Download Detailed lesson plan - UBC Let`s Talk Science

Seed Bomb Lesson Plan
K~3
Grade Level
Duration 70 min. ~ 85min.
Topics Covered Seed, Plant, Plant Growth,
General:
Objectives
 Plants need various elements (nutrients, sunlight, water) to help them grow
Grade-Specific Prescribed Learning Outcomes (BC Curriculum):
 Kindergarten – Life Science
o describe features of local plants and animals (e.g., colour, shape, size, texture)
 Grade 1 – Life Science
o describe the basic needs of local plants and animals (e.g., food, water, light)
o describe how the basic needs of plants and animals are met in their environment
 Grade 2 – Earth and Space Science
o explain why air, water, and soil are important for living things
 Grade 3 – Life Science
o describe ways in which plants are important to other living things and the
environment
SWBAT (students will be able to):
1. Describe the characteristics of a plant’s seed
2. Identify the basic needs of a plant (water, light, nutrients) [Kindergartens = optional]
3. Describe how the materials used to make the seed bomb can help the seed grow
4. Create seed bombs for guerilla gardening
- 7 Bags of Seeds (4~6 students per bag) – each bag comes from the seed packet
Materials
- 7 Bags of Compost/Soil (4~6 students per bag)
(estimate: 28
students)
- 7 Bags of Clay (8 balls [5 cm in diameter] per bag) – 4~6 students per bag
o One box of Crayola’s Air-Dry clay should be enough for 2 typical classes
- Water in aluminum foil cups (1 cup per group)
- Newspaper for wrapping the seed bombs
- Post-Its
- Seed Bomb! Worksheet (1 per student)
Teacher Contact:
Preparation
- Check for any allergies (you never know)
Beforehand
- Check for any classroom challenges you should be aware of
- Ask if there is a computer & a projector for a YouTube video
- Inform that students will get their hands dirty (will be working with soil & clay)
- Students should all have pencils
Activity Preparation:
- Make sure there are enough supplies for each group (see materials)
- See if you can photocopy the worksheet (if there is not enough) – if not, blank pieces of
paper works too
Background Info
Seed bombing is a very common planting method used for guerrilla gardening. This type of gardening allows
people to easily spread plant seeds around. There used to be a popular movement where people throw seed bombs
into other people’s garden, on sidewalks, in ditches, and so on. The seed bomb was invented in the hopes of
making a city greener. A seed bomb is typically a ball of mixed clay, compost and seed. Seed bombs can usually
grow in almost anywhere quite easily because the compost and clay provide some basic nutrients and protection for
a seed to grow. Students can plant them carefully in their gardens, throw it anywhere in their backyards, or put
them into containers of soil. Although it is easy for seed bombs to grow, they still need to be watered, if not by
Mother Nature, by human hands.
1
Activity
Introduction
Objective Time
Instructions
Materials
- Self-introduction (Name, background, position in LTS, why you are
Identify the
here)
- pre-made
basic needs
seed bomb
- What is a seed?
of a plant
o A seed is like a baby plant; with enough nutrients, it can
(water,
5
grow into a plant.
light,
min. - Introduce the Topic: Making the Seed Bomb
nutrients)
o What do you think a seed bomb is?
o A seed bomb is a ball of clay, soil, and seed. It was used in
guerilla gardening. People can throw it anywhere that has
access to sunlight and water and a seed bomb will
eventually grow into a plant.
o Why are we making seed bombs?
o We can make our city greener.
o It is a fun & easy way to plant seeds
- Introduce various seeds we have
o Show pictures of the grown plants of available seeds
(pictures on the seed packages)
o We have seeds of these plants available for your seed
bombs later on
Activity #1 – Observing the Seed (optional)
Objective Time
Instructions
Materials
- Hand out seeds to table groups (each group gets one bag of seeds)
Describe
- Looking at your seed, think about what their shapes, sizes, and colours - seeds
the
are.
- paper
characterist
- Have students share their observations (different seeds have different
ics of a
5~10
attributes)
plant’s
min.
o Like plants, seeds come in different shapes, colours and sizes
seed
o Seeds can contain different types of materials so they can also
grow at different rates
o The number of seeds a plant can produce also tell us
information about the seed (maybe the seed/plant needs more
space to grow, etc.)
2
Activity #2 – What Does a Seed Need?
