How Seeds Become Plants - Worksheet

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1 Name: TEACHER S COPY How Seeds Become Plants - Worksheet Think about what part of a plant contains seeds. Where on the plant would you find an apple or tomato seed? In the fruit Are coconuts seeds? How do they move around? Yes coconuts are seeds. They grow on the tropical coasts and the palm tree s seeds (the coconuts) travel across the ocean. Why do seeds have different physical characteristics? It helps plants grow and their offspring spread further away from the original plant to find new places to grow. What are two ways seeds can spread/move around?_ pinecones heat up and flick seeds out, some seeds have hooks and burrs that helps them attach onto fur etc. some seeds can fly. This seed has two shoots. What is the top green shoot going to become? the plant s stem and leaves. What does it search out? Sunlight and warmth. What is the bottom white shoot going to become? the plants roots. What does it search out? Moisture, nutriets and food What does the hard shell of the walnut do? _it protect the seed inside and senses environmental changes What does the walnut seed do to know if the environment is just right for it to grow? it can sense light, temperature and moisture. Some plants only open their seeds when they sense a bushfire has passed. How can we trick them to start growing? by using smoke. What are some things a seed might need to grow? _water, soil, air, sunlight etc. Watch How Seeds Become Plants Teacher s notes: I strongly recommend preparing tomato seeds to plant yourself so you can start seed germination with the class at the same time they re preparing their own tomato seeds. This will mean the kids will have their own tomato seeds to plant as well as a small tomato plant they can transplant into pots and take home. If you cannot spend a month or two growing tomato plants or want to grow something else, grow sprouts instead. 1

2 Name: TEACHER S COPY GROWING TOMATOES GAME Preparing Tomato Seeds for Planting 2:35-3:04 (approx. 15 days) In small groups Materials per group of 4 1 paper towel ½ tomato 1 small spoon 1 small bowl 1 strainer Plastic-wrap 1 pen or pencil Thermometer Access to a tap Scrape out the insides of half a tomato into a small bowl. Add three spoonfuls of water to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke a small hole in it with a pen or pencil. Put the bowl in a warm place, out of direct sunlight. Use the thermometer to locate a warm, dark place to store your bowl. Leave the bowl there for a few days. Empty the bowl into a strainer and wash them under running water. Put the seeds onto a paper towel and spread them out to dry. What spot have you located? Why? Insert picture and record date. What are some safety concerns? What can we do to make this safer? Take a photo of the tomato seeds before and after leaving them to mould. Report any changes. BEFORE AFTER 2

3 Name How Seeds Become Plants - Worksheet Why is our planet so green? because the earth is covered in plants. Do plants and people depend on each other for survival? yes What are some of the basic things both plants and humans need to survive? Sunlight, healthy food, water and air Why can it be hard to see plants doing the things it needs to do to survive? We don t notice them doing it because they do it in silence and without moving very much. During the day, do plants let out or take in oxygen? Let out During the day, do plants let out or take in carbon dioxide? Take in What is different about plants, oxygen and carbon dioxide at night? the process is reversed or they let out carbon dioxide and take in oxygen. Do most plants grow the most during the day or night? night Why do plants need sunlight? they get their energy from the sun/ they re solar powered Are plants the only living thing that can make their own food? Yes What part of the plant catches sunlight? The leaves/ Chlorophyll What does chlorophyll do in the plant s leaves? It turns sun energy into food that the plant can use to grow What part of the plant gets water and nutrients from the soil? The Roots. Why are temperature and climate important when a plant wants to grow? Some plants only grow in hot or cold environments, or really dry or wet environments. Watch How Plants Work 3

4 Name Growing Carrots - Activity (3-5 days) 2:36 3:00 Equipment: carrot tops, a small container, 2cm water Fill the container 2cm full of water. Sit the carrot tops in the container. In 3-5 days you should see some changes. What are some of the changes that happened to the carrot top? Why do you think these changes occurred? What part of the plant is a carrot? Is there any other vegetable that is like the carrot? Why? Observing Plant Food Systems - Activity (1 day) 3:00 3:30 small groups Equipment: Celery or white flowers, food dye, tall container, access to a tap. Remove the end of the celery or the flowers. Fill the base of the tall container with water and add a few drops of food colouring. Sit the celery in the container and wait a few hours. Observe changes. Where there any changes to the celery/flowers? Why do you think these changes occurred? 4

5 Name Wheat Grass Growth (Alternative Activity) 10 days (results in 2-3 days) small groups. NEEDS PREP soak seed in water for 24 hours before planting. Equipment: wheat grass seeds, clear container with drainage, potting mix, watering can, gardening gloves, ipad/online device. Put on your gardening gloves and get all your equipment. Fill your container with potting mix/soil and water lightly with the watering can. Sow the seeds by sprinkling the wheat grass over the top of the soil but don t bury them. Water lightly each day being careful not to flood them. Use an ipad to research the different uses for wheat grass and record your results below. Over the next ten days, take photos of or draw the growth of your grass and its root systems. Paste them below and record their height. 5

6 Name Discover flower power - Worksheet How much of earth s plant kingdom do flowering plants make up? 90% Which two seasons generally produce the most flowers? Summer and spring What animals play a vital role in the survival and growth of flowers? Insects/bees/butterflies What is an annual flower? Plants that only flower once a year, produce seeds and then die _ What is a perennial flower? Plants that live many years and can produce seeds multiple times_ What do insects spread when they travel from flower to flower? Pollen What is one way a flower can reproduce? The pollen travels down a tube into an egg pod where the eggs are fertilised. They can also reproduce through being split up and planting them separately, where they ll grow into separate plants. What are two ways flowers attract creatures to it? By smells - the carrion flower excretes the smell of rotting meat to attract flies, the sticky resin from the tube of the flower called the stigma, through colour and appearance the bird of paradise resembles a tropical bird. In small groups, research a flowering plant s anatomy online. Include a labelled diagram with colour and explanations. Include information about how a plant reproduces. Notes: Tips: Suggest they photograph with the ruler beside the subject. Part of the Plant Purpose Length/width mm Picture 6

