Growing beans in jars enables children to observe different stages of growth and to learn new vocabulary. The whole activity takes a few weeks to complete, so you'll need to start it early in the term.
Planned learning intentions
To explore colour, texture, shape, form and space in two and three dimensions To find out about and identify some features of living things, objects and events they observe To extend their vocabulary, exploring the meanings and sounds of new words Resources
Runner beans, jam jars, blotting or sugar paper, watering can, paper, charcoal, magnifying glasses
Step by step
* Before starting this topic I put up a notice to parents and carers asking for each child to bring in a clean, named jam jar. To make sure all the children were included in the activity, I also brought in a few jars from home.
* To introduce this mini topic to the children I read Jasper's Beanstalk by Nick Butterworth and Mick Inkpen (Hodder Children's Books, 4.99). It proved a great introduction and the children were very excited when I told them we were going to plant a bean just like Jasper.
* In groups of four I talked with the children about how we were going to plant the bean, not in the soil like Jasper, but in a jar so we could watch it grow. The children found it amusing when they found out that the bean would grow without any soil.
* Each child was given a piece of blotting paper (sugar paper works just as well) and then we looked at how we were going to fit the paper in the jam jar. We decided that rolling it was a good idea. Some of the children found this skill of rolling the paper very tricky and needed adult help.
* I gave each child one bean - some of the children called it their magic bean -which they then placed down the side of the jar outside the blotting paper, making sure the bean stopped half-way. Some beans fell to the bottom of the jar, but the ones that stopped half-way ended up growing much better.
* Each child then watered their bean. We discussed what would happen if they gave their bean too much water, and whether a dark or sunny place would be better for their bean to grow.
* The bean became the child's responsibility. Each morning or afternoon the children came and checked their bean to see if it needed water. We watched the beans grow and made sure the different stages of growth were observed by each child.
* After a couple of weeks most of the beans were ready to look at in detail, which I did with a pair of children at a time. We examined each child's bean using a magnifying glass and named the different parts: the roots, stem, leaves.
* The children drew a picture of their bean with the charcoal on white paper.
* Finally, the children were encouraged to take their beans home and plant them in their gardens.
Display
To draw attention to these fantastic charcoal pictures the children had drawn, I wanted to display them in an unusual way. The final display has sparked a lot of lively discussion among the children and the parents/carers.
Resources
Light green and dark green backing paper, black mounts, green border, labels, a bean story poster (such as Bean Story wall frieze, NESArnold, 4.55)
Step by step
* Cover your display board with backing paper of one shade and cut panels of equal widths across the board in the backing paper of the other shade, for contrast (see photo). This makes the black-mounted drawings stand out more effectively.
* Staple the backing paper on to the board - you may need someone to help you. I found that putting a green border around the board hides all the untidy edges.
* Position the bean story poster in the middle of the board backed on black paper. If you have no poster, take photographic records of the beans growing, enlarge your photographs and display them in sequence.
* I mounted the children's work on ready-cut black mounts, arranged them around the poster, then labelled them.
* You may like to create a table display. Cover the table with green cloths, putting some blocks underneath to give depth, and then arrange some of the children's beans, and the story of Jasper's beanstalk with appropriate props such as a watering can, mini gardening tools and plastic slugs and snails.
