The Journey of a Seed
A WebQuest designed for 3rd graders to expand their knowledge of Botany.
Designed by:
Kelly C. Dickenson
BillandKelly@prodigy.net
Introduction / Task / Process / Evaluation / Conclusion / Resources / Notes to the Teacher
It's a sunny springtime morning and you are lying upon the soil in Farmer John's garden. Everything seems great until Frog, Robin and Butterfly gather around you laughing. Robin points at you with her wing and says, "You are just a puny thing. You'll never amount to anything special." Frog laughs along with her and croaks, "You're not just small. You're boring and ugly too!" Butterfly hovers over your tiny body and says,"Seed, you will never be beautiful like me," as she spreads her delicate rainbow-colored wings.
You have never felt so small and insignificant in your life. After all, you are only a little seed! As you sit on the soil feeling sad and alone, you hear a deep voice chuckling. You look up and see Giant Sunflower swaying his mighty head back and forth. He smiles and says, "Seed, don't you listen to them. They are just a mean bunch who don't know anything about your kind. You ARE special! You have more power inside your little body than the three of them combined! Today you will begin a journey. It's up to you to discover the power hidden inside of you. Cheer up and follow me!"
You are just a little seed, but you have a ton of potential inside of you. The greatest challenge in the world is to grow into a beautiful flower just like Giant Sunflower. But how will you do it?
Your task is to discover the incredible power all seeds have stored inside them. By using resources on the Internet, you will discover a science called botany, or, the study of plants. Be sure to take along a "travel journal" to record all of the wonderful things you learn on your trip.
During your trip, you will complete the following tasks:
Discover how seeds grow into adult flowers
Research different stages in plant growth including germination, photosynthesis, and pollination
Record your findings in your "travel journal"
Plant seeds as a class and watch this botany lesson come to life
Learn about different flowers and choose which flower is your favorite
Draw a picture of your favorite flower
Write a story about yourself as a seed and tell about the incredible journey you took on the way to becoming a flower
Make a class "Flower Book" that includes every student's story and picture
Your journey in this WebQuest will take four steps. They are: Research, Germinating the Seeds, Planting the Seeds, and Creating a Class "Flower Book". Please read through all of the instructions very carefully and ask your teacher if you have any questions.
First of all, who are you? What exactly is a seed? To answer this question, visit the Seeds of Life website and the Great Plant Escape Mystery #3 site. You will learn about seeds at these places. Draw a picture of a seed in your travel journal and label its parts.
Now that you know who you are, you need to figure out how to get started on this incredible journey. To begin, travel to a website that will teach you all about a special process called germination. Do you want to see what a germinated seed looks like? Click here to view germinating pea seeds. Write a paragraph that explains germination. Be sure to define "germination" within your paragraph.
Now that you know how seeds germinate, you will need to find out how the tiny seed gets the energy it needs to grow. Plants use a special process called photosynthesis to make energy and grow into bigger plants. Visit this site at the Hinkle Creek Elementary School to learn all about photosynthesis. Write an entry in your travel journal about photosynthesis. Explain what it is, why this process is important, and list the elements involved in photosynthesis.
Okay, now you have germinated and used photosynthesis to grow. You are on your way to proving Frog, Robin, and Butterfly that they were wrong! But how can you turn yourself into more than one plant? Plants reproduce with the help of a process called pollination. Visit this site and then make another journal entry describing what you have learned. In your entry, describe the parts of the flower involved in pollination. Also, explain why bees are important helpers in the pollination process.
STEP 2: Germinating the Seeds
Collect between 8 and 10 flower seeds from your teacher.
Dampen two paper towels with water. Be sure to squeeze the extra water out of the paper towels.
Arrange your seeds on one of the wet paper towels. Make sure the seeds do not touch each other.
Carefully cover the seeds with the second wet paper towel.
Place the seeds in a safe place. You will want to check your seeds everyday to make sure the paper towels do not dry out.
Soon your seeds will germinate. You will see a root and a shoot coming out of your seeds. It's now time to plant them!
STEP 3: Planting the Seeds
Obtain a styrofoam cup from your teacher. Write your name on the cup with a pen or marker.
Fill the cup almost all of the way with soil.
Carefully place your germinated seeds on top of the soil. Space them out so that they do not touch each other!
Cover the seeds with a light coating of soil.
Water your seeds and place them near a window.
Check your seeds regularly. Make sure you keep the soil damp, but not soaking wet. Do not let the soil completely dry out.
Soon your seeds will sprout and photosynthesis will cause the seeds to grow into plants. Congratulations!
STEP 4: Create a Class "Flower Book"
First, you will need to visit a website that will teach you about different types of flowers. There are several to choose from: Garden Guides "Flower Guide", the "Virtual Herbarium" and the "Wildflowers in Bloom" photo album are all great places to start. At these sites, you will see many pictures of flowers. Each flower is unique and needs special care. Once you have explored several flowers, choose your favorite.
Draw a picture of your favorite flower. You can re-visit the web sites listed above if you need to look at a picture of your flower. Label your picture with the following: the name of your flower, the best growing conditions for your flower, and any other special information you have found on the Internet about your favorite flower.
Write a story about yourself as a seed. Be sure to tell about the amazing journey you took to become a beautiful flower. Your story should include the three processes you learned about in the "Research" section. You can draw pictures of your journey to go along with your story. You can make your story a funny story, scary story, or you can write an adventure story. Be creative!
Your teacher will collect each student's picture and story and put them all together in a class "Flower Book". You can keep the book in your classroom library so that everyone can read about "Flower Power!"
This project will be graded as follows:
Student has kept a detailed travel journal. All definitions, explanations, and diagrams requested in STEP 1- Research are present in the journal. 30 pts.
Student has used proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation throughout the travel journal. 20pts.
Student participated in seed germination and planting. Student was enthusiastic and helpful during all stages of seed growth. Student displayed knowledge of the processes involved (germination and photosynthesis). 20 pts.
Student's favorite flower is drawn and labeled accurately. Student provided additional information about the flower (i.e. growing conditions, special instructions, unique qualities about the flower). 10 pts.
Student's creative story demonstrates knowledge of germination, photosynthesis, and pollination. Spelling, grammar, punctuation, as well as all facts, are correct. 20 pts.
Total Points Possible: 100
Congratulations! You have taken the journey and learned all about the power housed inside tiny little seeds. You now know about germination, photosynthesis and pollination. All of these processes help seeds grow into beautiful flowers! You have seen seeds in action and have grown flowers in your classroom. Your class has worked very hard on your "Flower Book". You can use your book to teach visitors in your class about botany.
Now that you have completed this WebQuest, (and grown into the biggest, most beautiful flower in Farmer John's garden!), you can learn more about flowers by visiting the web sites I have listed in the Resources section of this page. You can also visit your school library for books about flowers. Keep growing!
Ask Detective LePlant- a site where gardening and plant life questions are answered by a pro
Green Links - Links to Several Gardening Sites
National Gardening Association - Helping Young Minds Grow
"Wildflowers in Bloom" photo album
Hinkle Creek Elementary School - ThinkQuest Unit on Plants:
Buzz Back to the Beginning
PROCESS
EVALUATION