For week one (1), you are going to begin your Garden in a Glove! Seeds need the correct temperature, water, and air to germinate. You can see your seeds germinate when tiny leaves come out of the seeds. Once these leaves reach a pretty good size, they can be transplanted to nutrient-rich soil to grow. For this activity, you will be growing four (4) types of seeds that are included in your kit. You will put each type of seed in each finger hole of the glove. For example, all of my tomato seeds will go into the finger labeled “tomato”. All of the lettuce seeds will go into the finger labeled “lettuce”. You will do this for all of the seeds. Most of us know that there are five (5) fingers on a hand. But, if you notice, you only have four (4) types of seeds in your kit! This is where you get to put your own scientific twist on the experiment! With an adult (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister, etc.), go outside and find a seed that you want to place in the fifth (5th) finger of your glove. This could be a helicopter seed from a maple tree, a seed from a flower… you name it! Then, add that “mystery seed” to your glove. Once all of your seeds are placed in your glove, tape it to a window and watch them germinate!
Essential Concepts:
Area of Focus: Biology
Aim: To learn and watch the life cycle of plants and discover what seeds need to germinate.
- Seed: A seed contains a miniature plant, called an embryo, that can develop into a fully grown plant. The outer shell of a seed, called a seed coat, protects the embryo.
- Germination: the beginning of the growth of a seed into a seedling.
- Seedling: the very young plant that grows from the seeds is called seedling.
- All seeds need water, oxygen and the right temperature to germinate.
Area of Focus: Biology
Aim: To learn and watch the life cycle of plants and discover what seeds need to germinate.
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Materials Needed:
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Procedure/Instructions:
Make sure to perform the activity as a team (parent/grandparent/adult/helper and student). Please read the instructions out loud and make sure you have all the equipment before you start.
Make sure to perform the activity as a team (parent/grandparent/adult/helper and student). Please read the instructions out loud and make sure you have all the equipment before you start.
- Student: Write your name and the date with a permanent marker on the clear plastic glove.
- Parent or Student: On each finger and thumb of the glove, write the type of seed that you plan to put into each of them.
- Team Work: Place five cotton balls in a bowl of water and squeeze out extra water. The cotton balls should be moist but not dripping wet. Place a few seeds of the same kind in each cotton ball. Place a cotton ball with the seeds attached into each finger of the glove. Make sure you match the seeds to the label you have put on the glove (tomato seeds go in the finger labeled “tomato”). Use the end of the marker to push the cotton balls to the end of the fingers of the glove.
- Student: Blow into the glove so air fills it completely. Close it with a rubber band or pipe cleaner.
- Parent or Student: Place the glove close to a window or any other place which gets a good amount of light and is warm. You can also tape it to a wall or a window. You will want to place the glove somewhere where you can keep an eye on it.
- Student: Check on your seeds each day. In 3-5 days, you should see them beginning to germinate. Note your observations in your notebook.
- Parent: After about 1.5 to 2 weeks, cut the tips of the fingers off the glove and carefully take out the germinated seeds.
- Team Work: Transplant the germinated seeds into the pottles and soil provided (you will find the stuff for this in your week 3 bag).
Connection to the real world:
Most plants begin life as seeds and plants are really important for the planet and for all living things. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen from their leaves, which humans and other animals need to breathe. Living things need plants to live - they eat them and live in them. We would not be able to survive without plants.
In Elkhart County, we are surrounded by many farms that grow corn, soybeans, hay, wheat, fruit and vegetables as food for humans, livestock or to create biofuels. Depending on the type of plant, farmers will use large machines to sow seeds directly into the soil where they will germinate and grow into a seedling, then a plant. Other farmers germinate the seeds indoors and then plant the seedlings outside once they are big enough (just like you will do with your Garden in a Glove). Farmers observe and nurture the plants until they are ready for harvest. The process of germination that will happen in your glove happens thousands or million times over in the fields around you! You can also check out Wellfield Botanic Gardens in Elkhart to see a variety of different plants - make sure to check out the Children's Garden and Edible Garden!
Most plants begin life as seeds and plants are really important for the planet and for all living things. Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen from their leaves, which humans and other animals need to breathe. Living things need plants to live - they eat them and live in them. We would not be able to survive without plants.
In Elkhart County, we are surrounded by many farms that grow corn, soybeans, hay, wheat, fruit and vegetables as food for humans, livestock or to create biofuels. Depending on the type of plant, farmers will use large machines to sow seeds directly into the soil where they will germinate and grow into a seedling, then a plant. Other farmers germinate the seeds indoors and then plant the seedlings outside once they are big enough (just like you will do with your Garden in a Glove). Farmers observe and nurture the plants until they are ready for harvest. The process of germination that will happen in your glove happens thousands or million times over in the fields around you! You can also check out Wellfield Botanic Gardens in Elkhart to see a variety of different plants - make sure to check out the Children's Garden and Edible Garden!
Fun facts:
• Seeds contain nutrients that help it to sprout.
• Most seeds can germinate under dark conditions, but all seedlings require sunlight to grow.
• Beans sprout quickly if you soak them overnight in water.
Challenges:
• Seeds contain nutrients that help it to sprout.
• Most seeds can germinate under dark conditions, but all seedlings require sunlight to grow.
• Beans sprout quickly if you soak them overnight in water.
Challenges:
- What happens if you keep the glove in a dark closet?
- Try and perform this experiment with seeds that are not wrapped in anything and do not have any water.
- Which seeds germinated first? Last?
