How do seeds travel?
Look closely at twelve seeds and fruits, from the dandelion's parachute to the coconut's husk and the burr's hooks, and sort them by how they travel: by wind, by water, by animals or by bursting pods.
Core concept
Plants cannot move, so they spread their seeds away from the parent plant by wind, water, animals or bursting pods, and each seed or fruit has a shape that suits its way of travelling
Topic: Science around us
If every seed fell right under its parent plant, the young plants would fight their parent for light, water and space. So plants have ways of sending their seeds away, called seed dispersal. Seeds carried by the wind are light, with hairs like a parachute (dandelion, simal) or papery wings that spin (maple, sahijan). Seeds carried by water have light, waterproof coats that float, like the coconut. Animals carry seeds in two ways: hooked burrs catch on fur and clothes, and juicy fruits are eaten, so the seeds are dropped or pass out in droppings far away. Some plants fling their own seeds: their ripe pods dry, twist or burst open.
What you will learn
- Explain why plants need to spread their seeds.
- Name the four main ways seeds are dispersed.
- Link the shape of a seed or fruit to the way it travels.
Before you start
- Know that seeds grow into new plants.
Materials
- Seeds and fruits you can collect: a dandelion head, simal fluff, a burr, a pea pod, a mango stone
Equipment
- A hand lens
Procedure
- Pick a seed card and press “Look at the seed” and “Where does it end up?”.
- Do this for at least six seeds.
- Sort every seed by how it travels.