Materials Required
  • 4 dishes
  • Filter Paper
  • Water
  • Seed

How to do it

  • Show the child the seeds which is used for the experiment.
  • Choose the right seed which will germinate fast.
  • Tell them that when seeds begin to grow then that process known as germination.
  • Ask simple questions like "Why are not the seeds growing now?" and "How could we help these seeds to begin to grow or germinate?"
  • Wait for some time for the child to answer.
  • Then experiment the seed germination under 4 conditions.

  • 2 dishes with water (only little amount of water just for the seeds to get absorbed) and 2 dishes without water.
  • Place filter paper on the 2 dishes with water. This is to absorb excess water.
  • Now place the seeds on the 4 dishes.
  • Keep 1 dish with water and 1 dish without water in to the refrigerator.
  • Keep 1 dish with water and 1 dish without water in the warm temperature.
  • Now it is time for observation for 1 week.
  • Let the child observe day and night.
  • Descirbe them that when the water is absorbed by the seed, it becomes larger.
  • Observe till the seed start germinating.
  • You can observe that the seed in the warm condition with water only germinates. If the seed with water in the refrigerator germinates, it will be slower than the one in the warm condition.
  • Do it with differet seeds and record the different time duration it takes for each different seeds.
  • Do the same experiment with soil.

 

Skills Developed

  • prediction
  • hypothesis
  • investigation
  • recording
  • formulation of conclusions