Safety Note
Please be careful when working with sharp objects like knives and scissors.
Instructions:
Option A: Visit a sunflower field
- Observe the sunflowers or take pictures of them at different times of the day. What do you see?
Option B: Grow your own plant
- Cut a 2 cm x 2 cm hole in the upper side of the cardboard box or build a more complex box as shown in the picture on the useful link.
- Plant a sunflower seed or a bean seedling in a small flower pot.
- Place the flower pot inside the box, at the bottom. Make sure that the plant has enough water to grow.
- Close the box and make sure that there is no light coming into the box except from the hole you cut.
- Put the box in a place where there is daylight.
- After a few days, you can open the box and see what has happened to the plant.
- Analyse what you see: Which way has the plant been growing? Where are the biggest leaves? What was the influence of the obstacles (if you chose to use a more complex box)?
After you finish
- Once you have finished the experiment, you can plant the sunflower or bean plant in your garden or keep it in the flowerpot in your place. Water it from time to time and make sure it gets enough sunlight.
Exploring the Science Behind the Photosynthesis
- In order to grow and to thrive, a plant needs basically two things: Water and sunlight.
- In the (almost always) green leaves of the plant, there are small cells that turn water and carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air into oxygen (which we need for breathing) and other substances which the plant needs for building leaves, branches, flowers etc. To do so, these cells need sunlight. This process is called photosynthesis.
Key Takeaways for Participants
- Plants need sunlight to grow and thrive. Therefore, they will always grow towards the light or, in the example of sunflowers, turn their heads towards the sun.
- Realizing that without plants doing photosynthesis and “cleaning the air” all the time, there would be too much CO2 in the air which would be toxic for human beings.
- Emphasizing the importance of protecting plants, planting trees etc. within their immediate circles to help protecting the climate.
