Kernel Kids. Kernel Kids Grade Level: 4th - 5th Academic Area(s): Science Topic(s): Measurement and Data, Plant Science

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1 Kernel Kids Grade Level: 4th - 5th Academic Area(s): Science Topic(s): Measurement and Data, Plant Science Rev. 12/15 Overview: Wheat is the number three crop commodity in Kansas but we are known for being the Wheat State. Wheat products are found in hundreds of items we buy at the grocery store. Students will make their own kernel kid necklace so that they are able to watch their wheat germinate and grow. Objectives: The student will: 1. Students will understand the value of the wheat kernel. Contents: Activity 1 - Kernal Kid Necklace Activity 2 - Activity 3-2. Students will identify what a plants needs to grow. 3. Students will compare germination rates of wheat kernals. Background Information and Facts: All of a plant s growth is aimed at achieving maturity and being able to reproduce, even though many plants are harvested before they reach maturity. Most plants reproduce by producing seeds. Each seed has three parts: the pericarp, endosperm and embryo. The pericarp is the seed coat, or the protective covering that surrounds the entire seed. Inside the pericarp, the endosperm, the largest part of the seed, serves as the food source for the embryo until the embryo can produce its own food. The embryo, also known as the germ, is the only living part of a seed. This is where a new plant first starts to form. The process of producing a new plant begins when a seed absorbs moisture. The moisture softens the seed coat, which eventually cracks and allows water and air to reach the embryo. Using the food stored in the endosperm, the embryo begins growing towards warmth or sunlight. Worksheets: Kernal Kids Necklace Growth Records Germinated Seeds Handouts: A Kernel of Wheat Growth Stages of Kansas Wheat Parts of a Wheat Plant Estimated Teaching Time: Activity 1: 40 minutes Germination is the process of a seed beginning to grow. For germination to occur you need water to soften the seed coat, warm temperature to come out of dormancy, and oxygen to help with respiration. Page 1

2 Background Information and Facts One end of the embryo begins developing into a stem, a tube-like structure that the plant uses to move water and food from place to place as well as supporting the plant s leaves and flowers. The other end of the seed s embryo grows downwards, forming roots. Roots anchor a plant, allowing it to remain in one place. A wheat plant s root system can produce many secondary tillers which may develop into a stem with a seed head at the tip. The rate of plant growth is influenced by the temperature of the air and the temperature of the soil the plant s roots are growing in. These factors, along with the amount of sunlight available to the plant, help determine when plants will be planted and when those plants will be ready for harvesting. In Kansas, wheat is typically planted between September and October and is harvested in June or July. Wheat hasn t always looked the way it looks today. It is a member of the grass family. The two ancient forms of wheat were called einkorn and emmer. Scientists over the years have bred wheat to become the plant it is today. The first wheat on record for being planted was around 8,000 B.C. The first area we know where wheat was grown was Southwest Asia in countries such as Iraq, Turkey, Syria, and Iran. In the late 1400s, the explorer Christopher Columbus brought wheat to North America when he discovered the West Indies. In the 1500s, Spaniards brought wheat to Mexico by boat. In the 1600s, Mexican settlers continued to explore north by covered wagon and finally, wheat was introduced and grown in the United States. The first record of wheat being grown in Kansas was in 1839 in the current day Johnson County area. Majority of the wheat grown in Kansas is winter wheat which is a coolseason plant that can withstand cold and hot temperatures. After winter wheat is planted and and then begins to grow, it becomes dormant in the winter. During dormancy, the plant conserves energy by slowing down or stopping growth and development. In the spring, the plant begins to grow again becasue the soil and air temperature are raising. As the wheat plant grows it produces six to twelve v-shaped rows called spikelets. These spikelets produce two to three kernels (seeds).the wheat head also contains beards which are stiff bistle-like extensions that protect the kernels. When the seeds are mature and the stalks of the plant have dried down they are ready to be harvested. Important Facts The six classes of wheat are: Hard Red Winter, Hard Red Spring, Soft Red Winter, Durum, Hard White and Soft White. Hard red winter wheat acounts for about 40 percent of the wheat grown in the U.S and 95 percent of the wheat grown in Kansas. There are approximately 30,000 wheat varieties. A head of wheat contains six to twelve rows called spikelets. Plant Growth Factors Wheat Seed Parts Page 2

