VanCleave's Science Fun

Your Guide to Science Projects, Fun Experiments, and Science Research

ABOUT THE SOUND PICTURE

With mouth wide open, vibrating air coming up the throat from the vocal chords leaving the open mouth and spreading in all directions. Hi, I am Janice VanCleave, author of 50+ best-selling science experiment books for children ages 4 through high school. I taught science for 27 years and now am creating this science website.   My scream was not staged. The picture was to be of two adult cats, which I was holding. A microsecond before the camera snapped, the two cats dug their claws into my skin as they prepared to leap out of my arms. A picture like this is great for making inferences. Kids could make "guesses" as to why I am screaming. They would be drawing on facts from the photo, such as I look like I am in pain or maybe I am just pretending.

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Home » Seed:Dissection

Seed:Dissection

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To discover what is inside a seed, pinto beans, which is a seed, can be dissected. Following are steps that can be used to observe the different parts of a seed. Note: While the diagrams show the water and beans to be green. Actually, the beans should be brown and the water clear.

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1. Place 6 or more pinto means in a glass of water. Set the glass in the refrigerator and allow them to soak overnight. Keeping the beans cold keeps them from souring.

seed-dissection22. Place the soaked beans on a paper towel.

seed-dissection33. Use your fingernail to scrape the seed coat off one of the beans.

seed-baby-plant44.Holding the bean in your hands, carefully pry the two parts of the bean apart with your fingers.5. Place the parts on a paper towel or sheet of paper with the inside of the bean facing up. If necessary, shine the light of a flashlight on bean.

6. Using a magnifying lens, observe the plantlike structure with two leaves which will be stuck to one of the bean parts.

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bullet-green-round1What are the names and functions of the different parts of the bean (seed)?

bullet-green-round1 Which part develops into a root system?

bullet-green-round1 Which part develops into a shoot system?

bullet-green-round1 Which part feeds the baby plant?

bullet-green-round1How are seeds formed?

For answers to these questions as well as other informatin about seeds, see SEED PARTS.

For more information about seeds, plants and other science topics, see Janice VanCleave’s Teaching the Fun of Science.

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