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Grow It 3-5 / Week 08 / Grow It Day
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Week 08 · Traits and Variation

Grow It Day

Grow It Day: Ten Seedling Line Plot
// Why no two bean plants are exactly alike
⏱ about 15 min

Grow It Day: Ten Seedling Line Plot

The family lines up bean seedlings along the kitchen counter. Rocket hands out rulers.

"Ten seedlings, ten heights," he says.

Raven holds the clipboard. "What do you notice before we measure?"

Nova hovers above the row. "Guess which is tallest first," she says. "Then let the ruler decide."

Everyone makes a guess.

  1. A trait is a feature of a living thing, like leaf shape or seed color.
  2. Many traits are inherited from the parents.
  3. Variation means small differences among living things of the same kind.
  4. Light, water and space shape how a plant grows.
  5. A line plot shows data with an X for each thing measured.
◇ TEN SEEDLING LINE PLOT
Gather the bean seedlings you have grown.
If you have fewer than ten, add heights from Friday's practice table.
Measure each seedling from the soil to its top, in centimeters.
Write each height on a list.
Draw a number line from the shortest to the tallest height.
Put an X above each height. Stack matching heights.
Talk together: which height is most common?
Safety first
Hold the ruler next to the plant. Do not press on the stem.
Wear gloves if you touch potting mix, and wash hands after.
Seedlings are never for eating.
For a grown-up
Ask: why are the seedlings different heights if they came from one pack?
Ask: what in their environment might have made a difference?
GROW IT DAY CHECK
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
Your seedlings came from one pack but have different heights. What is that called?
The seedling by the dim corner is tall and leaning. What likely caused it?
On a line plot, what mark stands for one seedling? Type the letter.
WHY THIS EXERCISEEach X on a line plot stands for one thing measured.

Terrific teamwork! Next week we dig into soil and meet the tiny decomposers that help plants grow.

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