Planting an Avocado Seed

Materials

• avocado seed
• water
• clear plastic cup
• toothpicks

Directions

• Carefully remove the avocado seed from the avocado (fruit).
• Clean the seed (gently rinse and/or wipe the seed with a paper towel).
• Have students observe the seed with a hand lens and sketch a picture in their science notebooks.
• Using the pointy end of the avocado as the top, insert 3 toothpicks into the sides of the avocado seed. (Place the toothpicks at a 45 degree angle from the horizon, if you want the seed to sit below the rim of the plastic cup.)
• Place the seed in the cup (pointy end up).
• Fill the glass with water so that half of the seed is in the water.
• Place the cup in a sunny spot.
• Be Patient!
• Add water as needed.
• In approximately a few to several weeks, the seed will crack open and roots will start to grow from the bottom and a stem will sprout out from the top of the seed.
• Have  students continue to observe the seed and sketch its growth.
• When the roots and stem have grown a bit more, you may want to plant the seed in a small pot with some fertile soil.
• The plant can later be repotted to a larger pot or to a sunny spot outdoors.

Fun Seed Activities

Here's an assortment of activities to do with seeds.

Activity 1 (Math) 

Gather some fruit.
Have the kids estimate how many seeds are in each fruit.
Count the seeds.
Observe the seeds with a hand lens.
Compare and contrast the seeds based on similarities and differences.
Tally and graph the number of seeds in each fruit.

Activity 2 (Math)

Sort seeds by color, size, surface texture, type, etc.
Put seeds in order from smallest to largest.

Activity 3 (Science)

Make a seed book.
Fold several pieces of paper in half and staple.
Glue seeds and label.

Activity 4 (Arts and Crafts, Music)

Use seeds to make pictures or rhythm instruments.

clipart by www.graphicsfactory.com

Activity 5 (Science)

Play a Seed Identification Game. (What SEED Am I?)
Put different seeds into zip-lock bags. (You may want to number the bags.)
Have students observe the seeds and try to identify the seeds.
Students could also make up some of their own bags.

 

Activity 6 (Science)

Plant the seeds. 

Bill Nye Cool Plant Video

Science can be really cool! 

Just ask Bill Nye the Science Guy! He had a television show for kids about lots of fun topics. He also has books and videos. He makes learning cool and fun for kids! 

So if you're teaching about PLANTS, you'll want the kids to hear what Bill Nye has to say on this topic. He has a cooool video on plants. The title is Bill Nye the Science Guy on Plants. 

Click on the link below to watch the video which is presently on You Tube.

Click Here: Bill Nye the Science Guy on Plants

Edit: This video is no longer available at the website that was previously given.  You may be able to obtain a copy for viewing from your local library.