Teaching About Photosynthesis and Seed Germination

Are you looking for science activities for kindergarten and elementary school?  Here's a fun mini-lesson for you!

Seeds need energy sources (light), food, and water to grow.  The light from the sun allows a plant to create its own food by a chemical reaction called photosynthesis.  The process of photosynthesis turns carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen:

carbon dioxide + water ---->  glucose + oxygen

Seeds come with their own food supply.  Once the seed has begun to grow, the remainder of the seed provides food for the growing plant until it can produce its own food by photosynthesis.  Germination is the process of a seed changing from its dormant state into a growing plant. 

ACTIVITIES TO TRY:

 

SEED SPROUTING - It's hard to see what's really happening to a seed after you plant it.  If you'd like to see the process of seed germination up close, try this.  Soak a paper towel and then wring out the water. Wrap up a couple of seeds in the wet paper towel and place it in a sandwich bag. Check it daily and add more water periodically to make sure the paper towel is wet.  After several days, you'll begin to notice changes in the seeds as they begin to grow!

ROOT DISPLAY -  If you plant a seed in a glass jar, you can watch through the glass as the roots grow.  Just be sure to plant your seed along the side of the jar so you have a good view of it.  Then water, and watch it grow!  You can buy a kit of materials to do this, like the one to the right, but it's very easy to make yourself with a simple glass jar.