Topic outline

  • Aims

    School pupils are getting familiar with the procedure of seeds germination and with the environment-friendly practices that are used and finally will result in to the formation of the seedlings. The students will acquire the basic understanding on how to evaluate the seeds quality and to understand how various seedlings require different variables (internal and external conditions) for successful seed germination. In additional, students will be motivated to think more environment-friendly and to take into consideration how natural conditions have basic role in the production process, including agricultural and food production.

     

  • Main activities

    Students will measure 25 seeds of each vegetable species and they will put them in plastic  petri dishes  on top of paper, between paper or pleated paper substrates, depending on the specie. All the information to conduct a germination test for a particular crop is given in detail in a table. The  paper substrates are watered and the petri dishes with the seeds are leaded to incubator. Thus, students will have the opportunity to monitor and document seedling formation in a controlled environment. They will make observations, record data and the germination rate under different environmental conditions and study the impact of light, temperature, water, and pathogens on plant growth. Thus, students are anticipated to draw conclusions and make observations that will raise scientific questions and stimulate scientific discussions

  • Involved actors

    In this case the involved actors are teachers and researchers

  • Connection with the curriculum

    An interesting way for students to learn practical application of subjects of their school curriculum such as biology, physiology and botany.

  • Where to find the application or case

    Useful information can be found in our Lab website, Laboratory of Vegetable Crops of Agricultural University of Athens.

    http://www.ekk.aua.gr/index.php?sec=library&lib=1&item=111

    Further information can be found in the website of International Seed Testing Association - ISTA

    http://www.seedtest.org/en/home.html

  • Topic 6

  • Relation to a green topic and curriculum

    Testing of the germination rate of different vegetables, students will have the opportunity to learn different methods for vegetable propagation, vegetable propagating and planting material, understand how they can produce their own seedlings of vegetables, distinguish seeds from a range of vegetables, appreciate the importance of seeds quality, as well as the environmental conditions. Therefore, this best practice can cover a great variety of subjects connected with the school curriculum, as already mentioned and for that reason it would be preferable if teachers follow more guided and structured forms of enquiry to orient the desirable learning outcomes.

  • Being interdisciplinary: Drawing upon many academic disciplines and teaching methods

    Seed germination can be an important educational tool especially because of its flexibility and its approach to a big range of biological and physiological subjects, as well as issues related to the environmental factors. Flowering plants or angiosperms are divided into two groups, monocotyledon and dicotyledon. Following this practice students will have the opportunity to understand better the distinction between monocotyledon and dicotyledonous and which are the differences between these two plant types. Therefore, students are coming closer with biology issues, the impact of environmental conditions in seeds, i.e. light, temperature, and humidity, as well as math since they have to estimate the percentage of germination on each vegetable seed even at different environmental conditions.    

  • Relevance to the daily life of students

    Put text here

  • Based on accurate and factual professional expertise

    Seed germination can be an important educational tool especially because of its flexibility and its approach to a big range of biological and physiological subjects, as well as issues related to the environmental factors. Flowering plants or angiosperms are divided into two groups, monocotyledon and dicotyledon. Following this practice students will have the opportunity to understand better the distinction between monocotyledon and dicotyledonous and which are the differences between these two plant types. Therefore, students are coming closer with biology issues, the impact of environmental conditions in seeds, i.e. light, temperature, and humidity, as well as math since they have to estimate the percentage of germination on each vegetable seed even at different environmental conditions.