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5th Grade Science Activities: Learn How to Grow Bean Sprouts in a Box

Students at the fifth-grade level are ready to learn about the world around them in a more in-depth way, gaining knowledge on such matters as plant and animal life. Creating a class activity based on plants needs to be both fun and educational. Phototropism is a scientific concept that explains how plants are able to grow in the direction of sunlight. Teaching your pupils how to grow bean sprouts in a box gives them a first-hand look at how that scientific process works.

Things You'll Need

  • Shoebox with removable lid
  • Pinto bean
  • Small peat pot
  • Cardboard
  • Tape
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • Potting soil
  • Pencil
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Instructions

    • 1

      Fill the peat pot with potting soil. Stick a pencil into the soil to make a small hole. Drop the bean into the hole, cover with soil and water.

    • 2

      Place the pot in a sunny window in the classroom. Have the students water it daily until the plant has sprouted.

    • 3

      Cut a small circular hole in one end of the shoebox. The hole should be the size of a half-dollar.

    • 4

      Cut two squares out of a piece of cardboard. The squares will need to fit inside the shoebox to create a wall.

    • 5

      Cut a hole the size of a half-dollar in each of the square cardboard pieces.

    • 6

      Place each cardboard wall inside the shoebox so the box is separated into thirds. Secure the walls with tape.

    • 7

      Once the plant has sprouted, place it inside the shoebox between the two square walls. Place the lid on top of the shoebox.

    • 8

      Place the box near a sunny window, with the cut hole facing the window.

    • 9

      Take the shoebox to a dark area, when it is time to water the plant, before removing the lid.

    • 10

      Watch as the bean plant grows through the holes in the walls of the shoebox and out the hole at the end of the box.

    • 11

      Remove the bean plant from the box after the experiment has concluded. Plant it outdoors or place near a window to soak up the sunlight.

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