Objective Time
Instructions
Brainstorm the needs of a seed
Identify the
- Seeds need food and energy to grow into lovely plants, what are some
basic needs
things they need? (Ask students to raise their hands to answer)
of a plant
o Water
(water,
5
o Air
light,
min.
o Sunshine
nutrients)
o Nutrients from the soil
[Kindergart
- How are we human beings similar to plants?
ens =
o We also need water, air, sunshine, and food to grow/live
optional]
- When plants use carbon dioxide from the air and the energy from the
sun, they make sugar, starch, carbohydrates and proteins (oxygen is
also produced) which keeps them growing and alive
o this is called Photosynthesis
o CO2 + Sun’s energy + Water  Sugar, Starch, Protein, O2
- Seeds need the water and nutrient from the soil to help its leaves and
roots to grow out of the seed’s shell. Leaves are the main part of the
seed where photosynthesis takes place; that is where the plant gets
most contact with the sun and the air. The root is in charge of
absorbing nutrients and water from the soil.
- If time/technology allows, play YouTube video: Each of Us is a
Flower (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPYwsaeRAS8)
Materials
-
board for
recording
down
brainstorm
ideas
Optional:
- Computer
for finding
the video
- Computer
projector
for
projecting
the video
so students
can see the
lyrics
Activity #3 – Making the Seed Bomb
Objective Time
Instructions
Materials
- Instructions for making a seed bomb:
Create seed
1. Roll a ball of clay
- clay
bombs for
2. Flatten it with your palms
- compost
guerilla
20~30
3. Add a pinch of compost on the flattened clay
- seeds
gardening
min.
4. Sprinkle with water (too much water can drown the seed!)
- water
5. Add a tinier pinch of seeds (note: for bigger seeds like the
turnip seed, you only need 1 or 2 seeds)
6. Roll the ball of clay, compost, & seed together
7. Wrap it in a smaller piece of newspaper
- Demonstrate how to make one before handing any materials out
- Give one bag of each materials (clay, compost, & seeds) to each group
- Circulate and help the students with the activity
- Traditional seed bombs are rolled into a spherical shape, but you can
use your imagination and create other shapes
- You plant the seed bomb once it has hardened
- You do not plant the seed bomb with the newspaper wrapping, please
recycle the latter
o Students can make more than 1 seed bomb if time allows
3
Activity #4 – What Will the Seeds Grow Into?
Objective Time
Describe
how the
materials
used to
make the
seed bomb
help the
seed grow
Identify the
basic needs
of a plant
(water,
light,
nutrients)
Instructions
Materials
Brainstorm using post-it notes
- Ask the question: why do we use clay and compost for the seed bombs - post-it
15
notes
- Hand out post-its to students
min - Students write down ideas on the post-its and then post them on the
- board for
posting the
board (chalkboard or white board)
notes
- 5~10 minutes later, discuss as a whole group. Let us see what you
thought up! (Read some ideas from the post-it notes)
o compost/soil provide nutrients for seeds to grow & are
anchors for seeds’ roots to grab on
o clay protects the seed, holds the seed and soil together, and
provide extra support for seeds’ roots
Draw Your Predictions Activity
- Hand our worksheet (provided in the kit)
o Kindergarten  Draw what you think your plant will look like - Worksheet
in a month
for each
15 min.
o Gr. 1  Draw what you think your plant will look like in a
student
month & what things will help it grow
o Gr. 2  Draw what you think your plant will look like in a
month & things will help it grow
 Label how these elements will help your seed grow
o Gr. 3  Draw what you think your plant will look like in a
month & things will help it grow
 Label how these elements will help your seed grow
 Write/draw (on the back) how your plant can affect you
and/or your environment
- Circulate and help during the activity
Debrief after 15 minutes: what are some of your ideas?
Closure
Objective Time Instructions
5 min. - Where do you plan to plant your seed bomb?
Materials
Extension:
- You can create an observation log to observe your plant’s growth every week
- You can play the YouTube song (Each of Us is a Flower) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPYwsaeRAS8
Points to Consider
 If the clay dries, use water to soften it (note: clay is easiest to clean when wet)
o
When clay dries, it is easy for students to inhale the clay dust (may irritate nose)
 ESL students can always draw & label (they do not need to write in full/complete sentences)
o
They can even write in their own language
References:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/irp/course.php?lang=en&subject=Sciences&course=Science_Grade_8&year=2006
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPYwsaeRAS8
4
SEED BOMB!
What does your seed look like now?
What will your seed look like in 1 month?
5