"Growing Wheat" Return to list of pracs

Aim: This is to illustrate some features of how plants use sunlight to grow.

Equipment: The equipment includes...  

• 3 petri dishes (or little flat containers).
• wheat seeds.
• cotton wool;
• shoe boxes;
• cellophane (red, clear, blue and green).

Method: Cut a slot in the front of 4 shoe boxes. Place red, blue, green and clear cellophane wrap across the slot. Place wheat seeds (that have been soaked for 24 hours) on the top of cotton wool in a petri dish. Place them into each of the 4 shoe boxes. Watch over the course of a couple of weeks the growth of the wheat seeds.

 

Background knowledge: The wheat seed will grow at different rates and in different ways. In the red, blue and clear the shoots will go towards the cellophane slot. The green will go straight up. Plants require the red and blue light for photosynthesis to gain energy from the sun. Since plants require red and blue light the plant reflects the green light from the green cellophane coming into the box. The clear one has components of red and blue in it and so will show the better growth of wheat seeds.