Grow It Again Carrot
[20 Minutes]
Plants, like humans, need certain elements for their survival. Plants need food, sunlight, air, and water to grow and survive. Most plants carry out photosynthesis to make their own food. Chlorophyll is a chemical in plant cells that makes photosynthesis possible. The green-colored chlorophyll absorbs light. Without chlorophyll, plants could not use light to make food. Turn an old carrot into a science activity that will challenge you and your child to predict, measure, and observe how plants survive and grow.
You'll need:
• carrot • sharp knife (ADULT ONLY) • pebbles • flat dish • watering can • water • ruler
What to do:
- If possible, print out these directions. Read them through together before you begin.
- With your child gather everything you'll need.
- Use a sharp knife to cut off top of carrot and trim off any leaves.
- Let your child place the carrot in a layer of pebbles in a flat dish.
- Ask her to pour in some water up to the level of the carrot.
- Remind her to keep the carrot well-watered and watch the top grow.
- You and your child may wish to record your observations.
- Encourage your child to predict when the carrot top will start growing. How close was she to the prediction?
- Try using a ruler to measure the growth over time.
- Record how much the plant grows in one week, one month.
Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.
- What do humans need to survive?
- What do plants need to survive?
- What gives carrots their color?
Useful information:
Carotene is what gives carrots their color. It can be yellow, orange or red. Some tree leaves have a lot of carotene which shows up in the fall. Oranges, pumpkins, and apricots are colored by carotene, as well as many flowers (dandelions, buttercups, and marigolds). Carotene gives canaries and flamingos their color. It makes butter and egg yolks yellow. The most important thing about carotene is that our bodies turn it into vitamin A, which we need for healthy skin, hair, bone growth, tooth growth, and for seeing in dim light.
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