1. Investigation 1 part 2 “The Sprouting Seed”
Origin of Seeds
Investigation 1 part 2 “The Sprouting Seed”

2. Brain Pop Jr. Video
Let’s watch a Brain Pop Jr. video about the life cycle of a plant.
Use whole body listening:
Eyes and ears on the screen.
Hands and voice off.

3. Seeds and Properties
Properties are describing words that tell an object’s size, shape, color, texture, smell, taste, etc.
Sort the seeds by kind.

4. The Seedy Challenge
Seeds are living plants in a resting or dormant stage.
If we wanted to grow these seeds, what would we need?

5. Seedy Challenge (cont.)
Seeds need: water, sunlight, air, space, and food.
What do you think would happen if we just watered the seeds instead of planting them in soil?
Do you think they would grow?
How can we find out?

6. Student Sheets
You can try out your ideas, but first we need to record our observations of the dry seeds.
Select 1 kind of seed.
Draw what the dry seed looks like and write about the properties of the dry seed.
NOTE:
Each person in the group should pick a different seed.

7. Minisprouters
You can use the plastic container to grow seeds with just water.
Watch me assemble a minisprouter using the ¼ liter container, filter paper, and a lid.

8. Minisprouter Demonstration
Place the filter paper in the container.
Put 6 bean, pea, popcorn, and sunflower seeds on the filter paper (24 seeds total).
The remaining seed of each kind will be glued on the Sprouting Seed Place Mat, which identifies the students in your group.
Look at the example place mat I’ve prepared.

9. Set Up & Water Sprouters
Set up the minisprouter with your group members.
If you are not sure, ask the other group at your table.
If you are still confused, raise your hand and I will come help you.
I will walk around and fill each group’s minisprouter about ¼ full of weak bleach water. Let the seeds soak while you make a place mat for the container.

10. Demonstrate Place Mats
Look at the sample place mat again.
Glue one seed in each oval on the mat.
Place the minisprouter on the mat. This identifies your group’s sprouter.

11. Preparing Place Mats
Have each group member write their name on the place mat.
Put four small dots of white glue on the place mat where the dry seeds will be stuck.
Each person should stick his/her dry seed on the mat in the oval opposite of his/her name.

12. How to Drain the Sprouters
To drain the sprouter, hold the lid loosely on the top and pour all the water out.
There should be no puddles of water left in the container.
If water puddles are left, then it will cause the seeds to mold..
Push the edge of the filter paper down into the container so the lid will fit tightly. ✗

13. Drain the Sprouters
Drain the minisprouters into the big basins on your tables.
If you accidentally splash or spill, please grab some paper towels and clean it up.

14. Care for the Seeds
You will rinse and observe your group’s seeds each class for a week.
You will examine the seeds and describe any changes you observe on the student sheet.
Every person is responsible for his or her own student sheet.

15. Stores Minisprouters Place the sprouters on the mats on the trays.
One person bring your tray over to me please.

16. Introduce Class Sprouter
I have another device that will let the class grow seeds with just water.
This is a sprouter.
We will use water only from the pitcher to water the seeds.
I added a bit of bleach to the water to prevent mold from growing on the seeds.

17. Class Sprouter (cont.) The trays hold seeds.
One ½ liter of water is poured into the top tray, and it drains down through the trays to the collecting bowl, water the seeds as it goes.

18. Label Sprouter Trays
You will want to remember what the seeds were like before we watered them.
Let’s keep 1 of each seed type out of the water.
Stick a seed on transparent tape, fold the tape over the seed, and stick this seed label to the outside of the seed tray.
We’ll use this method to label all 3 trays of the sprouter.

19. Place Seeds in Class Sprouter
I will put the bean seeds in the top 2 trays of the sprouter.
I will put the rest of the seeds in the bottom tray.

20. Water the Sprouter
I filled a ½ liter container with the bleach water from the pitcher. Now, I’m going to gently pour the water into the top sprouter tray and put the lid on the sprouter.
The water will siphon down to the collecting bowl.
1 group each class will be responsible for watering the seeds in the class sprouter.

21. We will continue this investigation during our next session.
BREAKPOINT
We will continue this investigation during our next session.

22. Record Changes over 6 Days
Each day we’ll set time aside at the beginning of class to make and record observations.

23. Retrieve Place Mats
One person from your group please come retrieve your group’s place mat.
Carefully walk it back to your table.
Everyone else should get out their student sheet titled The Sprouting Seed.

24. Make Observations
Record changes in one of the four kinds of seeds of The Sprouting Seed student sheet.

25. Return Equipment Clean up all materials.
Check under the chairs and tables.
Sit quietly so I know you are ready to move on.

26. Response Sheet
Each of you will receive a response sheet called Origins of Seeds.
Start it now. If you don’t complete it, take it home, finish it, and bring it back to school for our next session.
You have the rest of the class period to work on the response sheet.

27. Word Bank Entries
dormant
mold

28. dormant
When something is resting or inactive.

29. mold
The slimy or cotton-like growth that develops on moist material.

30. Content Chart Entries In what ways does water affect seeds?
What changes do you think you might see in the sprouters after 5 more days?

31. What We Learned
Water can make seeds get bigger, heavier, and grow.

32. Let’s Read! Open your book.
Find the science story called The Most Important Seed?
Follow along while the computer reads aloud the story.

33. Questions?