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Martin, A. (n.d.). Life cycle bean plant. Retrieved from

https://garden.lovetoknow.com/garden-basics/life-cycle-bean-plant

This website shows the four stages in the life cycle of a bean plant. The article provides text, diagrams and videos explaining the growth of a bean plant. Teachers could use the fishbowl strategy with this text. Students could become experts in an area such as germination, leaf growth, or flowering cycle and share within their home groups for a shared learning experience. Many of the academic vocabulary found in this text could be used on a word wall or for vocabulary cards.

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The germination process through the flowering reproductive stage of the bean plant is a fascinating glimpse into the plant kingdom's cycles. Understanding the life cycle can help you become a better gardener.

Life Cycles and Stages of the Bean Plant

There are four stages in the life of a bean plant:

The seed is the capsule in which the new plant is housed.

Germination is the process in which the baby plant emerges from the seed hull.

Leaf growth begins when the seedling grows its true sets of adult leaves (as opposed to the immature initial leaf structures).

Flowering stages reveal that the plant has fully matured and is ready to begin reproducing.

Related Articles

Bean Seed Stage

Beans produce a variety of seeds, each concealed inside a pod. As the pod matures on the plants, it dries and splits open in the sun. The seeds will eventually fall out of the hard, dry, pod to the earth - or gardeners can remove them for storage or planting later.

Bean seeds are actually comprised of two halves called cotyledons. Each cotyledon contains a food source for the emerging plant. New bean plants can actually live off of the stored food in the cotyledon for several days, if necessary, until they can reach nutrients in the soil.

Green Bean Example

For example, tiny flattened beans, like miniature green peas, emerge from the green bean pod. Those are the immature seeds, because most green or snap beans are harvested before they grow tough though Italian varieties of green beans are harvested with more mature seeds.

Germination Stage

Germination refers to the seed as it begins to sprout. Bean seeds germinate, or sprout, when water dissolves or cracks open the hard casing around the seed or embryo. Warmth speeds the process along. The bean will send out a tiny (embryonic) root called a radicle.

Casing Split and Root Growth

After the casing splits, the first thing to emerge from the bean seeds are the roots. Slowly, roots unfurl from the seed, reaching out for moisture and nutrients. Roots look like white threads as they grow out from the bean seed.

Amend Soil During Germination

Like all vegetables, beans need nutrient-rich soil. When starting a vegetable garden, it is essential to amend the soil and continually replenish its nutrients. Planting bean seeds in good garden soil amended with compost helps the roots find available nutrients immediately. As the roots descend, they pull water and nutrients from the soil into the seed itself. Slowly, the seed receives what it needs to enter the next stage of its life cycle: leaf growth.

Leaf Growth

After the seed germinates and the roots grow, the bean plant begins to push out a single stem. As the stem emerges from the soil, two little leaves emerge. The first leaves to emerge from a bean plant do not look like the typical bean plant leaves. They're rounded, and help the plant grow quickly into a strong, mature plant.

These leaves (also termed cotyledons) emerge above the ground, as opposed to below the soil surface which is common in other plants, and are connected to the seed.

A stalk (hypocotyl) sets the seed and cotyledons firmly into the soil.

The first pair of leaves provide photosynthesis for the seedling. They drop off as soon as the mature leaves are produced.

Within the leaves are special cells containing chlorophyll, which transforms sunlight into usable energy for the plant. As the plant receives warmth, moisture, sunlight and carbon dioxide, it is able to transform these elements into nutrition for growth and maintenance. New leaves emerge, and soon an entire plant is formed.

Flowering Cycle

The end of the bean plant's life cycle is flowering. Flowers are the reproductive portion of the plant, and plants begin reproducing as soon as they are able to do so. The time is takes a bean plant to flower varies according to the types of bean, but generally within six to eight weeks of germination you'll begin to see flowers on the bean plant. As the flowers are pollinated or fertilized, seed pods develop.

Bean plants flower and set mature seed pods at the same time. This is common in the legume family of plants. Seed pods mature and are picked for food by people or left on the plant to mature and dry in the sun. Dry bean pods yield beans for storage or recipes, or the pods naturally split over time and drop the beans onto the ground. That returns the life cycle of the bean plant to its starting point once again, seeds, and the cycle begins anew.

