Plants germinating
Activity

The Germinator

Students conduct a germination experiment.

Purpose:

To enable students with visual impairments to understand how a seed germinates, producing roots and shoots to become a plant, and to use the scientific method of observing and documenting changes over time

Background Information:  

In a video segment from ZOOM, students learn how to create a “germinator,” a contraption that lets them conduct their own germination experiment.

Materials

Seeds, paper towel, stapler, plastic bag, water, braille ruler, and Wikki Stix or clay

Procedure

  1. Have students listen to the Germinator video on PBS Learning Media (use the alternate version with audio description).
  2. Give each student materials to conduct the experiment in the video.
  3. Ask each student to measure seeds with the braille ruler before putting them in the plastic and document it in their journal
  4. Using Wikki Stix or clay, ask students to make a representation of the seed and braille the measurement.
  5. After the seed has sprouted, ask each student to measure the sprout with braille ruler and document it in their journal.
  6. Using Wikki Stix or Clay, ask students to make representation of sprout and braille the measurement.

NGSS Standards:

LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms

Additional Resources:  PBS Learning Media: Germinator

seed germination collage

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