OBJECTIVE

Students will be able to match seeds to their plant.

Students will be group seeds that are alike

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

Where do seeds come from?

Why is seed saving important?

MATERIALS NEEDED

• A bin of mixed seeds: Corn, Sunflower, Pea, Bean, Squash
• Lunch tray (one per group)
• A small bowl for mixed seeds (one per group)
• Photo of the plant of each seed (tape these onto the lunch tray before the lesson)

PROCEDURE

Introduction:

Ask students what they know about seeds: What do seeds look like? What do seeds feel like? What do seeds taste like? Are all seeds the same?
Students can share about seeds that they know, and what they have done with them.

Activity:

Show the students the seed sorting tray. Identify all of the plants together. Ask the students how all of these plants started. Show the students the mixed seeds and tell them they are going to match the seed to its plant.

Put students in partners and give each partnership a bowl of mixed seeds and a board. Ask students to hold a sunflower seed and check the room to make sure everyone can identify the seed. Repeat this for each seed. Then students can work in partners to sort all of their seeds.

When students finish, they could count the number of corn seeds, look for the biggest seed, look for the smallest seed, find their favorite seed or mix up their seeds and start again.

Wrap up/ Assessment:

Discuss which seeds students recognized and which of them they can eat?

FOLLOW UP & EXTENSIONS

• Introduction to Seeds- Part 2
• Bring in seeds for students to taste