Store cupboard scientist
Use dried beans and seeds from your home store cupboard to carry out a plant growth experiment.
Learning objectives:
- Observe how water and light affect how plants grow
- Learn to think scientifically
Curriculum links:
- Science: Conduct a plant growth experiment by observing the effects of variables like light, water, and depth on seed growth
- Maths: Measure growth and record data
- English: Document findings and present results in a scientific report
Key vocabulary
Experiment | Science | Materials | Observe | Measure | Reaction | Solution | Change
Preparation and equipment
Preparation
Look in your food cupboards at home for any examples of seeds e.g. popping corn, lentils, chickpeas, dried peas, mung beans etc.
Equipment
- Small plant pots or any small container with holes
- Compost
- Plant labels
- Watering equipment
- Packet of dried mixed beans
- Small containers for sorting beans
Step by step
- Decide the type of investigation you want to carry out. e.g. Compare the effects of light/no light, correct water/no water/too much water, depth of sowing, growing inside/outside on one type of bean or give all the different beans the same growing conditions
- Sort the beans into different types and try to identify/name them
- Plant the seeds individually in pots, label with their name, date and note the conditions in which they are grown
- Transfer the containers to a range of locations depending on what you are investigating
- Care for the seeds depending upon the investigation e.g. water or don’t water
- Record the development of your seed in a diary and evaluate the results after 3-4 weeks. As a scientist what have you discovered?
Hints and tips
- Try growing dried popcorn kernals and eat the shoots
- Why not grow some pea shoots to add to a salad