Elementary School, Plant Biology Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 3)

How Many Seeds Do Different Types of Fruit Produce?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you like your strawberry jelly with or without the seeds? Are you glad to have a seed-free watermelon, or do you enjoy spitting the seeds into the garden? You might not like to find seeds in your fruit, but fruit is the plant's way of dispersing seeds to make new plants. How many seeds can be dispersed for each type of fruit? As they say, in one end and out the other! Read more

An Experiment on Seed & Fruit Dispersal

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Up, up, and away! If you have ever made a wish and blown the fluff of a dandelion, you have witnessed how some plants are adapted to spreading their seeds using the wind. The tiny, furry parachute allows the seeds to be picked up by the wind and to be carried far away from their parent plant. In this experiment, you will make models of seeds and fruit to investigate dispersal by wind and to evaluate the relationship between the structure of the seed and its ability to be dispersed by the wind. Read more

Can Water Plants Be Used to Determine Water Quality?

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Some plants grow only in water-logged environments. These plants are usually native to wetlands and are important for the sustainability of aquatic ecosystems. Wetland ecosystems are very fragile and susceptible to the toxic dumping of sewage and fertilizer run-off from neighboring farm land. One very common aquatic plant called duckweed inhabits many wetland marshes. Duckweed grows by asexual reproduction and floats at the surface of the water with tiny roots extending into the water below.… Read more

Designs in Nature: Investigate the Branching Structure of Trees

Lesson Plan Grade: Kindergarten-2nd

Nature is full of objects with many different shapes. Some of these shapes display obvious regularities or distinct patterns, such as stripes, waves, symmetry, or spirals. Each of these natural patterns has evolved over a very long time and serves a specific function that usually helps a plant, animal, or other organism to survive. In this lesson plan, students explore the branching pattern of trees, plants, and leaves. They will make drawings and a leaf rubbing to compare different branching… Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

K-2-ETS1-2. Develop a simple sketch, drawing, or physical model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem.

Radiant Radish Seeds

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

We all know that plants need sunlight and water to grow big and tall. But did you know that inside seeds are baby plants, and that the fragile baby plant inside the seed needs to be protected? If you've ever had a sunburn, you also know that the sun gives off harmful radiation and heat. How much radiation and heat can a seed handle? Find out using some radish seeds, an oven, and your microwave! Read more

Sprouting Sweet Potatoes Slips

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever enjoyed eating a tasty sweet potato? They can be served as yummy mashed sweet potatoes with melted butter, turned into golden-brown sweet potato fries, or prepared in many other scrumptious ways. Did you know that you can make a sweet potato grow into a sweet potato plant, and grow several sweet potatoes this way? In this science project, you will grow your own sweet potato plants and investigate what part of the sweet potatoes is needed to grow the plants. Read more

Water Transport in Plants

Lesson Plan Grade: 2nd

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Your students might know that plants need water to survive. But how does a plant "drink" and get water from the soil all the way up to its' leaves? In this lesson plan, students will observe how plants (flowers and celery) suck up dye-stained water, which makes the petals and leaves change color! This allows students to visualize the process of how water moves through a plant. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

2-LS2-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to determine if plants need sunlight and water to grow.

Attack of the Killer Cabbage Clones

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Do you like to watch outdated science fiction and cheesy horror movies? Many fictional tales of cloned organisms have been created based upon the scientific method for cloning animals or plants. In the real world, the cloning of plants is a common method used in modern farming. How do you clone a plant? In this science project you will get to find out by making your own cabbage clones! Read more

Cryopreservation: Freezing Plant Tissues

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Cryopreservation—storing seeds in ultra-cold liquid nitrogen—is one method for maintaining plant genetic stocks in seed banks. Can seeds withstand a really deep freeze and still germinate? Read more

Flowers Seeking Pollinators

Lesson Plan Grade: 3rd-7th

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"European honey bee extracts nectar" by John Severns In this activity, students learn about plant reproduction and use real data to construct explanations about which flowers are the most attractive to different pollinators. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-LS1-1. Develop models to describe that organisms have unique and diverse life cycles but all have in common birth, growth, reproduction, and death.
4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction.
MS-LS1-4. Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants, respectively.

Elementary School, Plant Biology Projects, Lessons, Activities (46 results)

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