Seeds are truly amazing! Even though they are usually small, they have everything a plant needs to start growing. Just one tiny seed can grow into a house plant, a bush, or even a huge tree! Today, let’s explore a special kind of seed that you might have eaten before: a bean!
Did you know that beans are seeds? They come from the flowers of bean plants. While beans might not look like tiny flower seeds or hard watermelon seeds, seeds come in all shapes and sizes. In fact, if you plant some dry beans from your kitchen, they might grow into bean plants!
A seed has everything inside it that a tiny plant needs to get started. Many seeds are too small or hard to see inside, but beans are big enough for us to explore! To see inside a bean, you’ll need a large dry bean, like a kidney or pinto bean, a cup of water, and some time.
First, you’ll need to soften the bean. When beans aren’t planted, they dry up, and the outside gets hard to protect the tiny plant inside. To soften your bean, just soak it in water for a day or two. Once it’s soft, you can open it up!
Before opening the bean, notice the spot where the seed coat is a different color. This part is called the hilum, and it’s where the seed was attached to its parent plant. It’s like the bean’s belly button!
Now, let’s open the bean! It should split in half easily, but you can ask a grown-up for help if needed. Inside, you’ll see a tiny plant called the embryo. If you plant the bean, the embryo will grow out of the seed coat and become a new bean plant. You might even see tiny leaves on the embryo, which will turn green and help the plant collect sunlight to make food.
The rest of the bean is made up of a solid white part called the cotyledon. The cotyledon is stored-up plant food that gives the embryo energy to start growing. Once the plant is bigger, it will use its leaves and roots to collect sunlight and water. But at first, the cotyledon gives the embryo the boost it needs.
When you eat a bean, your body uses the cotyledon to give you energy too! So, a bean may seem small and simple, but it’s really a seed with different parts that help it grow into a strong plant.
All this talk about beans is making me hungry! How about you? Let’s go make a big pot of chili! If you have any questions about beans, seeds, or plants, or if you want to share pictures of your garden, grab a grown-up to help you leave a comment or email us at [email protected]. Thanks for learning with us today, and we’ll see you next time!
Bean Sprouting Experiment: Try growing your own bean plant! Take a few dry beans from your kitchen and soak them in water overnight. The next day, place them on a damp paper towel inside a clear plastic bag. Tape the bag to a sunny window and watch what happens over the next week. Can you see the bean sprouting? Draw a picture of what you see each day and notice how the tiny plant changes and grows.
Seed Sorting Activity: Gather different types of seeds, such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, and beans. Look at their shapes, sizes, and colors. Can you sort them into groups based on these features? Talk about why you think seeds look different and how their shapes might help them grow into plants.
Bean Observation Journal: Start a journal to record your observations about beans. Write down or draw what you notice about the beans before and after soaking them. What changes do you see? What do you think is happening inside the bean? Share your thoughts with a friend or family member and ask them what they think!
