In this lesson students will learn how to test their garden soil for nitrogen, phosphorous, and potash (potassium).
Dissecting fava beans
Published May 28, 2012
Subject: Science
Season: Spring
Place of Learning: Garden Classroom, Academic Classroom
Resource Type: Lessons
Grade Level: Grade 4, Grade 5, Grade 6
Uploaded by:
Rick Program Affiliations:
In this lesson students will learn about the different parts of a bean by dissecting fava beans.
Objectives
Students will be able to:
*Explain the process of bean germination and growth.
*Explain the different parts and functinos of a bean seed.
Materials
Fava beans in pods (one fava bean for each student)
magnifying glasses
tweezers
Garden journals and pens
Preparation
Before you begin:
Set up a worstation for each student including tweezers, a magnifying glass, and garden journal and pen.
Procedures
At the Opening Circle:
*Ask students what part of the plant a bean is.
*Tell students that they will be dissecting a fava bean today.
At work stations
*Hold up a fava bean pod and explain that this is the fruit of the plant carrying the seed. Open it to reveal beans inside. Distribute one bean to each student.
*Demonstrate how to gently remove the white seed coat from the bean. Ask students what they think the function of the seed coat is (protection from insects, disease, and damage). Have students remove the seed coat.
*Have students identify the scar on the seed and explain that this is the hilum where the seed is connected to the pod.
*Have students compress the hilum with their fingernail splitting the bean in two halves.
*Have students draw the different parts they see inside the bean seed using their magnifying glass. Invite students to share their discoveries.
*Help students identify the embryo of the bean. Expalin that this will become the new plant. Identify the epicotyl (the embryonic first leaves of the bean plant) and the hypocotyl (the embryonic first root of the bean plant).
*Using tweezers, help students identify the cotyledons explaining that these provide food for the emerging plant. You may want to sprout bean seeds between two damp paper towels to demonstrate that the cotyledons can produce enough food for the plant in its first stage of life with no additional nutrients.
At the closing circle
*Invite students to share what they learned about the inside of a bean seed.
In this lesson, students search for different temperatures in the garden.
Area: Garden Classroom
Type: Lessons
Rating:
In this lesson, students use magnifying glasses to explore different examples of soils from the garden while learning that soil is full of living organisms while dirt is lifeless decompossed rocks and minerals.
Area: Garden Classroom
Type: Lessons
Rating: