1st Grade - Act. 18: Seed Sort

Summary

Students form a variety of categories for seed mixes (wild bird seed or 15 bean soup) and create graphs to display their categories.

Materials

For the Teacher:

• Seeds (wild bird mix or 15 bean soup)

For the Student: (Individual)

• Crayons
• container for seeds (paper cup or bag)

Background for Teachers

Seeds can be light or dark, speckled, striped, or just one color. They might have physical characteristics that enable them to fly through the air, or they might have prickles. Some we eat, some we don't. There are large seeds and very small seeds. No matter what they look like, they all have one thing in common: every seed contains a tiny plant.

Intended Learning Outcomes

1. Use categories. 6. Construct a graph.

Instructional Procedures

1. Give each student a portion cup or pile of miscellaneous seeds.

2. Have students sort the seeds according to shape, color, or size.

3. Each student will mark a graph showing the number of seeds in each category. They can either draw a picture of each seed at the bottom of the graph or set one seed in each column. Students make one tally mark for each seed of a specific category, and then they color in the graph. Have extra graphs on hand so they can regroup and graph the seeds in a different manner. Challenge students to form categories that can contain more than one type of seed.

Extensions

1. Use the remainder of the seeds to make a mosaic design of a flower.
2. Have a seed tasting party using sunflower or pumpkin seeds, peas, peanuts, or any other edible seed.
3. Have students cut out seed cards and play the Memory game.

Supporting Literature
Heller, R. The Reason for a Flower. Scholastic, Pub. ISBN 0-590-41252-33.
Jordan, H. How a Seed Grows. Harper Trophy. ISBN 0-673-71018-1.