Lesson 8: Seed Dispersal

Timing: Year Round

Objective: Students will observe, discuss, and show how plants spread their seeds through various dispersal methods, such as wind, animals, water, and bursting pods. They will explore real examples using native wildflowers and record observations through drawing and photography.

SMART Learning Goals:

• K-2nd Grade: Students will find 3 different kinds of seeds and draw or sort them by how they move (wind, animals, or bursting).
• 3rd - 5th Grade: Students will collect and classify 5 different seeds and write a sentence about how each one travels in the science journal, supported with sketches.

Materials:

• Native wildflowers
• Images and videos showing activities like bursting pods

Activities: Begin with a class discussion: Ask: “If plants can’t walk, how do they move to new places?”

• Introduce seed dispersal showing:
• Wind: dandelion, maple helicopters
• Animals: berries, seeds
• Water
• Bursting pods

Seed scavenger hunt

• Look for wildflowers, grasses, or weeds with visible seed pods or floating seeds.
• In their science journals, students should sketch interesting seeds.
• Use magnifying glasses to look closely at wisps, wings, or pods.
• Observe any wildlife interactions, such as birds eating seeds, ants near pods.

Classify and Record

• Students should sort seeds into categories for how they are disbursed: wind, animal, mechanical (bursting pods).
• Make a class chart to show what the students found and classified.

Discuss

• Ask students questions like: What helps this seed travel? How far do you think it can go? Why do some seeds need animals to help them?
• Also ask: Which seed was the most surprising? Why do you think weeds spread so easily? Why do we need seed dispersal?

Reflection

• Students should use their science journals to draw or write about seed dispersal.

How this activity supports Common Core Science Standards

K–2:

• 2-LS2-2: Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.

3–5:

• 3-LS4-3: Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all.

Related Lessons:

• Lesson 1: Introduction
• Lesson 2: Living vs Non-Living Things
• Lesson 3: Soil Discovery and Decomposers
• Lesson 4: Plant Growth
• Lesson 5: Wind Direction and Study
• Lesson 6: Pollinator Patrol
• Lesson 7: Butterfly Garden
• Lesson 9: Solar Energy Exploration
• Lesson 10: Microhabitat Study
• Lesson 11: Decomposition Detectives
• Lesson 12: Building a Scale Model of the Solar System

Lesson 8 - How to Build and Teach From Outdoor Science Learning Labs.pdf