Fruit and Seeds Project

Fruit and Seeds Project

Flowering plants produce seeds encased in fruit. Many fruits commonly called berries are not berries according to the scientific definition. Three kinds of fruits are berries, drupes and pomes:

• Berries. Oranges and tomatoes are berries. Their seeds are embedded in the flesh of the fruit.
• Drupes. Peaches and plums are drupes. Drupes have one seed enclosed in a hard case surrounded by flesh.
• Pomes. Apples and pears are pomes. Pomes have several seeds enclosed in a core surrounded by flesh.
  

We all had fun cutting fruit in half and then digging around looking to find seeds. Seeds were in the most unexpected places sometimes! The kids religiously dug for strawberry seeds before I pointed out that they were on the outside. There were a lot of "duh!" kind of expressions on their faces after that. I have so been there before.

We dissected, discussed, snacked on our experiments and then worked on identifying types of fruit based on seeds. To expand the idea, we discussed avocados (quickly identified as a drupe), watermelons (berries) and then I gave them each a slice of cucumber. Trey was the first one to identify it as a berry!





































Our final shape book/take home book of the session was

Spring is . . .

The best part about spring is . . . making a bouquet of flowers and playing in the yard.
Spring is when you feel . . . nice and warm and happy and playful.
Spring is when you see. . . flowers and bumble bees.
Spring is happy when . . . I be nice and obey Heavenly Father and Jesus.