How Does Your Garden Grow?

You and your child will do a simple science experiment to see if plants grow better in the light or in the dark.

Learning Area(s): Language and Communication; Science

MATERIALS

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• six seeds (green beans and peas work well)
• soil
• two cups (with a hole poked in the bottom) or two small pots
• water

LET'S PLAY

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Begin by reading a book about plants. Talk to your child about what plants need to grow. Tell your child, “Plants need water, sunshine, soil, and air to grow. Without these things, plants won’t be able to grow big and strong.” Ask your child what he thinks would happen if he tried to grow a plant in a dark closet. Does he think it would grow? How can he find out? 

Talk to your child about doing an experiment. Scientists do experiments to help them learn about the world. “Would you like to do an experiment to see what a plant needs to grow healthy and strong?” Explain to your child the steps of your experiment. “Today, we will plant a few seeds in two cups. We’ll put one of the cups on the bright window sill and one in the dark closet. We’ll water them when the soil is dry and check to see which plant grows faster and bigger.” 

Before beginning the experiment, have your child make a prediction: “First, we have to make a prediction, or smart guess, about what we think will happen. What do you think will happen to each seed?” Allow your child to come up with predictions. Don’t try to correct him if he is wrong. You can come up with your own prediction, too. Then plant your seeds and put one cup in the window sill and one in the closet with the door closed. 

After a week of regularly watering and checking on your child’s plants, talk about the results, or what you’ve found out, together. You can ask your child questions about what he noticed: 

• “Which plant grew bigger? How can you tell?” 
• “Why do you think that happened?” 
• “Which plant looks healthier? Why do you say that?” A healthy plant will have bright green leaves that have a defined shape. An unhealthy plant might have leaves that are yellow, wilting, or have tears. A healthy plant’s leaves are dense and close together, while an unhealthy plant’s leaves might be fewer and farther apart. The stem of a healthy plant feels sturdy, while the stem of an unhealthy plant feels flimsy. 
• “How are the plants different?” 
• Help your child draw a conclusion about the experiment. “Did each plant get what it needs to grow? Was anything missing? What do you think that means?” 

Tell your child: “Good scientists always record their results, which means they write down what they find out from their experiments. Let’s draw pictures of what we see.” Help your child draw pictures of the two plants. This helps your child see the results of his experiment.