well below the surface of the soil. The roots take in water and nutrients from the soil.
Leaves- The oval-shaped leaves of the lima bean plant grow in a formation made up of three leaflets. Photosynthesis takes place in the leaves; carbon dioxide and water in the presence of light energy and the green substance chlorophyll are converted into the food source glucose with a waste product of oxygen, which is released back into the air.
Flower, fruits, seeds- Lima bean plants produce small flowers in white, cream or yellow. Inside each flower are male and female parts. Pollination by insects and bats produces fertilized ovules that grow into lima bean seeds inside the ovary of the flower. The ovary is the fruit of the plant. In bean plants, the ovary grows into a pod that contains the growing seeds. The seed also has a rudimentary root, stem, and the beginnings of the first true leaves, which should all begin to function by the time the seed leaves have been depleted.
Invite children to plant the beans two different ways — in a cup with soil and wrapped in paper in a plastic bag — to see if a beanstalk will grow. Prepare a sheet of chart paper listing the two lima bean experiments. Ask children to predict what will happen in each experiment.
Invite children to work in small groups to prepare the first experiment. Provide children with a plastic cup. Assist them in filling their cups halfway with soil. Place two lima beans in the soil. Cover with more soil. Add water. Write each child's name on a piece of masking tape and attach to the cups. Place the cups in a plastic bin or container to prevent it spilling and keep them in a sunny area of the room.
For the next experiment, provide each child with a plastic sandwich bag, a damp paper towel, and two lima beans. Ask children to carefully wrap their lima beans in the damp paper towel and then place them into the plastic bags. Label children's bag with their names. Find another sunny area in the classroom to place the bags.
*Have Students draw a picture of the lima bean and then of the plastic bag with lima bean in My Lima Bean Experiment book.
DIRECTIONS FOR PLANTING LIMA BEAN:
- Soak paper towel with water, carefully and loosely wrap paper towel around three to four lima beans. Place wet paper towel with beans inside a small sealable baggie and tape to window, wall or whiteboard. Label bag with date. Keep paper towel moist.
- Plant soaked lima beans in small plastic cups with soil. If possible plant some beans close to the inside edge of the cup and others in the center of soil inside of cup. Keep soil moist. Label cup with date and name.
4-6th: Have students work in pairs. Each pair of students is given two lima beans that have been previously soaked overnight in wet paper towels and two dry lima beans. Students will compare the outside of the wet lima beans to the dry lima beans (dry lima bean will be hard, wet lima bean skin will be wrinkled and easily removed). Next students will carefully split open the wet lima beans and observe what is inside. (A baby plant is in the seed; the seed sprouts and the little plant begins to grow; the seed has food for the new plant until it grows leaves to make its own food.)
*Have students draw a picture of the lima bean before cutting open and then another picture of the inside of the lime bean.
*Plant seeds two different ways (See above)
*Have a class discussion on the care of plants. Ask: What do we need to do to take care of seeds? Explain to the class that they will have four groups and each group will plant a different type of seed. Good seeds to use are pumpkin, sunflower, kidney bean, and pea. Ask: Where should we put the planted seeds? When do you think we should water them?
Assessment: Science Journal pictures with 1 short sentence. Students will be able to tell or write at least two different ways seeds travel. Students will put pictures in order that show seed to mature plant.
Reflection: