SPROUTS SCIENCE MODULE
PURPOSE
Demonstrate Seed Sprouting.
MATERIALS
• Petri dishes
• Seeds (beans work nice)
• Paper towels
• Tape
METHOD
Place a couple of paper towels in a Petri dish with a few beans on top. Add enough water to wet the towel well. (You don't want standing water.) Put the lid on and tape to ensure a tight seal which prevents evaporation.
Note: For best results, towel should hold seeds firmly against lid. Dish should not be shaken.
Let stand for a few days and see how many seeds started. Once the seeds begin to grow, they can be transplanted into other containers.
Extra Stuff
This can lead to a statistics discussion (i.e., % of sprouted seeds, measure daily growth).
Try other seeds: other beans, sunflowers, dandelion, “weeds”, uncooked pumpkin, etc.
DISCUSSION
What if the seeds start and then are rotated? How does a seed know which is up?
