Download THE SEED

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G. THE SEED
1. MAIN FUNCTION OF THE SEED
Presentation: (Introductory Story)
Note: Soak a variety of seeds the day before this presentation. Split them each in half and show
the children the parts of the seed through a magnifying glass.
-The seed is the part of the plant that houses the new plant. Not only does it provide a house for
the baby plant, but it also provides its first food. The baby plant needs that food to live on until it
can make its own.
-Show a variety of seeds: pine cone, dandelion, chestnut, peanut, grapefruit, black pepper,
coriander.
2. PARTS OF THE SEED
Material: A germinated bean seed in a transparent jar.
Presentation:
-The part of the seed that is going to grow into the baby plant is called the embryo.
-This part that looks like a feather is called the plumule from Latin pluma which means feather. It
is going to grow into the stem and leaves.
-The part is called the radicle (Latin radiculum – root) and it is going to grow down to form the
root. It is going to grow first.
-The cotyledon is the store of food that was provided for this baby plant. (When there is one
compartment the seed is called a monocotyledon and when there are two compartments it is
called a dicotyledon.)
-On the outside of the seed is the testa. Testa is the word for shell because it protects – here it
protects the seed.
pictures
3. KINDS OF SEEDS
Materials: variety of seeds for observation /discussion.
Presentation: (This may take the form of discussion based on the observations of the children.)
Conclusions: (Help the children to draw these conclusions themselves in the course of the
discussion and exploration of the seeds.)
-Seeds which open up into two parts are called dicotyledons (di meaning two), and those that do
not open up are called monocotyledons (from Latin mono – one).
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-Plants which have seeds that are monocotyledon also have roots which are fasciculated and have
parallel venation leaves. (e.g. corn stalk)
-The dicotyledons always have tap rots and leaves which have reticulate leaves. (e.g. carrot)
-(The children might discover that not only does the monocotyledon have roots that are
fasciculated and leaves whose veins are parallel; but the flower parts are in threes or multiples of
threes.
-Dicotyledons have flower parts in four’s and five’s.
-You may take a group of children and summarize all of the information they have thus far:
The seed of a monocotyledon has one sac of food and it always produces a plant which has
parallel veins, fasciculated root and flowers which has parts that are always in three or multiplies
of threes.
-The seed of a dicotyledon has two sacs of food and it always produces a plant which has
reticulate veins, a tap root which flower parts in four’s and five’s.
4. SEED DISPERSAL
Material: Chart O (“Go my Son…”), Chart P (Dispersal)
Presentation:
-The parent plant sends its seed out with a store of food and it is sent out to produce a plant of its
own.
-If it settles down by the parent plant it may not survive due to a lack of food in the vicinity of the
plant: Unlike humans, if the baby plant settles in by the parent, the parent may use up all of it’s
food. As a result, the parent plant has to send its seed far away. (Show Chart O)
-(Show Chart P – tell a small story about the modes of dispersal shown on the chart and an
example of each).
-Airborne: Some plants use the wind and the wind will take its seeds and blow them. The Cherry
does this.
-Helicopter: Some plants provide their seed with a unique shape to help them travel. (e.g. Willow
seeds)
-Explosion: When the seeds of some plants ripen, they ‘explode’ their seeds. (e.g. dehiscent seeds)
-Water: Sometimes the plant provides their seeds with nice spongy coverings that have water
within them. They float on the water and when they reach land, they sink into the sand and grow.
-Hitchhikers: Some plants provide their seed with a special means of transportation, such as
Burrs.
-The seed is deposited, or it is taken by the wind. It can exlode like a volcano or float along like
travellers on a boat. You often don’t know you are carrying them – it is like they are hitchhiking.
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Follow-up Activities:
Make collections of various seeds.
Explore in nature for different kinds of seed.
Classify different types of seed.
Research different ways that seeds are dispersed.