Challenge 019 · Ages 6–10
Seed Germination Investigation
Investigate what plants need to grow.
Recommended Guided Learning Time: 2 hours
Learners may require additional or fewer hours depending on age, prior experience, pace and the level of development they choose to take their project to.
The recommended guided learning time excludes passive observation, growing or waiting periods when active educator support is not required.
Primary STEAM area
Science
The Challenge
What will your learner investigate?
Can you determine what seeds need in order to germinate successfully?
Learning outcomes
- Identify key conditions required for germination.
- Plan a fair test and observe changes over time.
- Measure growth and draw conclusions from evidence.
Connected learning
Science: plants and life cycles; Mathematics: measuring and graphing growth; Geography: agriculture and climate; English: observation journals.
Dream Areas
Prepare for this Challenge
What you'll need
Here's what may be useful for completing this activity. Requirements may vary depending on the learner, activity format and equipment available.
Materials & consumables
- Fast-germinating seeds
- soil or cotton wool
- water
- labelled pots.
Equipment, tools & software
- Ruler
- watering bottle
- light source
- observation log.
Safety & preparation
- Check seed allergies
- wash hands after handling soil.
These preparation notes support planning and do not replace a project-specific risk assessment or appropriate adult supervision.