We continued our study of plants today by dissecting seeds. Almost half the class was away today and so this post is a way to share our discoveries with our friends who were sick.
First we completed an anticipation guide full of interesting statements about seeds. We had to decide if the statements were true or false. Try a few for yourself (you can find the answers at the bottom of this post):
T F 1. All plants produce seeds.
T F 2. The outside covering is called the seed coat.
T F 3. Some seeds can wait two thousand years before they begin to grow.
Next, we made observations after looking carefully at dried lima beans and ones that had been soaked over night. We compared the two and tried to predict what the inside of the seed would look like.
Finally, we carefully dissected the seeds identifying the different parts and discussing their jobs.
Here are a few of the cool facts we learned today:
Jenny-If the seed coat doesn’t break the plant won’t grow. Some plants grow very quick. The seed needs its food supply.
Fay-The seed coat won’t break unless the seed gets enough water to expand and break out. Some seeds can wait up to 2000 years before they begin to grow. The seed needs water and the right temperature to grow.
Silkence-The seed has a coat so that it will be protected from disease and insects. There is an embryo inside the seed. The embryo looks like a big pokey thing.
Ana-A seed needs to have water and if it doesn’t it won’t grow.
Dante-The food supply is almost the whole lima bean.
Justin-It needs the right temperature in the ground to grow.
Niall-Seeds have their own food supply until they can make their own food.
Jordan-The lima bean has all the food it will need until it can grow and then it will make its own food. The temperature has to be right for the plant to grow or it will die. Plants can grow very, very slow. The lima bean has a little curve at the top of it and you can see the root growing.
Quang-The lima bean had a lunch pack just like the baby salmon did so it can grow.
Oceana-If you put a lima bean in water overnight it will expand.
How did you do with your predictions?
(Questions 1,2, and 3 are all true)
Have you ever looked closely at the inside of a seed?
If you would like to read more about the seed that waited 2000 years to grow, click here.
You have taught me something today, there is a plant that has seeds that might not germinate for 2,000 years! I have to find out more.
British people eat more haricot (baked beans) per head annually than people in any other country.
There is a coffe bean that has to pass through the digestive system of a servir or is that cervir? Anyway an animal before it is resady to be harvested. These are some of the most expensive coffee beans in the world.
When I was a child I liked Mexican jumping beans … are they beans? Does anyone know why they jump?
As always your posts are informative and high quality … well done for all your hard work.
Mr E
Hawes
Dear Mr.E,
If you are wanting to know any information about plants that don’t sprout for 2000 years, I don’t know any of them but I am curious. I think that it is odd that there is a type of coffe that goes through a animals digestive system. How much does the type of coffee cost? How does the coffee taste? How long does it take to harvest the coffee beans?
One of your buddies,
Niall in Mrs.Watson’s class
We’re learning about whether plants need soil or compost to grow and, if they do, which is the best one. So far, the best one is one made out of sheep’s wool and bracken!
Question: I planted a tree 4 years ago and now that tree weighs 250kg. Where did the 250kg come from?
We like thinking about questions like this!
Mrs Beveridge at http://bartonpri.posterous.com/