3 Vocabulary List Awn: a slender, stiff, bristle-like extension of a plant, such as a beard on a head of wheat. Bran: the seed coat (hard outer layer) of grain; may be milled from any cereal grain, including wheat, rice, corn, oats, barley and millet. Dormancy: a period of inactivity during winter or periods of cold. Endosperm: the largest part of a seed; serves as the food source for the seed s embryo until the embryo can produce it s own food. Germ: the living part of seed from which a new plant may develop (embryo). Germination: process when a plant begins to grow and develop. Respiration: taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide. Root: the underground portion of a plant that draw food and water from the soil, stores plant food, and anchors a plant in place. Seed: the part of the plant that contains the embryo, which can grow into a new plant. Spike: a long inflorescence (flowering part of a plant) attached directly to a stem with the newest flowers at the tip. Spikelet: a small self-pollinating flower spike; the basic unit of the flower cluster of a grass plant. Tiller: a secondary shoot that develops to the side of a plant s main stem; develops from the plant s root system and may develop into a stem with a seed head. Variety: a specific group of individual plants witin a species that are genetically distinct from similar groups of individual plants of the same species; a subdivision of a species. Wheat: an annual plant belonging to the grass family of plants; a cereal grain plant that can produce many stems, each of which may develop a seed head at the tip. Winter Wheat: a type of wheat that is planted, sprouts and begins growing in the fall, goes bormant during the winter and is harvested to the following summer; requires cold weather to produce a head that fills with grain. Page 3

4 Student Handout A Kernel of Wheat - Page 1 BRAN Page 4

5 Growth Stages of Kansas Wheat Student Handout Wheat Growth Stages Maturity Seed Seedling Tillering Pollination Page 5 Jointing

6 Student Worksheet Parts of a Wheat Plant - Page 1 Page 11

7 Student Worksheet Parts of a Wheat Plant - Page 2 Answer Key Page 11

8 Preparation: 1. Obtain soybeans from a local farmer, coop or county extension agency. 2. Gather remaining materials. 3. Punch holes in the top of each student s plastic bag. 4. Cut yarn that is approximately three feet long for each student. 5. Label each student s bag. 6. Copy Beanie Baby Necklace Growth Records student worksheet and student handouts (one of each per student). Procedures: 1. Place 1/4 teaspoon of super slurper polymer into the bag. 3. Add one Tablespoon of water. 4. Gently push two soybeans into the polymer. 5. Seal the bag firmly. Kernel Kids 6. Insert the yarn thorugh the hole in the bag and tie to make a necklace. 7. Encourage students to keep the Beanie Baby warm by wearing the necklace under their clothes and keeping it in a warm dark place for seven to ten days. They may either wear them home and wear them back to school or wear them at school and leave them over night on a heating pad under a towel or in another warm dark place. Student Activity Kernel Kids Necklace Materials: Jewelry sized resealable plastic bags with hole punched in the top (found in craft stores or Uline) Super slurper polymer (found at most garden centers in plant food slection) Water Measuring spoons Soybeans (two per student) Yarn (thick, fuzzy yarn to prevent tangling) Beanie Baby Growth Records Worksheet Student handouts Potting soil 16 oz. clear plastic cup (one per student) Photos of activity/project 8. After the seeds sprout, students will plant their soybeans in a large cup of soil. 9. Students will observe the growth of the plants over five weeks. 10. They will record the height, description of the plant and a sketch of the plant once a week using the student worksheet on page 8. Transplant to a cup of soil at this stage Page 7

9 Student Worksheet Kernel Kids Necklace Growth Records Name: Date: Instructions: Record the height of the plant, description and sketch of the plant. This should be done once a week on the same day for five weeks. Height Description Sketch Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Page 10

10 Student Worksheet Germinated Seeds Name: Date: Instructions: Answer questions thoroughly. 1. If each class member has two wheat kernels in their necklace, how many total seeds are there in the classroom? 2. How many seeds in the classroom germinated or sprouted within a week? a. What percent germination is there in the classroom? formula - # of seeds that germinated in the classroom divided by total seeds in the classroom. # number of seeds germinated in the classroom total seeds in the classroom = percent germination For Example: 32 seeds 48 seeds = 66% Page 10

11 Want More? Resources & Extensions Extensions: Social Studies: Research the history of soybeans and the production of soybeans in Kansas and create a timeline or write a story about the life of a soybean in Kansas. Technical Writing: Students write a story about the life of a wheat plant. Plant Science: Use the Kernel Kids lesson plan from Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom to compare and constrast the germination and growth rates of soybeans and wheat. This activity can also be done with other seeds. Try using a variety of seeds and compare germination rates over the same period of time for each seed used. Recommended Resources: Kansas Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom (KFAC): Look for other lesson plans, resource materials and teacher training opportunities! Exploring Plants: Kansas Crops Educator s Guide - look in the index for soybean and soybean oil. Wheat Fun Facts: org/teachers/lesson/fun_ facts_wheat.pdf Celebrate Wheat Lesson Plan: org/teachers/lesson/celebrate_wheat.pdf Other resources/websites: Illinois Ag in the Classroom Soybean Fact Sheet: org/teacherresources/terranova/clr_wheatnews.pdf Kansas Wheat Commission and Kansas Wheat Association: Wheat Foods Council: Page 12