The objective of this activity is to help students understand the different ways that seeds adapt in order to be transported for dispersal and species survival.  Students to collect seeds (and other natural elements) by putting on a white sock over one of their shoes and going for a walk outside.  When they come back inside and take their socks off, they can investigate what stuck to their sock. You can also supplement their collections with plants or seeds you collect, such as ferns or dandelions.


We used half of an egg carton because comparing six is more than enough for preschool but you can cut it down to just two or you can expand to as many of 12 to investigate.  Once seeds are sorted, students can use a hand lens to really observe the seeds.  They can look to see what’s inside of them and the class can talk about the different parts of each seed and how they are different from one another. They can guess on how each seed gets transported—by animal, wind, water or expulsion—based on the different adaptations.  For instance, the dandelion when in seed form is made up of many tiny umbrellas which help it get caught in the wind and float in the air.  It’s fluffy umbrella also protects it from the rain.  You can demonstrate this to the class by dipping the dandelion in a clear cup of water so students see that it maintains its form in the water and when it’s taken out, it’s still dry.


Once the class has explored their seeds and discussed their adaptations for survival, the next step is for students to design their own seeds, exploring questions like:

• What kind of seed would you design and why?
• How will it be transported?
• What features help your seed with survival?