Second Grade · Science · week 11

Sprout race: light vs dark

Run a fair test comparing bean seeds sprouting in light and in darkness, keeping every other condition the same, and report the real result.

Does a seed need light to start sprouting? The only way to really know is to test it. This week you set up two seeds in identical conditions, except one gets light and one does not, and watch closely over several days.

A fair test changes only one thing at a time. Both seeds need the same amount of water, the same cup, and the same warmth. Light is the only difference, so whatever happens differently between them can be traced back to light.

📋 For the teacher
Teach it (10–15 min):
  • Set up the two cups together at the start of the week, and let your child water both equally each day.
  • Check in daily and keep a simple written or drawn journal of what each cup looks like.
  • Resist peeking ahead or rushing the result; real investigations take real time.
  • At the end of the week, compare the real result honestly to the prediction, whether it matched or not.
Talk about it:
  • What do you predict will happen before we even start?
  • Why does everything except light have to stay exactly the same?
  • Did the real result match what you expected?

Mastery looks like: They set up and run a fair test comparing sprouting in light versus darkness, keeping other conditions the same, and honestly report the real result.

Common stumbles: Watering the two cups by different amounts, which breaks the fair test; expecting a result on the very first day instead of watching over several days.

Homework for this lessonType it, write it with a stylus, or print it for pencil & paper.open →
Records attendance + 15 min of Science for this learner.
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