Gardening With Legumes

Legumes are a great addition to any garden as these plants not only produce food crops, they also fix nitrogen into the soil to improve the earth. Add a few beans to your patch and watch the magic happen above and below the soil.

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The germination process through the flowering reproductive stage of the bean plant is a fascinating glimpse into the plant kingdom's cycles. Understanding the life cycle can help you become a better gardener. There are four stages in the life of a bean plant: The seed is the capsule in which the new plant is housed.

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Planet Earth. (2016, April 3). Time lapse: Flowers growing in seconds [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hn5ghusEN-s

This time lapse video shows plants growing from seedlings to blooming.  Teachers could use this as a tool to show the parts of a plant and when they emerge or as a pre-reading strategy to activate prior knowledge using a KWL chart.

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Time Lapse: Flowers Growing In Seconds FULL HD 1080p

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Kamp, L. (2019, February 23). Seed dispersal activity: Building exploding seed pods. Retrieved from

https://aroundthekampfire.com/2019/02/seed-dispersal-activity-build-exploding-seed-pod-for-kids.html

This website offers a detailed experiment for exploding seed pods to demonstrate how some plants disperse their own seeds.  Students will have to use the close reading strategy while studying the experiment prior to beginning to ensure success.

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How do plants disperse their seeds? One way is through an adaptation called exploding seed pods. It's not quite as dramatic as it sounds, but some plants have the ability to launch their seeds a good distance away from the parent plant. This helps ensure the young plant's survival and increases its chances of getting the water, soil, and sunlight it needs to grow. In this seed dispersal activity and STEM project, second graders were challenged to build a model of an exploding seed pod.

First, students were tasked with building a model that showed 1. How some plants have adapted to disperse their seeds, and 2. How tension builds in a seed pod before it bursts.

If you teach with NGSS, this seed dispersal activity addresses LS 1&2: Plant Growth, Needs, Pollination & Seed Dispersal.

How Can I Simulate Seed Dispersal?

Each pair of students were given the following materials:

a balloon

parakeet bird seed

small paper or plastic cup

funnel

sharp pencil

butcher paper or plastic table cloth

a lab recording sheet

Tip: Walmart carries small boxes of parakeet seed in the pet department for under $2.00. One box is plenty for 13 pairs of students. We found that parakeet seed works better than wild bird seed because it doesn't contain sunflower seeds that can clog the funnel. I purchased all other supplies at the dollar store.

Designing an Exploding Seed Pod

Although seemingly simple, this experiment required critical thinking and problem solving. Working in pairs, students quickly realized they could make a seed pod by pouring the seeds into the balloon. One problem they encountered was: Once the balloons were placed on the end of the funnel, some of the balloons didn't open all the way and the seeds couldn't drop into them. To solve this problem, students blew up the empty balloons then gently released the air to stretch them out first. They also realized they could stretch the necks of the balloons to create a larger opening that would allow the seeds to flow in more easily.

Students used their lab sheets to make drawings explaining how they would represent the building of tension in a seed pod before it bursts.

Head Outdoors to Get Started!

Before getting started, you will definitely want to head outside! Place a long sheet of butcher paper (or a plastic table cloth from the dollar store) on the ground. This enables students to see where their seeds fall as they disperse. Stand at one end of the paper holding the balloon outward. Finally, pop the balloon and watch what happens!

Once our "pods" had burst, students measured the distance their seeds traveled.

Next, they made drawings of what they observed that included their measurements. (Have third graders determine the area and perimeter the dispersed seeds covered.)

This simple seed dispersal activity is a lot of fun and an engaging way to incorporate critical thinking, problem solving, and math as your students learn about seed dispersal and the life cycle of plants.
Click here to see the complete plant science unit I use that includes this experiment and lab sheets.
Be sure to pin this for later so you'll have it when you plan!

Would you like FREE plants posters for your classroom?

Drop in your personal email address (School email systems often block outside emails with attachments) and I'll send them to you! Be sure to check your spam and "other" folders if you don't see the email.

Where can I get the lab sheets you used in the seed dispersal activity?

