Parts of a Seed Parts of a Seed Easy Drawing

Age Appropriateness:

*Elementary

Suggested amount of time for lesson­­­:

30 minutes to do the initial lesson, additional time to monitor the seed growth and development

Supplies Needed

• Small Plastic resealable bag
• Bean Seeds - (another medium to large seed could be substituted)
• Cotton ball
• Water
• Softened Lima Bean or large dried bean for dissection
  - Bowl of water to soften the seed. You will want to let the dried bean soak for 12- 24 hours
• Knife
• Magnifying glass- optional
• A pot and soil at a later date to transplant your seed

4-H Project that aligns with this activity:

Meet the Plants and Acres of Adventure

Introduction:

Have you ever wondered how a plant actually grows from a seed? Seeds actually have parts which support the plant as it begins to grow. This lesson provides youth with an opportunity to identify the parts of a seed and their functions. Youth will also learn about the requirements for seed germination (sprouting) while creating a mini greenhouse.

This Inspire Kids to Do Home Activity is adapted from Hot House Detective, 4-H Acres of Adventure Book 1, a National 4-H Curriculum. This curriculum supports the National Science Standard (NS.K-4.1) Science as Inquiry. Our 4-H Meet the Plants Project also guides youth to discover more about plant science as well and is a popular 4-H School Enrichment program for students in grades 2 through 5.

To enroll your child in a 4-H club or to find out more about these curriculums for school enrichment or after school programs, contact the 4-H Educator at your local Extension Office. Local office information can be found on the 4-H county listing

Let's Learn:

Today you are going to explore the parts of a seed and make a bean green house to germinate a seed and watch it grow. Germination is the sprouting of a seed.

• Hypothesize what the bean will look like on the inside before you cut it open. Write down your hypothesis.

Dissecting the Bean:

1. Split the softened bean in half, there is a line that runs down the middle of the seed coat. Use that line to split the bean in half. You may need to use the knife to cut through the bean coat. Have an adult help you with this.
2. Examine the inside of the bean. Use a magnifying glass to see all the details of the bean. Draw what you see.
3. Identify the part of the seed. You should see the cotyledons, embryo and seed coat.

Parts of Seeds:

Bean seeds have parts

A - Cotyledons - two halves of the seed that provide the first food for the seedling as it grows

B - Embryo - which is the part that grows into the plant

C - Seed coat - protects the seed while it is dormant (not growing)

• Compare what you observed with your hypothesis.
• Compare a dry bean with the bean you soaked. The beans will have similar structures, but they might look different

Most seeds can be classified into two groups.

Monocots and Dicots.

If we break the words down, we see that "Mono" = one and "Di"=two and the "cot" is short for cotyledons. Therefore, a monocot seed has only one cotyledon and a dicot seen such as a bean has two cotyledons. An example of a monocot seed is a c corn seed.

Create the Bean Greenhouse:

1. Place dampened cotton ball and 2 bean seeds in the small bag.
2. Place the bag somewhere warm.

Seeds need moisture, warmth and a small amount of oxygen to germinate, or begin to grow, which you will provide as you create the Bean Greenhouse. Under good conditions, beans germinate in eight to 10 days.

Plants need sunlight (or artificial sunlight), water, nutrients, air, space, and support to grow, which you will provide when you transplant your seedling into a pot with potting soil.

Instructions for Care of your Seeds:

Keep your seed moist, but not soaking wet. The water will be absorbed by the seed, causing it to swell and the seed coat to soften. The food for the emerging plant is stored inside the seed until the leaves emerge. To germinate, seeds need warmth, not sunshine. As the leaves emerge, however, the plant needs sunlight in order to conduct photosynthesis and survive. At home you want to open the Bean Grow House to provide air and keep the seed moist.

Bean Plant Germination:

As the seedling starts to grow more parts are visible (on the Bean Plant Germination Diagram)

Seed coat - falls off

Radicle - becomes the plant roots

Hypocotyl - emerges upward to become the base of the plant stem

Epicotyl - emerges above the cotyledons, which are used up by the embryo and become paper thin

Foliage leaves - emerge on the epicotyl

Once the seedling has leaves, it can begin to manufacture its own food via photosynthesis. It should be planted is a pot with soil or in the ground. Outside to grow.

Plant Growth Needs:

• Plants and animals have similar needs to grow.
• Both need water to develop and grow: animals drink water through their mouths; plants intake water through their roots.
• Both need air: animals breathe/respire oxygen; plants use carbon dioxide in photosynthesis and give-off oxygen in that process.
• Both need food (nutrients): animals eat by taking food into their digestive system through their mouths; plants get their nutrients (food) from the soil through their roots while taking in water and through the process of photosynthesis where they create their own sugar.
• Both need the right climatic conditions (temperature and sunlight) to grow and thrive: plants need a great deal of sunlight to grow; humans need sunlight for vitamin D synthesis; different plants and animals have different temperature preferences.
• Both need space to grow and thrive.

Bean that has been transplanted from the greenhouse to a pot with soil. Photo credit: Elizabeth Henry

Processing Questions

• What are you providing for your seed to germinate?
• Do you think your seed will germinate or grow? Why or why not?
• What are the prime conditions needed to make a seed germinate?
• What problems might farmers or gardeners need to solve to provide the proper conditions for germination of their seed?
• Why do you think we plant different kinds of seeds at different times of the year?
• What are some experiments you could set up to test germination conditions?

Careers Link:

If you like gardening and plant science, you might be interested in a career in Horticulture.

Examples of careers in horticulture include:

• Commercial vegetable grower
• Greenhouse manager
• Golf course superintendent
• Herbicide or fertilizer consultant
• Floral designer
• Landscape architect
• Extension educator
• Green roof developer
• Garden designer
• Sports field manager
• Pest management
• Plant disease specialist

References used for this lesson

This activity is an adaptation found in Acres of Adventure which is recommended for youth in 3^rd through 5^th grades. Our 4-H Meet the Plants Project also guides youth to discover more about plant science as well and is suitable for youth in grades 2 through 5.

To enroll your child in a 4-H club or to find out more about these curriculums for school enrichment or after school programs, contact the 4-H Educator at your local Extension Office. Local office information can be found on the 4-H county listing.

Credits:

Photos - Deborah Dietrich and Elizabeth Henry

Parts of Seeds diagram

Germination diagram

moffettgrese1964.blogspot.com

Source: https://extension.psu.edu/programs/4-h/opportunities/programs/at-home-activities/dissect-a-seed