Seed Dispersal Activity for Grades 1-3
Author:
Rebecca M. Dalton
Author Affiliation and
Location: (e.g. Duke,
Beaufort, NC)
University Program in Ecology
Optional Author Contact
Information (e.g. email)
[email protected]
Duke University
Introduction/Abstract to
Lesson Plan (max. 100
Words)
Siblings often share or compete for resources with one another, for instance
children might compete for time on the computer or toys. Many different
organisms have to compete with their siblings for access to resources they
need to grow and survive. Plants, like other organisms including humans,
Include aspects of the lesson need resources too (sunlight, water, and soil nutrients). Therefore, seeds
that are unique, innovative
need a way to move far away from one another before planted. Since plants
and relevant to the 5 E
are unable to walk, many seeds have developed particular structures that
Model.
allow them to disperse. Students will learn the mechanisms of seed
dispersal, why seeds disperse, how structure informs function, and how to
create their own, wind-dispersed seed.
List of Standards Addressed
Common Core, NC
Essential Science, Next
Gen, etc. (This can be a
quick list of standard
numbers. Full standards can
be included at the end of the
lesson plan)
Learning Objectives using
Measurable Verbs (what
students will be able to do)
Common Core:
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North Carolina Essential Standards:
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1.L.1.1, 1.L.2.1, Bio.2.1.3
Next Generation Science Standards:
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LS1.A, LS1.B
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Biology: Why seeds have dispersal mechanisms
Biology: What types of resources seeds need to grow and often
compete for
Biology: How to recognize certain dispersal mechanisms on naturally
collected seeds
Analytical thinking: How to create (and troubleshoot) their own
created seeds to fly farthest in the “wind”
General science: That scientists use the metric system in order to
communicate with others all over the world
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Appropriate Grade Levels
K.MD.1, K.MD.2, 1.MD.4, 2.MD.1, 2.MD.2, 2.MD.3. 2.MD.4
Target grades: 1-3, but can be adapted for grades 4-5.
Group Size/# of students
activities are designed for
Up to 30 students if multiple researchers/educators are participating.
Setting (e.g. indoors,
outdoors, lab, etc.)
Outdoors (weather permitting)
Approximate Time of
Lesson
Classroom
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20 minutes for introduction and seed activity
25-30 minutes for constructing seed and measuring flight distance
10 minutes for discussion
Resources Needed for
Students (e.g. scissors,
paper, pencils, glue, etc.)
Students will need glue, scissors, and the following craft materials:
Resources Needed for
Educators (e.g. blackboard,
Powerpoint capabilities,
etc.)
Educators will need six to ten Petri dishes with naturally collected or store
bought seeds (strawberry, blueberry, maple seed, a fan, measuring tape/stick,
and a dry erase or chalkboard to keep track of flight distances.
Apps/Websites Needed
None.
Lesson Activity (step by
step description of activity)
Introduction [Engagement, Explanation]: Begin by asking students if they
have brothers and/or sisters (or cousins, close friends, etc.). Then ask the
students to raise their hand and discuss the items that they share with their
siblings or family members. Students will most likely talk about the
television, computer, food, and other shared toys. After they discuss the
items that they share with their siblings, ask them to think about what other
organisms might have to share resources with their close relatives. They
may give many examples, including birds, butterflies, insects, and dogs. For
each example, ask the student who volunteered to give an answer explain
what that organism needs to grow and survive and what it might share with
its relatives. After the students spend some time thinking and discussing,
begin to tell them that plants have to share resources with their siblings, too!
Students should understand that plants have to compete with one another for
water, soil nutrients, and sunlight. If the parent plant drops its seeds close
together, the seedlings will compete with the mother plant and its siblings.
Some species have evolved mechanisms to cope with this because seeds
cannot get up and walk away from each other to look for resources. The
most common types of seed dispersal mechanisms are wind (dandelion),
water (coconut), animals (berries), explosion, and fire.
Including steps that address
the 5 E’s:
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Engagement
Exploration
Explanation
Elaboration
Evaluation
Feathers, cotton balls, small pieces of construction paper, pipe cleaners,
uncooked beans (kidney beans are good for this lesson), glue, and scissors.
How do we distinguish how seeds disperse by looking at them? Some seeds
have very distinctive structures, and we know that structure typically defines
function. Give them some examples of the following seed dispersal
mechanisms (you can use a PowerPoint presentation with pictures, or if the
weather is nice and you had time before class to collect seeds, use real
specimens)!
