Botany Experiments

Here are some experiments we have done in learning about plants.

Leaves make oxygen. - the leaf sitting in the water makes oxygen and that is seen in the tiny bubbles that appear all around the edge of the leaf.

Leaves contain colored pigments (could also be "Why Leaves Change Colors").

Leaves need sunlight.
    (still need to go and do this one!)

For more information about leaves and their pigments/colors, there is a good article here that also has experiments at the end.  I think we will be covering one of our maple leaves to see if it becomes less red, as suggested in the experiments.

We germinated bean seeds in paper towels.  We left some in the sunlight and some in a drawer to see if sunlight was needed for germination.  It's not.  The seeds in the drawer did in fact germinate.  Now we have a pot of dirt with the germinated seed in the bathroom cupboard to see if a seed will continue to grow in the dark.  (The answer is that it will, but will grow tall and spindly in effort to find light.  As soon as it expires its food supply in the cotyledon, the seedling will die if it hasn't found the light.)  I am looking forward to seeing this result.  We left a bunch of seeds in pots by a window.

I am thoroughly enjoying germinating seeds in paper towels.  It is amazing to me how a dormant seed "wakes up" and how the bean seed splits open allowing you to see a little God miracle inside!

We also discussed seed dispersal and used the Peter Pan analogy found here, and I am incredibly sorry about the sideways photo.