FLOWER POWER
The Journey of a Seed
A WebQuest designed for 3rd graders to expand their knowledge of Botany.
Designed by:
Kelly
C. Dickenson
BillandKelly@prodigy.net
Introduction
/ Task
/ Process
/ Evaluation
/ Conclusion
/ Resources
/ Notes
to the Teacher
This WebQuest
covers science standard #24 - Relate plant structures to their function(s).
It's a sunny springtime morning and you are lying upon the soil in Farmer John's garden. Everything seems great until Frog, Robin and Butterfly gather around you laughing. Robin points at you with her wing and says, "You are just a puny thing. You'll never amount to anything special." Frog laughs along with her and croaks, "You're not just small. You're boring and ugly too!" Butterfly hovers over your tiny body and says Seed, “you will never be beautiful like me," as she spreads her delicate rainbow-colored wings.
You have never felt so small and
insignificant in your life. After all, you are only a little seed! As you sit
on the soil feeling sad and alone, you hear a deep voice chuckling. You look up
and see Giant Sunflower swaying his mighty head back and forth. He smiles and
says, "Seed, don't you listen to them. They are just a
mean bunch who don't know anything about your kind. You ARE special! You
have more power inside your little body than the three of them combined! Today
you will begin a journey. It's up to you to discover the power hidden inside of
you. Cheer up and follow me!"
You are just a little seed, but you have a ton of potential inside of you. The greatest challenge in the world is to grow into a beautiful flower just like Giant Sunflower. But how will you do it?
Your task is to discover the incredible power all seeds have stored inside them. By using resources on the Internet, you will discover a science called botany, or, the study of plants. Be sure to take along a "travel journal" to record all of the wonderful things you learn on your trip.
During your trip, you will complete the following tasks:
1. Discover how seeds grow into adult flowers
2. Research different stages in plant growth including germination, photosynthesis, and pollination
3. Record your findings in your "travel journal"
4. Plant seeds as a class and watch this botany lesson come to life
5. Learn about different flowers and choose which flower is your favorite
6. Draw a picture of your favorite flower
7. Write a story about yourself as a seed and tell about the incredible journey you took on the way to becoming a flower
8.
Make a class "Flower Book" that
includes every student's story and picture
Your journey in this WebQuest will take four steps. They are: Research, Germinating the Seeds, Planting the Seeds, and Creating a Class "Flower Book". Please read through all of the instructions very carefully and ask your teacher if you have any questions.
1. First of all, who are you? What exactly is a seed? To answer this question, visit the Seeds of Life website and the Great Plant Escape Mystery #3 site. You will learn about seeds at these places. Draw a picture of a seed in your travel journal and label its parts.
2. Now that you know who you are, you need to figure out how to get started on this incredible journey. To begin, travel to a website that will teach you all about a special process called germination. Do you want to see what a germinated seed looks like? Click here to view germinating pea seeds. Write a paragraph that explains germination. Be sure to define "germination" within your paragraph.
3. Now that you know how seeds germinate, you will need to find out how the tiny seed gets the energy it needs to grow. Plants use a special process called photosynthesis to make energy and grow into bigger plants. Write an entry in your travel journal about photosynthesis. Explain what it is, why this process is important, and list the elements involved in photosynthesis.
4. Okay, now you have germinated and used photosynthesis to grow. You are on your way to proving Frog, Robin, and Butterfly that they were wrong! But how can you turn yourself into more than one plant? Plants reproduce with the help of a process called pollination. You will become a Bee to understand this process. Visit this site and then make another journal entry describing what you have learned. In your entry, describe the parts of the flower involved in pollination. Also, explain why bees are important helpers in the pollination process.
STEP 2: Germinating the Seeds
1. Collect between 8 and 10 flower seeds from your teacher.
2. Dampen two paper towels with water. Be sure to squeeze the extra water out of the paper towels.
3. Arrange your seeds on one of the wet paper towels. Make sure the seeds do not touch each other.
4. Carefully cover the seeds with the second wet paper towel.
5. Place the seeds in a safe place. You will want to check your seeds everyday to make sure the paper towels do not dry out.
6. Soon your seeds will germinate. You will see a root and a shoot coming out of your seeds. It's now time to plant them!
STEP 3: Planting the Seeds
1. Obtain a styrofoam cup from your teacher. Write your name on the cup with a pen or marker.
2. Fill the cup almost all of the way with soil.
3. Carefully place your germinated seeds on top of the soil. Space them out so that they do not touch each other!
4. Cover the seeds with a light coating of soil.
5. Water your seeds and place them near a window.
6. Check your seeds regularly. Make sure you keep the soil damp, but not soaking wet. Do not let the soil completely dry out.
7. Soon your seeds will sprout and photosynthesis will cause the seeds to grow into plants. Congratulations!
STEP 4: Create a Class "Flower Book"
1. First, you will need to visit a website that will teach you about different types of flowers. There are several to choose from: Garden Guides "Flower Guide", and the "Wildflowers in Bloom" photo album are all great places to start. At these sites, you will see many pictures of flowers. Each flower is unique and needs special care. Once you have explored several flowers, choose your favorite.
2. Draw a picture of your favorite flower. You can re-visit the web sites listed above if you need to look at a picture of your flower. Label your picture with the following: the name of your flower, the best growing conditions for your flower, and any other special information you have found on the Internet about your favorite flower.
3. Write a story about yourself as a seed. Be sure to tell about the amazing journey you took to become a beautiful flower. Your story should include the three processes you learned about in the "Research" section. You can draw pictures of your journey to go along with your story. You can make your story a funny story, scary story, or you can write an adventure story. Be creative!
4. Your teacher will collect each student's picture and story and put them all together in a class "Flower Book". You can keep the book in your classroom library so that everyone can read about "Flower Power!"