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Animal dispersed seeds: Typically, animal dispersed seeds have a
sugary, fruit with seeds either on or inside it. Ask the students if they
have ever had blueberries or strawberries, and if they can remember
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where the seeds are in the berries. You can tell them that in nature,
animals, like deer, birds, or bears, will eat berries and walk really far
away before releasing the seeds in their droppings. Eating fruits is
not the only way animals disperse seeds. Some seeds have prickly
hooks or barbs that will hook to an animal’s fur or coat. Have the
students ever looked down after playing outside and had something
sticking to their pants? It was probably a seed that he/she helped
disperse! Examples of animal dispersed seeds are strawberries,
blueberries, and muscadine grapes.
Explosion: Some seeds will become very dry and brittle once they
are ripe. Although this type of seed dispersing mechanism sounds
really exciting, most seed pods will split and seeds will only
“explode” a few inches into the air, and drop close to the plant. This
is a form of seed dispersal, though, because seeds that drop usually
end up closer if they aren’t popped from the parent plant. Seeds that
have explosive seed dispersing mechanisms are: Rock Jasmine
Pygmy flower, Glacier lily, Dimpled trout lily (Native to NC and
very abundant in the spring), and peas.
Wind: Ask the students how many of them have ever been told that
they should not blow dandelions into their yards because it will make
the weeds grow? This is an example of a wind-dispersed seed.
Dandelions have structures on them that allow the wind to pick the
seed up and carry it far. Students should notice that the feathery
structure is light, but is sturdy enough to lift the seed many feet at a
time. Maple trees, on the other hand, disperse by fluttering in the
wind. Sometimes people refer to them as “helicopters.”
Water: Some plants will grow really close to water and will usually
rely on the water for seed dispersal. These seeds are typically
buoyant (or able to float) and often have woody, waterproof
coverings. An example of a water-dispersed seed is a coconut.
Seed Activity [Engagement, Exploration]: Before class, collect seeds with
different dispersing mechanisms from outside of school, at your home, or in
a park for this activity. It is also suggested to use a berry of any kind from
your refrigerator. Try your best to collet at least 6-10 specimens, depending
on the size of the class. Place each type of seed in a clear, taped, Petri dish.
Have the students examine each Petri dish by eye (or if you have a
microscope available-it can be a fun activity to introduce another aspect of
scientific research). It is not necessary for you to know the exact species of
the seeds that you collect. After all of the students have had time to
examine each specimen, ask the students to think about the ways that each
seed might be dispersed, and why they think that (what type of structures
does it have)? Go through each example with the class and really encourage
students to participate. Sometimes, even scientists are not 100% certain of
each species seed dispersal mechanisms. Having the students form
hypothesis and make educated guesses is a good way to get them thinking
about how structure informs function, and how scientists actually think about
natural processes when they don’t know the real answer yet
Creating their own seed [Engagement, Exploration, Evaluation]: Now the
students will get a chance to create their own, wind-dispersed seed using the
craft materials given to them (scissors, glue, a kidney bean, small pieces of
construction paper, pipe cleaners, cotton balls, and feathers). There is only
one rule for this activity. The seed (which is a kidney bean in the activity)
must be on the final product somewhere. Tell students to think about a
dandelion seed, and how it is a very simple structure. There is just a seed
and something similar to a feather. In the past, some students have just used
whole pieces of construction paper (in some of the photos below), while
others have constructed paper airplanes with the seed as the “driver,” and
others have created a simple seed with a feather attached to the kidney bean.
This is an interesting activity because students have the ability to re-design
their seed after a single flight, and they can determine what types of
structures do and do not work.
Give students 10-15 minutes to create their seed. Some students will need
more time, while others will be ready to go earlier. Before class, set up a fan
at the front of the classroom and place a measuring tape or yard stick next to
the fan. Ensure that the edge of the measuring tape is next to the fan. Since
the students are so young, ask students to hand you their seed. Once you
have their seed, place it in front of the moving fan and let it fly. When the
seed drops to the ground, ask the student to measure (in cm) how far their
seed went. This is a good opportunity to talk about how scientists always
use metrics because they can communicate with scientists all over the world.
