Visualizing and Assessing Seed Germination, A simple experiment for K-12 teachers

Abstract

Most crops are grown from seed. The seed industry in the US is a major agricultural industry employing tens of thousands of people. The value of agricultural seeds sold in the US, Mexico, and Canada each year is worth billions of dollars. Seed production for propagation is a major industry in California, Iowa, Minnesota, Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. The exercise described below is designed to give students a hands-on experience with seeds that can be conducted in a classroom or at home. The experiment can be used to discuss related issues like food security, global warming, human health, genetic engineering etc.