Explore Together (indoors): Introduce Seeds

© Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Department of Early Education and Care (Jennifer Waddell photographer). All rights reserved.

STEM Key Concepts: There are many different types of plants and seeds; Some plants start from seeds; All plants are similar and different in some ways; Plants have different parts: roots, stems, leaves, and fruit; Plants need water and sunlight to grow; Plants grow in places where they get their needs met; Plants often grow in some type of dirt

ELA Focus Skills: Compare and Contrast, Counting, Follow Directions, Speaking and Listening, Vocabulary

Hold up a variety of seeds and talk about them with children. Begin by asking if they have ever seen any seeds. Ask, Where do you think seeds come from? Tell children that a seed is a part of a plant and, if it grows, it will grow into the same kind of plant as the parent plant.

Give each child a peapod and introduce the terms “peapod” and “pea plant.” Tell children that peapods come from pea plants. Encourage them to look at the peapod, smell it, and shake it. After they have had time to explore the peapod ask,

• What do you notice about the peapod?
• What do you think might be inside the peapod?
• Have you ever eaten a peapod or peas? Can you describe how they taste?

Encourage children to open the peapods and look closely at how the peas are lined up and how they are connected to the pod. Tell children the peas are the seeds of the pea plant.

• Explain that many plants have seeds, like these peas, that are safe to eat. Others seeds are not safe to eat. Explain that it is important to always ask a grown-up before putting a seed in your mouth. Then say, Since we know these are safe to eat, let’s try one. Have children describe the taste.

Encourage children to look at the pictures that show different fruits and vegetables that have seeds. Put some beans, peas, and other types of seeds in a pile for children to explore freely. Tell children that these seeds are not to be eaten. Encourage them to compare the look, feel, and texture of the dry and fresh seeds. Encourage them to explore the characteristics of the seeds by sorting them into different groups by size, shape, color, and/or texture. Listen and engage as children show an interest in one aspect of the exploration. Ask questions such as,

• What do you notice about the different seeds?
• What other plants do you know that have seeds?
• Encourage children to record their observations about the seeds on the “Plants All Around” chart or in their science notebooks.

Reflect and Share
Have children talk about their exploration of seeds. Make sure to have a few peapods and seeds available so that children can refer to them. Ask,

• What did you observe about how seeds are the same and different?
• What kind of plant do you think would grow from these pea seeds? Why do you think so?
• What kinds of plants do you think would grow from these other types of seeds?

Direct attention to the Science Center and point to the cups with bean seeds in them. Explain that children will have a chance to plant their own seeds, take care of them, and watch what happens through the next few weeks.

Take It Further: You may want to invite children to taste other types of seeds and compare the flavor, texture, size, etc., of each. (e.g., peas, sunflower seeds, roasted pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, etc.) Remind children that they should always ask a grown-up before putting any seeds in their mouth.

Adaptation: Adapt the materials and procedures if younger children will be working in a group. You might prefer to have each young child do the activity individually, with one-to-one supervision.