Celery Plant Experiment

• This experiment will show how water and nutrients travel up in a plant through the stem to the leaves and flowers.
• The celery represents the stem of a plant.

Materials

• celery stalk with with leafy part attached at the top
• water
• food coloring
• container

Directions

• Have the children use hand lens to observe a stalk of celery.
• Have the teacher or students add water into a container.
• Have the teacher or students add approximately 10 drops of food coloring in the container of water.
• Ask the students to predict what will happen to the celery if they put it in the container.
• Add the celery to the container and have students sketch a picture.
• Let the celery stalk stand in the container for 24-48 hours.
• Have the students observe and sketch the celery stalk again.
• What happened? Why? Were the students' predictions correct?
• Older students could write an explanation in their science journals/notebooks.

Carnation Experiment

This experiment will show how water travels up in a plant through the roots and stem to the leaves and flowers.

Materials

• long stem white carnation(s)
• container
• water
• food coloring

Carnations after being in water with red food coloring for 10 hours

Directions

• Place fresh carnations in a container of water.
• Have students observe the carnations and sketch a picture.
• Add approximately 10 drops of food coloring.
• Have students observe the change in color of the water.
• Have the students make a prediction of how the red food coloring might effect the flowers.
• Have the students observe the flowers and sketch a picture again in 24 hours and 48 hours.
• Have students compare and contrast their sketches.
• What happened to the flowers? Why?

 

Carnations after being in red food coloring and water for 10 hours

24 hours

24 hours

48 hours

 

The stem of a flower is a carrier of water and nutrients from the ground to other parts of the plant.

What Causes Shadows?

What happens when light is blocked by an OPAQUE object?


Materials

• flashlight or other light source
• opaque object

Directions

• Have students PREDICT what will happen when light is blocked by an opaque object.
• Shine a flashlight or other light source on the wall.
• Choose an opaque object to put in front of the light source to block the path of light.
• OBSERVE.  (A shadow should form.)
•  Have the students RECORD their observation(s) in their science notebooks.

 

Other Activities

• This same activity can be done outside using the Sun instead of a flashlight!

• Children may enjoy making animal shadows on the wall/ground.

• A nature walk on a sunny day is also fun to observe shadows in nature. (Trees make great shadows!)