This project will be graded as follows:
Student has kept a detailed travel journal. All definitions, explanations, and diagrams requested in STEP 1- Research are present in the journal. 30 pts.
Student has used proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation throughout the travel journal. 20pts.
Student participated in seed germination and planting. Student was enthusiastic and helpful during all stages of seed growth. Student displayed knowledge of the processes involved (germination and photosynthesis). 20 pts.
Student's favorite flower is drawn and labeled accurately. Student provided additional information about the flower (i.e. growing conditions, special instructions, unique qualities about the flower). 10 pts.
Student's creative story demonstrates knowledge of germination, photosynthesis, and pollination. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, as well as all facts, are correct. 20 pts.
Total Points Possible: 100
Congratulations! You have taken the journey and learned all about the power housed inside tiny little seeds. You now know about germination, photosynthesis and pollination. All of these processes help seeds grow into beautiful flowers! You have seen seeds in action and have grown flowers in your classroom. Your class has worked very hard on your "Flower Book". You can use your book to teach visitors in your class about botany.
Now that you have completed this WebQuest, (and grown into the biggest, most beautiful flower in Farmer John's garden!), you can learn more about flowers by visiting the web sites I have listed in the Resources section of this page. You can also visit your school library for books about flowers. Keep growing!
Ask Detective LePlant- a site where gardening and plant life questions are answered by a pro
Green Links - Links to Several Gardening Sites
National Gardening Association - Helping Young Minds Grow
"Wildflowers in Bloom" photo album
Buzz Back to the Beginning
GAMES
Songs and Poems
My Garden
This is my garden, I'll plant it with care,
Here are the seeds I'll plant in there,
The sun will shine,
The rain will fall,
The seeds will sprout and grow up tall.
Planting
I took a little seed one day
About a month ago.
I put it in a pot of dirt,
In hopes that it would grow.
I poured a little water
To make the soil right.
I set the pot upon the sill,
Where the sun would give it light.
I checked the pot most every day,
And turned it once or twice.
With a little care and water
I helped it grow so nice.
Dick Wilmes
The Little Plant
In the heart of a seed,
Buried deep so deep,
A tiny plant
Lay fast asleep.
"Wake," said the sunshine,
"And creep to the light."
"Wake," said the voice
Of the raindrops bright.
The little plant heard
And it rose to see,
What the wonderful,
Outside world might be.
Little Brown Seeds
Little brown seeds so small and round,
Are sleeping quietly under ground.
Down come the raindrops
sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle.
Out comes the rainbow,
twinkle, twinkle, twinkle.
Little brown seeds way down below,
Up through the earth they grow, grow, grow.
Little green leaves come one by one.
They hold up their heads and look at the sun.
Package of Seeds
They can't see their pictures,
they can't read the label --
the seeds in a package --
so how are they able
to know if they're daisies
or green for the table?
It sounds like a fancy,
it sounds like a fable,
but you do the sowing,
the weeding, the hoeing,
and they'll do the knowing
of how to be growing.
Aileen Fisher
Five Little Seeds
Five little seeds,
Five little seeds.
Three will make flowers,
And two will make weeds.
Under the leaves,
And under the snow,
Five little seeds are
Waiting to grow.
Out comes the sun,
Down comes a shower.
And up come the three,
Pretty pink flowers.
Out comes the sun,
That every plant needs,
And up come two,
Funny old weeds.
Five Little Peas
Five little peas in a pea-pod pressed,
One grew , two grew, and so did all the rest;
They grew...and grew...and did not stop,
Until one day the pod went...POP!
Seeds
A little seed for me to sow
A little earth to make it grow
A little hole, a little pat,
A little wish, and that is that,
A little sun, a little shower.
A little while -
And then, a flower!
I dig a hole and plant a seed,
Cover it with dirt, and pull a weed.
Down comes the rain, and out comes the sun,
Up grows my plant,
Oh! What fun!
What Makes a Garden Grow, Grow, Grow
What makes a garden grow, grow, grow?
(Measure from floor with hand at three levels)
Lots of work with a rake and hoe,
(Pretend to rake and hoe)
Seeds gently planted in a row --
(pretend to plant seeds with thumb and index finger together)
That makes a garden grow, grow, grow.
(Measure from floor with hand at three levels)
What brings the seedlings up from the ground?
(With palms up, close to floor, measure at three levels)
Rain from the sky coming down, down,
(Raise hands high and flutter fingers down, down, down)
Bright yellow sunbeams shining round.
(Make arms into big circle overhead)
Help bring the seedlings up from the ground.
(With palms up, close to floor measure at three levels.)
Patricia Elizabeth Garner
The Gardener Plants the Seeds
(can be sung to the tune of The Farmer in
the Dell)
The gardener plants the seeds.
The gardener plants the seeds.
High ho the derry oh,
The gardener plants the seeds.
2nd verse: The rain falls on the ground.
3rd verse: The sun shines bright and warm.
4th verse: The seeds begin to grow.
5th verse: Flowers grow everywhere.
Seeds
Seeds are funny, funny things,
Some have stickers
Some have wings
Some are big
Some are small
Some round and flat
Some like a ball.
Some are hidden inside of fruit
Some in pods or underground roots.
Some seeds are foods
And good to eat,
Like corn or beans
Or nuts for a treat.
A Daffodil
A little yellow cup,
A little yellow frill,
A little yellow star,
And that's a daffodil.
Sunflower
Sunflower, sunflower, standing straight and tall,
Sunflower, sunflower, you're the tallest flower of them all!
Sunflower, sunflower, when your seeds fall to the ground,
Sunflower, sunflower, by the squirrels they'll be found!