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How to Plant a Seed for 4th Graders

Fourth-grade science focuses on scratching the surface of why things happen. For instance, how water and sunlight affect seed and plant growth. Keeping fourth graders attentive can be a tricky thing to do, especially when all they have are textbooks to look at. If you want to teach your fourth grade students about the effects of water and sunlight on seeds or plants, all you need is a package of seeds, a damp paper towel and a sealing plastic bag.

Things You'll Need

Damp paper towel
Tomato, herb or Lima bean seeds
Spray bottle
Sealing plastic bag
Small plant pots
Potting soil mix

Instructions

Germinate the Seeds
- 1
  Dampen a single paper towel.
- 2
  Place 8 to 10 seeds on the paper towel and fold it in half.
- 3
  Place the paper towel in the plastic bag and seal it closed.
- 4
  Tape the bag containing the seeds to a window that receives a lot of sunlight.
- 5
  Spray the seeds with two spritzes of water each day, reseal the bag and place back on the window.
Plant the Seeds
- 6
  Plant sprouts in small containers filled with potting soil after the seeds germinate. Have students dig a 1-inch hole with their fingers and gently place the sprouts inside.
- 7
  Place the roots of the sprouts into the hole. Gently cover the roots so that the top of the plant still sticks out above the soil.
- 8
  Place pots in sunny window and keep the soil just damp. You can put one or two students in charge of watering the plants each week.

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