This seed dispersal experiment and lab worksheets are part of a complete plant life cycle science unit I designed for grades 1-3. The unit includes over 25 plant science activities, experiments, and a 9-lesson Teaching PowerPoint.

See how I use this science unit in my classroom and find lots of hands-on activities for teaching the life cycle of plants.

What other seed experiments can I do with my class?

These 3 easy seed science experiments guide students in dissecting a seed, learning the parts of a seed and germination.

How can I integrate art while teaching about plants?

Chlorophyll paintings are a fun and creative way to integrate art and science as your students learn about photosynthesis and how a plant makes its own food.

I need ways to have my students write more about science. Any ideas?

Make it fun with these unique ideas for students to write about pollination, photosynthesis, and germination.

Find butterfly life cycle activities , science experiments, and FREEBIES in this post.

How can I begin building a strong science foundation in my students?

Check out this post for ways to build a science foundation by teaching students about scientists and types of science, science safety, and the scientific method. Here are 4 Things to teach in science at the start of the year- or any time!

Do you have more science experiments for 2nd and 3rd graders?

Your students will love this one! Try using milk and cookies to explore buoyancy and practice using the steps to the scientific method.

Happy teaching!

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Seed Dispersal Activity: Build an Exploding Seed Pod - Around the Kampfire

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How do plants disperse their seeds? One way is through an adaptation called exploding seed pods. It's not quite as dramatic as it sounds, but some plants have the ability to launch their seeds a good distance away from the parent plant.

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SciShowKids. (2015, June 22). How does a seed become a plant? [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://youtu.be/tkFPyue5X3Q

This video is a fun and engaging way to spark student's interest about the process of a seed become a plant.  Teachers could use an adjunct display such as a circular map to visually show the life cycle of a plant.

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How Does A Seed Become A Plant? | Backyard Science | SciShow Kids

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Nye, B. [Bill Nye the Science Guy]. (2015, December 29). Plants. [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3jyutx

This video highlights how different plants survive in different environments. Prior to watching the video, an anticipation guide could be used to frame the purpose for viewing and highlight specific components of student learning.

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Bill Nye - The Science Guy - S03 - E03 - Plants

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Bill Nye - The Science Guy - S03 - E03 - Plants

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BrainPOP Jr. (n.d.). Parts of a Plant [Video file]. Retrieved from

https://jr.brainpop.com/science/plants/partsofaplant/

This video reviews the parts of a plant in an engaging format. Teachers could use this as a pre-reading strategy to activate prior knowledge. It would pair well with a KWL chart.

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The Main Parts of the Plant With Their Functions. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.sciencefacts.net/parts-of-a-plant.html

The diagram and the article supports the content of the focus standard.  Students could utilize the diagram to participate in a jigsaw. Groups of students could learn about one part of a plant to become a part of the expert group.

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Main Parts of a Plant, Their Functions, Structure, Diagram

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What are the different parts of a plant, their functions, and structures explained through labeled diagram

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Generation Genius, Inc. (n.d.). What are the parts of a plant? [Vido file].  Retrieved from

https://www.generationgenius.com/videolessons/plant-parts-video-for-kids/

This video reviews external plant parts to describe how they work together to help plants survive.  An exit slip can be used for students to show their thinking such as drawing a plant and labeling the five external parts of it.

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Learn the five main parts of a plant: The stem, leaves, flowers, fruits and roots. There parts help plants survive. Let’s see some examples. Watch now!

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What a Plant Need to Stay Alive Music Video

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What a Plant Need to Stay Alive Music Video

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Hartmann, J. [Jack Hartmann Kids Music Channel]. (2018, February 28). What a plant needs to stay alive [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPL0F2V9_gY

This song teaches children what plants need to stay alive and what resources we get from plants. This interactive music video allows students to engage in kinesthetic movement while learning science standards.

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What a Plant Needs to Stay Alive | Springtime Song | Science Song for Kids | Jack Hartmann

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Simple Straw Aeration Hydroponic System. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://kidsgardening.org/garden-activities-hydroponic-system/

Use the easy-to-follow instructions to create a hydroponic system in the classroom. Students follow step-by-step instructions and record their findings, just like scientists. Students can analyze the text structure and identify the temporal sequence.

