Out of the list for the top 10 coolest science topics, plant biology was not included. In fact, most students consider the subject boring and complicated, and they believe that this subject is where nothing exciting ‘happens.’ However, what these students do not know is that there is actually a lot of chemistry knowledge involved with the area of plant biology.
It is difficult to attract students’ interest in this originally fascinating subject when the conventional teaching methods are less than stimulating. A typical plant biology class is heavily dependent on textbooks and other written materials. Also students have limited opportunity to be involved in fun science experiments or other hands-on activities. However, it is arguable that some teachers find it challenging to develop activities and experiments to keep the students interested in plants, and therefore, are forced to fall back to the traditional and ‘boring’ classroom lessons.
The good news is that the inherent prejudice students have towards the subject can be eliminated, or at least reduced, by a significant extent - particularly if it is well taught in the early years in school. Here is a fun science experiment to get your child interested in plants.
Your child is blessed with natural curiosity that you can use to help him or her to learn about plants. Most kids are familiar with the fact that some kinds of seeds (peas, beans, lentils, etc.) undergo changes when they are immersed in water. These changes include swelling, bursting or change in color. Utilize this opportunity to introduce the idea of a seed germinating into a plant to your kid. Have him maintain a diary to record the changes that occur in the seed, starting with the process of germination and culminating into a fully grown plant.
The aim of this project is to help your child understand how a plant starts its life from a seed and grows with the help of water. If the resources are available, try having your kid observe the different parts of a seed by removing the coat and cutting the seed in half and observe its structure with a magnifying lens. This fun science experiment can also be used to help your child learn about the scientific methods – making a hypothesis, designing a plan for the experiment, listing the steps and materials needed to complete it, performing the science experiment, noting the results and drawing conclusions from it.
Check out this fun science experiment and you will be surprised how much your child enjoys learning about plants!