Concept:

How does temperature affect germination of seeds? Does light have any effect? Dark?

Materials:

• Petri dishes (6 per group)
• Paper towels (4 layers)
• String
• Scissors
• Pipettes
• Water
• Seeds: radish, bean, lettuce and corn
• Plastic Bags (6 per group)
• Paper Bags (3 per group)
• Refrigerator
• Incubator or Shoe Box with a light

Directed Lesson:

1. Trace around the bottom Petri dish- cut the 4 layers.
2. Place cut towels in bottom of dish.
3. Cut string to divide the dish into quadrants.
4. Place the four types of seeds- 10 to each quadrant
5. Using a pipette, place the same amount of water in each dish.
6. Cover the dish and place in a plastic bag.
7. Place 3 sealed petri dishes in paper bags.
8. Place the bag in: the refrigerator, the classroom, under a light.
9. Do the same with the unbagged set of petri dishes.
10. Check and graph your results.
11. How could you apply your knowledge of sprouting seeds to seeds of the chaparral?

GRAPHS:

Number of Seeds Sprouted

	corn	radish	bean	lettuce
light and heat
light and cold
light and room temperature

*temperature is the variable

Number of Seeds Sprouted

	corn	radish	bean	lettuce
dark and heat
dark and cold
dark and room temperature

*temperature is the variable

Number of Seeds Sprouted

	corn	radish	bean	lettuce
light and warm
light and room temperature
light and cold
dark and warm
dark and room temperature
dark and cold

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Chaparral:A Forgotten Habitat Resource Unit is a part of LAEP Learning Exchange.
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