Have the student write on the chalkboard how far (in cm) their seed went,
and ask them to think about ways to make their seed go farther. Students can
spend up to 15-20 minutes (depending on your availability) re-creating their
seed, letting you place it in front of the fan, and them writing down how far
their seed traveled. [Evaluation] At the end, ask the students to compare
their scores to their earlier flights. Ask if any students had seeds that went
farther, and what they changed. They can keep their seed or dispose of it.
Conclusion [Explanation, Evaluation]: This is a really good opportunity to
tie in all of the activities. Remind students that seedlings compete with one
another for resources, and therefore seeds have evolved (or developed)
mechanisms of dispersal. Ask the students to discuss the ways that seeds are
dispersed, and how one might be able to tell by looking at a seed.
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Final Product (If
there is one, e.g.
blog, presentation,
etc.)
Assessment/Evaluation
(Evidence of Learning
linked directly to learning
objectives)
The students will create their own, dispersing seed and will be able to take it
home with them. They should be able to discuss why their seed flew far or
didn’t disperse as far as others in the classroom (referring to its winged or
feathery structure).
Students should understand the following after this seed dispersal activity:
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Biology: Why seeds have dispersal mechanisms
Biology: What types of resources seeds need to grow and often
compete for
Biology: How to recognize certain dispersal mechanisms on naturally
collected seeds
Analytical thinking: How to create (and troubleshoot) their own
created seeds to fly farthest in the “wind”
General science: That scientists use the metric system in order to
communicate with others all over the world
NC Essential Science and/or
Common Core Math
Standards (Standards
Mapping Grid Optional)
Common Core:
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K.MD.1 Describe measurable attributes of objects, such as length or
weight. Describe several measurable attributes of a single object.
K.MD.2 Directly compare two objects with a measurable attribute in
common, to see which object has “more of”/“less of” the attribute,
and describe the difference. For example, directly compare the
heights of two children and describe one child as taller/shorter.
1.MD.4 Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three
categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data
points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in
one category than in another.
2.MD.1 Measure the length of an object by selecting and using
appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and
measuring tapes.
2.MD.2 Measure the length of an object twice,
using length units of different lengths for the
two measurements; describe how the two measurements relate to the
size of the unit chosen.
2.MD.3 Estimate lengths using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and
meters.
2.MD.4 Measure to determine how much longer one object is than
another, expressing the length difference in terms of a standard length
unit.
North Carolina Essential Standards:
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1.L.1.1: Recognize that plants and animals need air, water, light
(plants only), space, food and shelter and that these may be found in
their environment.
1.L.2.1: Summarize the basic needs of a variety of different plants
(including air, water, nutrients, and light) for energy and growth.
Bio.2.1.3: Explain various ways organisms interact with each other
(including predation, competition, parasitism, mutualism) and with
their environments resulting in stability within ecosystems.
Next Generation Science Standards:
Disciplinary Core Ideas
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LS1.A: Structure and Function: All organisms have external parts.
Different animals use their body parts in different ways to see, hear,
grasp objects, protect themselves, move from place to place, and
seek, find, and take in food, water and air. Plants also have different
parts (roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits) that help them survive and
grow (1-LS1-1)
LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms: Adult plants and
animals can have young. In many kinds of animals, parents and the
offspring themselves engage in behaviors that help the offspring to
survive (1-LS1-2)
Crosscutting Concepts:
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Patterns: Patterns in the natural and human designed world can be
observed, used to describe phenomena, and used as evidence (1-LS12),(1-LS3-1)
Structure and Function: The shape and stability of structures of
natural and designed objects are related to their function(s) (1-LS1-1)
Feedback Form for Teachers Please let me know if you have any modifications for this lesson plan. It
worked well with summer school camps, but it was easy to collect seeds at
that time. It may be difficult to do the “seed activity” in the fall or winter. If
you have any suggestions, I would like to incorporate them!
Top images are seed examples from a
kindergarten class. Try to encourage students to
think about the cost of resources for making
really large seeds, and how it is much more
difficult to fly when there are larger. These
students did not have access to scissors, and
therefore their seeds are bulkier. In classes with
access to scissors, students typically cut out
aerodynamic shapes of out paper for the seed
creation. Left image: Students are interacting
with a student scientist by examining seeds
collected from the environment. Here, they are
hypothesizing about how these collected seeds
are dispersed.