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
- 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
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? Talk to your child about how you could figure it out.
“Would you like to do an experiment to see if a plant grows better by a bright window or in a dark closet? We can do experiments to find out something that we don’t know. So, we want to find out whether a plant will grow better in the light or in the dark.” Explain to your child the steps of your experiment. “Today, we will plant a few seeds in two different 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 his own 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 his own 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 the plant in the window sill grew bigger than the one in the closet?”
- “Do you remember what every plant needs to grow big and strong?”
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.
TIPS
- Look for these books on plants at your local library: From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons, Plant the Tiny Seed by Christie Matheson, and The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.
- Use seeds that begin to grow quickly and need lots of sunshine, like green beans or peas.
- After your experiment is done, plant your healthy plant in a garden or pot to continue watching it grow and develop.
- Using science words like experiment, prediction, and results helps your child grow his vocabulary and be better prepared for school.