Styrofoam Root Observation Box

The preschoolers have been learning about seeds and plants.  Last week they sprouted some bean seeds with wet paper towels inserted into sandwich bags.  This week they planted carrot and radish seeds in a styrofoam cooler made into an observation box.

I cut window openings on both sides of the cooler and then used duct tape to secure the 10″ x 6″ plexi glass windows to the inside of the cooler.  Our local hardware store was able to cut the plexi glass from scrap they had on hand.

A meat thermometer was used to poke holes in the bottom of the cooler.

The children lined the bottom of the cooler with pea gravel and then filled it with potting soil.

Carrot seeds were planted on one side of the cooler and radishes on the other side.

The seeds were covered with a layer of top soil and then watered.

The children will observe their carrot and radish garden each day and then get to eat the produce that results.

Little Pandas Preschool

A Tiny Seed

The preschool class is beginning their spring science unit covering plants and bugs. On Monday the children watched The Tiny Seed, a Youtube movie based on Eric Carle’s book.

They were also very excited to watch some bean sprouts grow. These can also be seen on Youtube at Growing Beans HD Timelapse – YouTube

The science table was set up for the children to explore some very tiny seeds after watching the videos.

The children explored the seeds through touch and taste.

The children looked at the seeds under the microscope and noticed they could see more details when the seeds appeared to be larger.

A magnifying glass was also used to look at the seeds.

After exploring the seeds the children remembered that the seed in the book grew to be very large. They wanted to know what the poppy seeds would grow to be, so some research was done on the computer. It was also decided that we should plant some poppy seeds.

After the group activity was completed children chose to work in centers. The iPad center included the “Seed Cycle” activity to reinforce the concepts learned earlier.

Little Pandas Preschool