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Graphing Seeds
Not all fruits produce the same amount of seeds. Some fruits have many seeds inside of them for more chance of replanting their seeds. Other fruits have one, large seed or a pit that the fruit protects. Do all fruits yield the same amount of seeds? Do all seeds look alike?
Grade Level:1,2,3,4,
Lesson Type:
Open Inquiry
Objective:
The students will count the number of seeds found in different fruits and construct a bar graph showing the results of their investigation.
Materials:
1) A variety of fruits that contain seeds or pits. Try to pick some unique fruits that students may not have seen before, such as a horned melon. (Avoid seedless varieties of fruits.)
2) A knife
3) Small cups or container
4) Pencil and Paper to record data
Learning Activities:
Break students up into pairs. Give each pair of students 2-3 fruits to dissect and collect seeds from. This way, each group of students can collectively share their data with classmates.
Carefully cut open fruits and collect the seeds inside. An adult should supervise, or cut open the fruit for students.
Collect the seeds from each fruit and place into small cups. Be sure to label each container with the fruit that the seeds were collected from.
After all the fruits have been dissected to remove the seeds, students can now count the seeds.
Make a chart for students to complete:
1) Fruit Number of Seeds
2) Apple
3) Horned Melon
4) Peach
Etc.
After students have tallied up the seed totals and filled out their chart, have students share their data with the rest of the class. Have students construct a bar graph showing each fruit and how many seeds each fruit produces.
Opener:
Not all fruits produce the same amount of seeds. Some fruits have many seeds inside of them for more chance of replanting their seeds. Other fruits have one, large seed or a pit that the fruit protects. Do all fruits yield the same amount of seeds? Do all seeds look alike?
Closer:
What fruit produced the most amounts of seeds? What fruits had pits? What are the benefits of having many seeds? Were there any similarities between fruits and the number of seeds they produced? Students can then taste some of the fruits they had in their groups. What is their favorite fruit?