As I walked into Mrs. Haught's third grade class at Burroughs Elementary, Mrs. Haught told me what had been going on in her classroom for the past month. Her students were learning how to grow plants in different environments. The types of seeds used were radish seeds, avocado seeds, lemon seeds, and pistachios.
Some seeds were taken directly from their adult plant!
The experiment showed the students that seeds can sprout in different environments, such as in soil, on top of soil, and in water alone. The students took turns watering and keeping an eye on the plants every morning when they came into class. Mrs. Haught was ecstatic that she was able to show students how plants grow and how they can regenerate roots. She told me that her goal was to show the students where fruits and vegetables come from and why they're important for our bodies.
This is an avocado seed that was set in water by the window. This was one method that was tested to see if it would sprout any roots.
Here are a few radish seeds that were placed on top of soil and watered everyday. One of the students named the plant, "Jeff Jr."
This is the progress of some radish seeds that were beginning to sprout and grow into a bigger plant. It was watered every day by the students.
Here is a picture of two plants that were broken apart and set in water. The plant eventually started regenerating roots in water. The students couldn't believe that plants could do so in water without any soil.
After talking with Mrs. Haught, I've teamed up with her to try to bring an edible school garden to the students of Burroughs Elementary in the near future. Our hopes are to show students where their food comes from in order to encourage their consumption of fruits and vegetables.