My second graders study plants as part of our science unit. The students conduct many experiments using lima beans and other seeds. One of the common experiments is to vary the amount and type of fertilizer in an effort to see which one helps the plant the most. Another experiment is to vary the type of liquid used to feed to plant. Students will be placed in teams to plan and conduct an experiment to see which conditions or fertilizers will produce the greatest plant growth.
Students love growing plants.
It is an engaging activity. Teams will use electronic media such as CDs and the Internet to find out about plants and how they grow. Experimenting with plants is appropriate for your grade level. Some students do enjoy growing plants, but it is imperative that the students have a need to construct these experiments, not just want to grow plants. If we create a need for them to know and do this task, their high level of interest will be maintained throughout the unit.