Lesson Summary Students go on a seed hunt by investigating an assortment of fresh fruits. They will open the fruit, locate the seeds, describe seed properties and count or estimate the number of seeds in the fruit. Teacher Background Students will develop their skills of observation while describing properties of seeds. Third and fourth graders typically know that seeds will grow into plants if the conditions are right. Often times though, they do not understand the connection between seeds and fruit. The big ideas for part 1 are - seeds are found in fruits, seeds are diverse and common. Set-up/Management Tips This lesson can be divided into two parts: Day One- Bean or Pea pod observation/ Discussion of Properties/ Histogram Day Two- Exploration of other fruits            You will need to get Bean or Peapods for the first lesson. Do not use frozen beans! Create a histogram or line plot on the board or on a piece of chart paper for students to record their seed count. *See example on page 11 of Investigation 1. (If you have a smart board, use it to create an interactive graph that the students can mark their data on.)  Several types of fruits are needed for the exploration. Each group needs 4-6 different types. This can be rather expensive. The teacher may want to send a note home asking students to bring in a fruit for science class. This would need to be done prior to starting the second day of this investigation. Interesting fruits to explore: avocado, kiwi, bell peppers, melons, corn on the cob, apples, cherries, cucumbers. For strawberries or other fruits with lots of seeds, be sure to introduce the idea of making an estimate. Literacy Support A Seed is Sleepy  by Dianna Hutts Aston ; illustrated by Sylvia Long. An excellent follow-up to the fruit exploration. This book shows beautiful pictures of a variety of seeds that students can observe and practice describing. Science Stories Seeds are Everywhere The Most important Seed Scientific Vocabulary The following words are key vocabulary words that will be introduced in this lesson and reinforced throughout the unit: Estimate                                                 Property Seed                                                       Fruit