Cool Science- Lesson 3 – Does plants need light to grow?

You have already seen what happens to some trees when they do not get sufficient sunlight. They lose their leaves. But plant and trees are different. Now will explore whether or not seeds and plants need light to grow by placing some seeds and plants in the dark while others stay in the light. You will decide whether or not light makes a difference in their growth pattern. This experiment will take a few days since most processes with plants occur very slowly, but the results should be obvious and a little surprising 

Question 

Do Seeds and plants need light to grow? 

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What we need for the experiment – (Parents ensure to assist the kids) 

· 2 Paper towels 

· 2 small dishes 

· Pinto beans 

· Water 

· 2 small, healthy potted plants 

Step by Step 

1. Fold the paper towels so that each fit onto a dish 

2. Place the folded paper towel on a dish and place several beans on each paper towel 

3. Pour just enough water onto the paper towel so that it is damp. Pour out any excess water from the dish 

4. Place one dish of beans in closed closet where it will stay dark for several days 

5. Water the two potted plants until their soil is just damp and place one of the plants beside the beans in the same dark location 

6. Place the second dish of beans in a well-lit place beside the second plant 

7. After two days have passed, slightly dampen the two dishes containing the beans and water the two potted plants. Make sure that you give each of them the same amount of water so you keep the experiment fair 

8. After a total of four days have passed take the beans and plant out of the closet and place each by its sunlit partner 

Questions you can ask? 

· Which sample of beans grew the best – the one in the dark or the on in the light? 

· Which sample of the two potted plants grew better – the one in the dark or the one in the light? 

· If you had to choose where will you plant them – in a light place or in a dark place? 

· Think about the amount of light where seeds and plant normally grow. Does this experiment confirm that those locations are the best places for growing? 

· Do some seeds require different amounts of light? 

You can experiment with different kinds of seeds and amounts of sunlight to see what factors most affect germination and growth · Reference - The Everything Kids' science experiments book  

Here is a great demonstration on how a seed grows

Source

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