SUBJECT: Agricultural Science

GRADE: 8 S,T,J,A,M
DATE: September 8, 2014
DURATION: 2 x 30mins

TOPIC: Exploring and Utilizing Resources

SUB-TOPIC: Investigating Germination

GENERAL OBJECTIVES:
a) To develop an understanding of the soil conditions necessary for optimum plant
growth.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: Students should be able to:

1. Describe experiments to show the conditions necessary for plant growth.
2. Explain why these conditions are necessary.
3. Show how a seedbed provides good conditions for plant growth.
4. Perform experiments to demonstrate certain importance of soil.

SKILLS: observing, discussion, drawing.

RESOURCE MATERIALS: Agricultural Science for the Caribbean Bk 1 & 2, The Internet,
Multimedia Projector, Agricultural Science 1 & 2-Ian Elliot/Orville Wolsey

CONTENT:
Germination is the process during which the embryo (seed) develops into a seedling (young
plant). There are two (2) types of germination:
 Epigeal – the cotyledons are carried above the ground level e.g. beans.
  Hypogeal – the cotyledons remained below the ground level e.g. corn.

A farmer provides the conditions necessary for germination by ploughing and breaking up the
soil to make a fine seedbed. A good seedbed provides water, air and a suitable temperature so
that the seeds will germinate. So a good seedbed is needed to grow young plants.

PROCEDURE: To satisfy the objectives the teacher will:

1. Enter the class with two (2) containers with pea grains. One container had some pea
grains soaked in water for a few showing the bursting of the testa. The other container
had dry pea grains. The students will be allowed to examine them by splitting the pea in
two halves and making comparisons of the pea grain in both containers. They will also
make a drawing of the pea grain cut in half.
2. Engage students in a class discussion to bring out the concept of germination to provide a
meaningful definition. This will be written on the chalkboard for the students to copy in
their notebooks to ensure that they understood the lesson before moving on with the
lesson.
3. Brainstorm the students about the right conditions that seeds need before they can
germinate. These conditions will be listed on the chalkboard. The teacher will then
explain that germination cannot take place if these conditions are not right.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES:
1. Students will be placed in groups of four (4) to conduct an experiment to find out how
well plants will grow if the conditions are not met. They will copy the instructions from
the chalkboard into their notebooks. The students will then prepare themselves by
ensuring that they collect all the necessary materials needed to conduct the experiment.
 2. Students were allowed to begin their experiment following the steps given by the teacher.
Their level of understanding while conducting the experiment will be evaluated and they
will be graded while in working in their groups.
3. Students will leave their experiment to germinate for a week and then return daily to
make their observation in their notebooks and submit to the teacher.

EVALUATION (1):
Students will be assessed based on their participation in the class activities done and in the way
in which they wrote up their experiments. They will be questioned to ensure that they understood
what was done.

EVALUATION (2):

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