JOINT ADVENTURE
by Theresa Farris
March 23, 2010
SVCA K/1 students and Neosho Heights Grade School first grade students worked on a project to learn about germination of a bean seed.
The students learned that when a seed gets warmth, air and water it starts to change. Each student was given a large lima bean, a small lima bean, a cotton ball, a small plastic bag, and some yarn to make a bean necklace. Students were in charge of caring for their beans by giving them the things the bean needed to germinate.
The students dipped their cotton ball in a small amount of water to give the bean the moisture it would require. Next they placed the moistened cotton ball, and beans in a small plastic bag. Students then blew a small amount of air into the bag and sealed the bag. Students had to come up with the best location to keep their seed to help it germinate. Students knew the seed would need warmth and after some class discussion and teacher guidance decided the warmth would come from their body. The students strung the yarn through a hole in the plastic bag to make a necklace. They took the bag, hanging from the yarn around their neck, and tucked it inside their clothes against their skin. They were responsible for providing their bean sprouts with the best possible care until they sprouted.
Students wore their necklaces throughout the school day and placed the necklace in their desks over night. Students made entries in their journals to show the changes that occurred in both beans in a three-day period. They recorded the progress of their seeds and which beans grew faster.
Both Neosho Heights and SVCA charted the results of germination at the end of the three-day period.
Students discussed how the needs of the bean sprouts had changed. At the end of three days the students took their bean sprouts home to plant in their gardens.
Neosho Heights Class 1B
Big Beans 6 sprouted 9 did not sprout 6/15
Little Beans 3 sprouted 12 did not sprout 3/15
Neosho Heights Class 1A
Big Beans 1 sprouted 15 did not sprout 1/15
Little Beans 3 sprouted 13 did not sprout 3/16
SVCA
Big Beans 10 sprouted 3 did not sprout 10/13
Little Beans 2 sprouted 11 did not sprout 2/13
When we compared the charted information we found both schools had almost identical results with the majority of the little bean not sprouting.
However, there was a significant difference between the two schools in regards to the results of the large beans. Neosho Heights Class 1B had 6/15 large beans germination result of 40%. Neosho Heights Class 1A had 1/16 large beans germination result of 6%. SVCA had 10/13 for a germination result of 77 %.
So what does that tell you! If you like lima beans, the best bean, is the bigger bean!
