Botany lab three: Seed germination

This was an unstructured open exploration laboratory. All of the supplies were acquired from Ace Hardware on island, including the seeds used in the laboratory. Total cost of all supplies was just over a hundred. In the future a petty cash should be able to resupply this laboratory.

Lee Sandra opens the seed starter mix

I intentionally pre-opened none of the supplies. I wanted the students to realize that this was first off effort. I split the class of nine into three groups. In retrospect, I probably should have gone with three seed trays, perhaps smaller, one per table, and called each table a group. 

The seed starter trays came with covers that effectively made them into mini-greenhouses for moisture retention. 

I picked up colored construction paper and colored light filters repurposed from binder separators. 

The grass seed was coated in fungicide. 

I attempted a brain storming session on the white board.

The dicot seed mix, of unknown age, were small seeds. Very small seeds. This surprised some of the students.

I did not try to explain or set up control versus experimental groups. These are students who have very limited laboratory experience. I wanted this first botany lab to be an open experimentation. A certain level of randomness, of chaos, and of play. I let them set up whatever they wanted to set up, however they wanted to set it up. A more Montessori sort of approach. 

Aleina, Benselyn, Thomas, and Sonya

Without the stress of figuring out a specified lab format, the students engaged fully and actively in the laboratory.

Seed start on the left, potting soil on the right.

Lee Sandra waters her seeds. 

Everyone was engaged in the exploration.

Forgotten items: scissors to cut filters, construction paper. Other supplies included a marker, post-it notes, transparent tape.

Some of the supplies from the hardware store. Root and Grow included indole-3-butyric acid in a 4-10-3 fertilizer mix. I diluted the concentrate down using three tablespoons in a one gallon watering jug. 

Seed starter mini-greenhouse.

Devron assists Kaetani

Beakers were used to water the mini-pots.

Joann sets up a filter

The mini-greenhouses were left on a table in A101. Fortunately the room is not air conditioned!

By early February not a single seed had germinated. Not one. Around the start of February I added some Eugenia uniflora seeds from outside the classroom.

On February 19 a Eugenia seed sprouted. Those are the cotyledons. As a result I added more random seeds: Ocimum tenuiflorum and Piper nigrum. 

On March 7 a second Eugenia emerged along with what I suspect to be two Piper nigrum sproutlings. Labelling did not occur. I eventually gave everyone who was present points for participation. 

Students should be told to bring seeds from at least four different local plants. Not sure how many. Maybe ten? The current trays are problematic. I would recommend more trays, but smaller trays. No need for a cover. Students should be guided as to what to bring that might work. And for Ocimum tenuiflorum plant multiple seeds per pot hole. 

This is something unknown that sprouted in water, in an empty cell. 

Term end

The original germination lab was on 23 January. The above photo was taken on 01 May, just over three months later. Not a single seed from the hardware store had sprouted. Both the Eugenia uniflora seeds and Piper nigrum seeds had sprouted. Both the Eugenia uniflora seeds and the Piper nigrum corns achieved 100% germination rates. These show the path to the future. This should be set up from week one with students told on day one to bring in seeds. The lab itself should probably be shelved in favor of a term long observation of the plants. Note the phototropism which ties nicely to hormones about the time the plants sprout.