Daily Discovery: Agriculture in Action!

Agriculture and farming have a long history in Fort Collins and all over the globe. Most of the time we only see the end product, the fruits and vegetables at the grocery store. With this activity, see what happens under the dirt through experimentation with the scientific method!

Follow along through Facebook and Instagram with museum educator Hannah as she demonstrates this experiment in her own home. Happy Farming!

Supplies:

General:

• Water
• Indoor space with sunlight
• Sharpie or marker
• Paper and pencil to record daily observations
• Potting soil and planter (optional)

Growing Produce from seeds:

• Seeds (dried beans, flower seeds, other fruit or vegetable seeds)
• Baking tray or cutting board
• Paper towels
• Spray bottle (optional)
• Ziploc bags

Re-Growing Produce from Kitchen Scraps:

• Kitchen scraps (celery base, lettuce heart, green onion base, yellow onion top)
• Small bowls or containers
• Sharp kitchen knife and adult supervision

Instructions:

For ages 3-5:

1. Review what plants and flowers need to grow and walk through the stages of plant growth.
2. The Ziploc bag method can be easily monitored and observed, but we recommend setting up a method together that works best for your household. See procedures below.
3. Ask your young scientist what they think will happen to the produce or seeds? Talk about different plants they have seen and discuss how they grow or where their favorite fruits and vegetables come from.
4. Observe and talk about what is happening to your produce or seeds every day.

For ages 6 and up:

1. Review what plants and flowers need to grow and walk through the stages of plant growth.
2. Work through the scientific process before proceeding with the experiment. Decide on an experiment you want to test.
3. Write down your answers for the scientific process and create your method for observation.
4. Depending on your growing method, follow the procedures below.
5. Record your observations every day in an observational chart, farming journal or a photo archive. As your produce grows you can look back on previous days, predict what will happen next and share with family and friends!
6.  Follow along with Hannah as she tests her experiment in her home.