Bean Baggie What will happen when I try to grow a bean in a ziplock bag? Robanne Stading

Introduction  Alaska Standard: Science 3: Children will explore plants  Enduring Understanding: Using a modified Scientific Method to investigate a situation  Topic: Seed Growth  Methodology: Group discussion and brainstorm, individual observation of experiment, group display of results

Objectives  Children will be introduced to the Scientific Method.  Children will observe and record data related to a growing (?) bean sprout.

Materials Needed  lima beans  plastic sandwich bags  cotton balls  recoding sheets  pencils  markers  tape

The Scientific Method Introduce the Scientific Method to the children: 1. Hypothesis (making a guess) 2. Research 3. Designing the experiment 4. Conducting the experiment 5. Recording data 6. Drawing conclusions 7. Revising and repeating the experiment, if desired

Learning Activities After becoming familiar with the Scientific Method, the children will set up the experiment in the following manner: Children will set up their bean sprouts by putting a lima bean in with 2 moist cotton balls into a baggie. They will then write their name on the baggie and place it anywhere in the classroom to grow.

Guess Time! The children will then state a hypothesis about the seed, as well as record why they placed their bags in particular places around the classroom.

Throughout the Week… Each day the children will observe their bean and draw a picture of it on the data sheets. The children will record data each day for about a week.

Was my guess correct? The children will then see if their guess about the bean was correct, and brainstorm some ideas why it may have not occurred as they expected. The experiment will be displayed at the school science fair.

Considerations For Special Learners  Adult support in classroom  Larger recording sheets  Able to record tactile data, if necessary Multicultural Concerns  Different experiences with seeds  Vocabulary related to seeds and experiments

Assessment Examine papers for participation. Did the child record data for each day he attended school? Did the child make a guess about the experiment? OBJECTIVES  Children will be introduced to the Scientific Method.  Children will observe and record data related to a growing (?) bean sprout.

So… How did it go? Here is our Science Fair Display!

Question What will happen when I place a seed in a baggie with a moisture source? Research Kindergarteners know that seeds need water, light and soil to grow. They also know that a specific seed grows into a specific plant, and that that plant will then grow seeds that can be planted. This is its life cycle.

Procedure 1. Gather materials: ziplock bag, 2 cotton balls, lima bean seed 2. Place the seed in the ziplock bag with two moist cotton balls. 3. Seal the ziplock bag. 4. Place the ziplock bag where you think is a good place for it to grow. Observe the seed each day and record its appearance.

Hypothesis (or, a good guess based on research) What will happen to my seed? Martin: It grow. Erin: It will grow into a rose. Zack: Grow. Lauren: Nothing. William: Grow. Kyler: Grow. Justice: It will grow. Johanna: It will grow. Maya: It will be big. Jayce: Sprout. Noah: It will grow. Sage: Grow up. Nikit: Grow. Ustina: Grow up. David: Not grow. Izabelle: It will grow. Jaice: Grow. Dylan: It will break.

Results Did Your Seed Sprout? Yes=8 No=11

Conclusion There was no pattern for why seeds sprouted or did not sprout. Most Kindergarteners thought that the seeds would grow, but more of the seeds did not grow. Here are some ideas Kindergarten has to change the experiment to have more seeds spout next time.  Use new seeds  Use less water  Have less light  Put in a warmer location  Have more air  Have food for the plants

Teacher Reflections  The children seemed to enjoy the idea of being a scientist. They were excited the first two days of data recording, but many became discouraged after the second day when their beans did not sprout.  I extended the experiment by four days in hopes that more seeds would sprout but the extra time did not seem to matter.

Teacher Reflections  Interestingly, when we recorded data for if the seed sprouted or not, more children reported that their seed sprouted than actual seed sprouts.  An additional piece to this occurred as we prepared for the science fair when the children each wrote a sentence about what happened to the seed for the display board.