7 Name Flower Pressing Activity Materials Flower presses/heavy books Tissues Ruler Paper and pens/pencils Hobby glue Camera/ipad Form small groups of 3 or 4. Go outside and find two different flowers, one for pressing and one for dissecting. The smaller, more detailed the flower, the easier it will press. Take photos of your group s flowers, take measurements and record below. Set aside the flower you want to save and carefully pull apart your other flower. Record the separate parts of the flower and label them. Include them in your research report, making sure to match up each plant part to the right description. If your second flower has a thick stem, remove it as it will not press well. Arrange the flower on top of a clean tissue before putting another tissue ontop. Lay flat between a flower press or some heavy books. Leave for 4 weeks to dry out. Part of the Plant Purpose Length/width mm Picture 7

8 Name: Seed Germination Tomato Seeds Materials per group of 4 Seed raising mixture Tray Gardening gloves Tomato seeds Watering can Put on your gardening gloves and be careful when handling soil. Fill your group s tray with 4 cm of soil and water lightly with the watering can. Spread the tomato seeds out on top of the soil and pat them down so they re about 5mm under the soil. Keep them nice and moist over the next two weeks but be careful not to drown them. They will germinate in days. Wash your hands with soap making sure to wash off any soil or dirt. After one week, take photo records of your plants and paste them onto this page. When your plant is 3-4cm tall it will be ready to be transplanted into a small pot. Record your group s steps below: Record your plants progress over the next two weeks, taking photos every days. 8

9 Name: Tomato Plant Use the following two pages to record your plant s growth over the next month. Some of the things you could record are how wet the soil feels, how much sunlight the plant is getting, the temperate of the soil and the room, how tall the plant and roots are, how many leaves there are, the shape and texture of the leaves or the plant s colours. Use the graph to record the height of your plant and your other group member s plants. Make sure to label the axis, give the graph a title and use different colours for each group member. Paste in your pictures below. 9

10 Name: Tomato Plant Observations Activity Time & Days Since Planting: Height (mm): Observations: Time & Days Since Planting: Height (mm): Observations: Time & Days Since Planting: Height (mm): Observations: Time & Days Since Planting: Height (mm): Observations: Time & Days Since Planting: Height (mm): Observations: Time & Days Since Planting: Height (mm): Observations: Time & Days Since Planting: Height (mm): Observations: 10

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12 Name: Seed Germination (Alternative Activity) Sprouts (approximately 5-10 days). 3:56 5:19. In small groups. Materials per group of 4 Big glass jar Pantyhose Rubber band Scissors Sprout seeds Access to a tap and drainage Cover the bottom of the jar with seeds. Fill the jar with water and leave overnight. Remove any seeds that are floating. Put the stocking over the jar and secure it with a rubber band. Tip the water out through the stocking. Rinse the seeds with fresh water twice a day. Keep the jar upside down and drained while growing. In a couple of days, tiny green leaves will appear and the sprouts are ready to eat. Record your plants progress over the next, taking photos every days. Record any changes you observe. What do you think is happening? 12

13 Name FUNGI The Dark World of Fungi - Worksheet What light conditions do mushrooms need to grow? they need to be grown in the dark. A mushroom is a type of? Fungi What can a plant do that a mushroom can t do? Use sunlight to make food. Where do mushrooms get their energy from? Rotting organic matter in the soil/compost. What are two other kinds of fungi that aren t mushrooms? _ Toadstools, bracket fungi, truffles, mould. How do mushrooms reproduce? _? Their gills release tiny spores that float through the air and settle on soil, creating fungi. Unlike plants, mushrooms don t have Roots or Leaves. What part of a fungi is a mushroom? The Fruit of The Fungi How much of a mushroom is water? 90% water What is the most widely grown mushroom in the world? The white mushroom Where are shiitake mushrooms from? Japan What changes the shade/colour of an oyster mushroom? The amount of light it s grown in Why shouldn t we eat mushrooms in the wild or our back yard? Some are poisonous or deadly Watch The Dark World Of Fungi. 13

14 Name FUNGI - Activity A mushroom is neither plant nor animal, but a fungi. Mushroom Reproduction - (overnight) Class Project and Participation. Equipment: mushroom with large exposed gills, white paper, a bowl. Remove the stem from the mushroom and place gill side down onto a white sheet of paper. Place the bowl ontop of it and leave it overnight. Record any observable changes below. FUNGI Class Activity (ideal in degrees Celsius) Equipment: mushroom farm kit, watering can, latex gloves, thermometer, face masks. Wash your hands very well with soap, making sure to wash under your nails. Put on your latex gloves and face masks. Read the instructions on the back of the mushroom garden. If there isn t any, follow these instructions. Cover the compost pile with peat moss. Water lightly with a watering can and perform a squeeze test. A squeeze test can be done by squeezing a small amount of peat moss in your fist and seeing if any water dribbles out. The peatmoss should be moist enough to do this. Put the box somewhere dark, in a place with no draughts. The temperature should be around degrees Celsius. The first mushrooms should be ready to harvest in 2 weeks. Record your group s harvest below. 14