Seed Investigation

What are the parts of a seed and why are the parts important for plant growth and survival? Make observations about the parts and features of seeds and make inferences about how seeds help plants grow and survive.

Materials

• Various plant seeds

• Magnifying glass (optional)

• Paper and a writing utensil (optional)

Observation Ideas

• With the naked eye, observe the size, shape, and color of one or more types of seeds.

• Use a magnifying glass to look closely at the seed coating (the outermost layer) of the seed. Is the seed coat thin or thick and tough?

• Feel the seeds and pay attention to the weight and texture. Are they smooth or rough?

• Open a seed and use a magnifying glass to examine the interior structures including the embryo (the baby plant) and endosperm (the food for the embryo). Dried kidney beans (soaked for 24 hours) are great for this.

• Look closely at a giant sunflower (the sunflower can be alive, freshly cut, or dried). Use your hand lens to observe the center part of the flower. This is where the seeds of the sunflower are located.

Discussion Ideas

• Do you like eating seeds? What kinds of seeds do you like? Pumpkin seeds? Sunflower seeds? Pomegranate seeds? Why do we like to eat seeds?

• Create a quick sketch of two seeds to compare their size, color, texture, and shape.

• How does the seed coating help to protect the embryo inside the seed?

Further Investigation Ideas

• Make a prediction about the size and number of seeds inside a piece of fruit of your choice (such as an orange or pepper). Then cut open the fruit to test your prediction.

• Seeds can vary in size and shape depending on the species of plant. Compare the seeds of different fruits using a magnifying glass. What differences do you notice? Think about the number of seeds, distribution of seeds, shape of the seeds, and the size of the seeds. Work in small groups to discuss or create a simple Venn diagram comparing the differences in the two sets of seeds.