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KidsGardening Garden Activity: Simple Straw Aeration Hydroponic System

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Create a kid-powered hydroponic system! Kids will be amazed to see plants growing without soil in this fun hydroponic lettuce experiement.

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Kalman, B., Sjonger, R. (2006). Plants in different habitats. New York, NY: Crabtree Publishing Company.

This nonfiction text features plants that have adapted to different environments and habitats over time.  This text is full of nonfiction text features for young readers to explore while learning content directly aligned to the science standard.  Adjunct displays, specifically a concept map, would be a great literacy strategy to use while engaging with this text as it is packed with facts.

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Dunn, M. R. (2018). A bean’s life cycle.  North Mankato, MN:  Capstone Press.

This nonfiction text about the bean’s life cycle has images that support student’s understanding of how a bean seeds sprouts and the stems develop.  The glossary highlights subject-specific vocabulary that could be highlighted with the vocabulary card strategy to support student learning.

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Dunn, M. R. (2018). A sunflower’s life cycle. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press.

This nonfiction text about the life cycle of a sunflower highlights academic vocabulary related to the science standard.  With beautiful photographs and clearly written text, this selection could be used to highlight vocabulary on a science word wall.

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Jordan, H. J. (1992). How a seed grows. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.

This nonfiction text explains how bean plants grow from seeds placed in eggshells into adult plants. Prior to reading this text, an anticipation guide could be used for students to make predictions and check for understanding.

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Milway, K. S. (2010). The good garden: How one family went from hunger to having enough. Toronto: Kids Can Press.

Maria’s family lives in Honduras and does not have enough food to feed their family. Her father no longer has to travel to find work to feed their family.   A new teacher shows Maria how to practice sustainable farming, making the family farm yield enough food for their family. Having a guest speaker visit the classroom to talk about sustainable farming practices would compliment the science standard and this text.  In addition, comparing this text with In the Garden with Dr. Carver would be an interesting strategy.  Students could discover and discuss commonalities between crop rotation and sustainable farming practices.

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Grigsby, S. (2010).  In the garden with Dr. Carver.  New York, NY:  Scholastic, Inc.

This historical fiction text takes place in the early 1900s in Alabama.  Dr. Carver visits Sally's school and teaches everyone how to enrich the soil bring balance back to the land.  While or after reading the text, a flow diagram can be used to document the process of soil restoration Dr. Carver shared with the families.

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DiSalvo, D. A. (1994). City green. New York, NY: Morrow Junior Books.

In Marcy's diverse neighborhood, an old building is demolished leaving a vacant lot.  She and an elder neighbor begin creating a community garden.  The flower and vegetable garden bring the community together in unexpected ways in this realistic fiction text.  Teachers could use the strategy of studying cause and effect text structure while reading this text to guide student's conversation around the positive outcomes of the community garden.

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Gibbons, G. (1991). From seed to plant. New York, NY: Holiday House.

In this nonfiction book, Gibbons explains the process of growing a plant from a seed via clear explanations, instructions, and diagrams.  This text would be great to use with the question-answer relationship strategy, specifically think and search strategy.  A question posed would require students to engage with the text in multiple places to answer the question.

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Gelman, R. G. (2000). Rice is life. New York, NY: Henry Holt & Co.

This story's setting is in Bali, a small island in Indonesia, where rice is a food staple for everyone.  Written in poetic form, this story details how the Balinese plant and harvest the rice and shows how important it is to the Balinese.  I would pair a response writing activity with this resource such as having first-graders write how the Balinese grow rice and what conditions are needed to promote growth of the seedlings.

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This set of diverse picture books would be used as read aloud texts to use for student exploration, reflection and reference while learning about the above science standards.

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These digital resources provide a variety of engaging information for teaching science.

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These videos provide another way for students to engage in learning more about the science standards.

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These nonfiction books would be used for teacher read aloud texts and/or student reference.

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Lin, G. (1999). The ugly vegetables. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

In this realistic fiction children’s book, the little girl thinks her neighbor’s garden is much prettier than her mother’s garden.  When her mother harvests the Chinese vegetables from their garden and prepares a wonderful soup, she realizes the garden’s importance and begins to appreciate it.  This resource is a great way to embed multicultural experiences with the science standard into a read aloud.