Sprouting Seeds - A Science Project That Tastes Good

When teaching about plants, students of all ages can become bored very quickly. That is not to say that plants are bored but that in today's society kids are much more interested in things that move, bang or actually "do" something rather than something green that really does nothing more than just lies there.

Realizing that fact, I devised a way to interest students in seeds, their growth patterns and life cycles as well as showing them the end result in a way that they could appreciate. I have utilized this project in many classrooms throughout the years and it has worked wonderfully in each class, often to the point of students requesting to take extra seeds home to try it themselves. And in some instances, parents have been so impressed that they requested instructions themselves to duplicate the success we found in the classroom.

For a simple project, it has gotten a lot of traffic and gained popularity at the same time. I think once you try it for yourself you will see why "sprouting seeds" is a highlight of many lessons in my classroom.

Supplies needed for "Sprouting Seeds"

Small glass jars. I usually ask for baby food jars early on in the semester or glean some from friends who have small kids. This is the perfect size for many aspects of the project so plan on at least 2 per student and half a dozen or so extras for projects that might not "sprout" so to speak.

Beans, seeds and other small items to use to grow. I tend to prefer alfalfa seeds, mung bean seeds, sunflower seeds. If you wish a larger grouping of seeds ask at your local health food store, they will have a large variety for you to choose from and if they are anything like mine, will be helpful when it comes to choosing ones that sprout rather rapidly.

Muslin. This will be cut into a circle to cover the tops of the baby food jars. Plan on about 2 inches overlap. I precut these for the students but that is your call completely.

Rubber bands to hold muslin top on jar

Water to cover seeds

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place a few spoonfuls of seeds in jar, cover with water and let sit for two hours

After that time, drain and rinse the seeds. The washing/rinsing of the seeds will be done three times a day so plan accordingly in your daily calendar.

In between times of rinsing, cover with muslin and secure with rubber band.

Wait and watch seeds grow.

Harvest and eat the sprouted seeds before they begin to grow leaves.
We like to serve ours on a buffet like table with lettuce so the kids can have a healthy salad of their own choosing (note: the spray type salad dressing is perfect for this project)

This project once harvested can continue on, adding more seeds or can be taken home. Be ready to send more seeds home, as kids will want to duplicate this with their families.

Also within the time frame of this project, discuss the various cycles of growth and how water, the cover and how they are treating the seeds allow them to grow. Add some sketches by the kids and you have a no fail project that would also be perfect for a science fair entrant. Good luck and happy teaching!