Goals and Objectives: Given a variety of seeds students will be able to determine which method of travel each is suited to.

Introduction: Read The Tiny Seed, by Eric Carle. Have the children take off their shoes and then go on a hike around the school or park. When you get back to class, have the children examine their socks to see what kind of seeds are stuck to the socks.

Content Standards Addressed:

 Science

A INQ.24 Make observations and ask questions about objects, organisms and the environment.

A INQ.25 Use senses and simple measuring tools to collect data.

A INQ.26 Read, write, listen and speak about observations of the natural world.

A INQ.27 Seek information in books, magazines and pictures.

A INQ.28 Present information in words and drawings.

A INQ.29 Use standard tools to measure and describe physical properties such as weight, length and temperature.

Use nonstandard measures to estimate and compare the sizes of objects

Materials: Computers with Internet access.

Procedure:

1.      Collect and display seeds students have pulled off their socks.

2.      Can the students guess the means of seed dispersal for each of the collected examples in the room?

3.      Students will work with partners to visit the following Web sites: How Seeds Get Around, All About Seeds, Seed Dispersal.

4.      Assign each group a different type of seed dispersal and have them create an imaginary fruit from an imaginary flower. They must explain how their plant disperses seeds with pictures of the flower, the fruit it becomes, and the way in which it disperses seeds. For more advanced students, have them label the picture or write sentences explaining the pictures.

a.      Parachutes: Design a seed that can use the wind to travel. Some examples are maple or ash tree helicopters, fuzzy milkweed, dandelion floaters.

b.      Floaters: Design a seed that could drop into the water and float to a better place. Some examples are sedges and coconut.

c.      Hitchhikers: Design a seed that could stick to a passer by before dropping or being pulled off and dropped in a new place. Some examples are sticktight and burs.

d.      Appetizers: Design a seed that might make a yummy meal for an animal. Some examples are tomatoes, raspberries, green peppers, and grapes.

e.      Poppers: Design a seed that could be snapped out a far ways by its fruity protector when ripe. Some examples are jewelweed and witch hazel.

5.      Students will go to the Traveling Seeds WWW Sheet and print it.

6.      Students will independently complete worksheets.

Assessment: Goal is 5/5 correct on worksheet