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How does a plant grow from a bean? In this week's Saturday Science, courtesy of the San Diego County Childhood Obesity Initiative, your family will discover what happens to a seed beneath the soil!
Materials
- Clear plastic sandwich bags
- Dry bean
- Paper towel
- Tape
Process
- Dampen a paper towel with water. It should be wet enough to provide moisture for the bean but not dripping.
- Fold the paper towel and place it in your plastic sandwich bag.
- Place a dry bean on top of the damp paper towel and seal the bag. There does not need to be any air in the bag.
- Tape the bag to a window or a wall which gets some sunlight and warmth. The seed mostly needs warmth at this stage, not light – so prioritize for warmth.
- Wait 3-5 days check your paper towels periodically to be sure they don't try out.
- While you wait, observe your bean and record its growth on a piece of paper.
- Continue to wait for 1 ½ to 2 weeks until your bean's sprout is large enough to transplant into a garden or indoor pot. Be sure to leave the “seed leaves” and “true leaves” (the second leaves after the “seed leaves”) above the soil so your plant can continue to grow.
Summary
What happened to your bean during the first 3-5 days? Did it sprout small leaves?
Because you planted the bean in a clear plastic bag, you were able to see it "germinate." Germination is the process of a plant growing from a seed. Because we typically plant seeds directly in soil, we’re unable to see these first leaves push out of the seed coat.
Want more Saturday Science? See all of our at-home activities on the blog or Pinterest.
