Science and Technology K–6 · Kindergarten

Seed in a jar: watching a bean sprout

Living World (NSW 2017); Science inquiry (ACARA v9)

PracticalLow risk

The idea

A seed is a living thing that grows a root first and then a shoot when it has water, air and warmth.

Safety card

Low riskAn adult supervises

Hazards

Dried beans are a choking hazard for young children; mould on wet paper towel; potting mix and soil can carry Legionella bacteria (NSW Health)

Controls

Beans handled at the table and counted back; beans are not eaten; discard any jar that grows mould
For planting out, the adult opens the potting mix bag away from faces, wets the mix down and wears gloves and a P2 or N95 mask while doing so, which is what NSW Health advises for handling potting mix; learners plant into the already wetted mix wearing gloves; hands washed after planting

Note

No chemicals or heat. Record the activity on the school's risk assessment (Primary School RiskAssess, Ecosolve Australia, riskassess.com.au).

What you need

1 clear glass jar or clear plastic cup per pair
2 dried broad beans or butter beans per pair, soaked overnight in tap water
Paper towel to line the jar and cotton wool to fill the middle
Water in a spray bottle
Daily picture diary with a drawing box for each school day, dated
For planting out: a pot of potting mix, wetted by the adult, and gloves

How to do it

Line the inside of the jar with paper towel and stuff the middle with cotton wool so the towel presses against the glass.
Push the soaked beans between the towel and the glass, halfway down, so they can be seen from outside.
Spray the towel until it is damp all over, not swimming. Put the jar on a warm windowsill.
Predict what will come out of the bean first and draw the prediction.
Each school day: check the towel is damp, look at the bean, draw what has changed and write the date.
When the shoot has two leaves, plant the seedling in the wetted potting mix, wearing gloves, and keep watering.

What you should see

The seed coat splits and a white root (radicle) comes out first and grows downwards; the shoot comes out afterwards and grows upwards towards the light, and its first leaves unfold and turn green. The order root-then-shoot is the checkable result. The number of days varies with room temperature, so the class records its own dates rather than a quoted figure. If nothing emerges after two weeks the towel most likely dried out or the seed was not viable: repeat with a fresh soaked bean.

What changes

What you change: none in the first run; a second run may vary water (damp towel versus dry towel)
What you measure: day of first root, day of first shoot, drawn length
What you keep the same: seed type
jar position
temperature (same windowsill)

Common misconceptions

Each of these ideas is wrong, and the activity is a chance to test it.

The shoot comes out first because plants grow up.
Seeds need soil to start growing (they need water, air and warmth; soil comes later).
A dry seed is dead.

Curriculum references

The NSW syllabus outcomes and Australian Curriculum v9 codes this activity supports. They are references, not a verified or complete curriculum alignment.

Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2017), NESA. Current syllabus; NESA's timeline is 2026 plan and prepare, 2027 start teaching the 2024 syllabus. Code read from the official syllabus document on 2026-09-22.STe-3LW-ST STe-1WS-S
Science and Technology K-6 Syllabus (2024), NESA. Implementation from 2027, so this code describes the future syllabus. Code read from the outcomes page on 2026-09-22.STE-SCI-01 STE-PQU-01
Australian Curriculum v9AC9SFI01AC9SFI02AC9SFI03AC9SFI04

Sources

The pages the author read to write this activity.

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