Seeds
of Life

2nd grade fall unit

revised September 16, 2009

Unit goals

In first grade the students explored habitats and how and why animals survived in them, in this experience students will examine plants. Plants start from a seed and grow through their own life cycles each according to its needs and habitat. Students will learn that along the way plants are an amazingly diverse and gather sunlight, nutrients, water and minerals to become crucial to the survival of all life by creating food, shelter, oxygen, and an almost infinite array of other necessities. This program will emphasize the adaptations seeds have to move away from the parent plant to a place where they will have a better chance of surviving.

This unit is specifically designed to address appropriate AAAS Project 2061 benchmarks as well as second grade Minnesota Academic proposed Science Standards 2.1.1.2.1; 2.4.1.1.1; 2.4.1.1.2; 2.4.2.1.1; 2.4.2.1.2. E-mail here for more information.

-- Summary Box --

Before your visit, please review with your students ...

Last year's visits to River Bend, focusing on habitats and adaptations.
The different types of seeds
Parts of a plant
The different types of plants
Behavior expectations during the visit.

At River Bend ... (note: bring small sandwich-size bags for seed collection)

During the introduction we will review the above material.
We will divide each class in half (maximum of 4 groups; assuming normal size classes, classes of less than 15 will likely not be divided)
Each group will proceed onto the trails and off the trails, exploring the woods and prairie to discover plant life cycles and various plants and traits:
collect seeds to take back to school (bring small sandwich-size bags)
look at the adaptations that help seeds travel
download example of the worksheet here
In the closing we will ...
inquire about discoveries on the trail
review the different types of plants found at River Bend
encourage the students to recognize the importance of seeds and plants in their everyday lives
remind the students of their next visit
talk of upcoming events at River Bend
invite the students to return on their own with family and friends

Back in the classroom ...

Use the seeds collected to make graphs, charting the number of flyers-droppers-hitchhikers-poppers, or with/without seed containers. Collect or count seeds around the school to graph for comparison.
Use seeds in art projects.
If you wish to tape the seeds down, you can create one big grid for all students to do together.
Have the students act out the different kinds of seeds for their classmates to guess if they are poppers, droppers, etc.
Have the students draw a picture of a favorite animal and then show the plants that are needed by that animal in its habitat for food, shelter, shade, etc.

What is a seed?

A seed is a very young plant in a shell, often also in some form of container or attached to a device to help it move around.

What role do seeds play in the life of a plant?

As a plant grows, it periodically produces seeds which are then scattered away from the plant. If a seed lands in a suitable location under the right circumstances, it will begin to grow roots, a stem, leaves and flowers, and later produce more seeds to continue the cycle.

How do plants spread or disperse (spread around) their seeds?

Hitch-hikers stick to fur, feathers, or clothing to later fall off at a new place
Droppers simply fall to the ground, however animals usually carry them to other places
Poppers burst from their seed container to spread away from the plant
Flyers are carried through the air by the wind by virtue of their wings or feathery parachutes

What are some seeds that we see every day?

We eat many different seeds, such as peanuts, walnuts, peas, and corn. Fruits are special containers with seeds inside, such as apples, grapes, watermelon, etc. People can buy seeds to plant at home to grow their own food, flowers, or trees.

What does a seed need to start growing?

A seed needs to land in a location suitable for growth, generally where it will have access to water, warmth, and air. It contains its own food until it grows leaves to start making new food.

What does a plant need to continue growing?

After using up all food contained in the seed and sprouting its first leaves, the plant will need sunlight, water, air, and soil in order to continue growing. These will be used in the leaves to make food.

What are the parts of a plant?

Point to name of plant part to learn more!

What are some different kinds of plants?

Flowers: Usually short, often with a colorful blossom, but without a woody stem and live only for a few years.
Grasses: Can be short or tall, very thin, with very small flowers.
Trees: Tall, with a woody trunk and can sometimes live for hundreds of years.
Shrubs: Shorter than trees, many small woody trunks instead of one big one. Often with berries for seeds.

How do plants interact with other living things?

Leaves, berries, stems and roots are often eaten by animals
Some plants provide shelter, homes, and resting spots for animals
Plants give off oxygen for animals to breath
Plants take in carbon dioxide given off by animals
Plants can stop or help other plants growing nearby
Plants help clean the air and water
Plants help keep soil in place along rivers
When plants die, they rot and make better soil for other living things

What will we see at River Bend?

Below are some seeds you may see at River Bend. Remember some seeds will have
adaptations to travel multiple ways. We do not have many poppers. We have a
variety of droppers, flyers and hitchhikers.

Crab apple tree - dropper

Berry bush - dropper

Maple tree - flyer

Burdock - hitchhiker

Burdock hooks - hitchhiker

Coneflower - dropper or flyer

Motherwort - hitchhiker

Wild cucumber - dropper

Wild grape - dropper

Hophornbeam - dropper

Jack-in-the-pulpit - dropper

Maple seeds - flyer

Grass - flyer or dropper

Hickory - dropper

Hickory inside - dropper

Curly dock - dropper or flyer

Dandelion - flyer

Dandelion seed - flyer

Acorn - dropper

Basswood - flyer and dropper

Bergamot - dropper or flyer

Milkweed - popper and flyer

Big bluestem grass - dropper or flyer

Gentian - dropper

What do we need to remember when we visit River Bend?

Being quiet will help you to see and learn more along the trail.
Wear a name tag so we can get to know you better.
Listen to your leader or whomever's turn it is to talk.
Raise your hand if you have something to say.
Do not pick anything unless given permission.
Stay with your group.
Be nice to nature - and to each other!

Some suggested pre- or post-visit activities

Send us your ideas here!

A great book to read before or after the field experience is A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long.

Keep track of all the seeds the students eat for lunch in a week.
Bring in a collection of interesting and exotic fruits/vegetables for the kids to dissect in search of seeds.
Create seed art pictures by gluing the seeds onto a page.

(trouble downloading? click here)

Interesting links