Background information

Learning goals: The aim of this activity is to get children thinking about the diversity of seeds in our fruit and vegetables. Children will observe and compare a range of fruits and vegetables based on weight, colour, size, texture and smell, and will look for the seeds in these fruits and vegetables. Older children will also explore a broader range of seeds through the use of flashcards. At the end of the activity, children can create salads out of the fruit and vegetables to share.

Teacher content information: Bees first appeared on Earth at least 80 million years ago. The ancestors of modern bee species lived alongside the dinosaurs - a time when giant pines, cedars, tree ferns and cycads were the main plants and the air swarmed with primitive insects, including oversized dragonflies and giant butterflies. During this time, the first flowering plants (angiosperms) appeared and a more effective way of pollination was needed, other than simply relying on the wind. The challenge was how to increase the chances of pollination and reproduction to ensure the success of future generations. The solution was to attract insects to assist with pollination. Over time flowers evolved a range of advertisements to attract pollinators, including bright colours, strong fragrances, interesting patterns and unusual shapes. They also developed sugar-rich nectar as a reward. Thus began the mutualistic relationship between flowering plants and bees and it was to change the appearance of the Earth forever. Now there are hundreds of thousands of species of flowering plants and they are the most successful land plants on Earth. Scientists have long chalked this up to the relationship between pollinators and their assistance in reproduction.

There are thousands of bee species that live around the world. The European Honey Bee is the best known as it produces honey, beeswax, propolis and royal jelly, which are all used in a range of ways. Interestingly, bees are the only insect that produce food eaten by humans. They are also the only animal that doesn't harm what it eats but actually enhances it.

Australia has 1,600 native bee species. Most of them are solitary and don’t store honey. Only 11 species of social bees make and store small amounts of honey for their own food.

While it is well known that bees produce honey; a lesser known fact is that most of our other food sources also rely on bees, as conservative figures show that bees pollinate at least ONE mouthful in every THREE that we eat! The production of most fruit, nuts, vegetables, seeds and even livestock feed are dependent on the existence of bees, including Australian native bees.

When living things have relationships with other living things it is called 'symbiosis'. Bees and flowering plants have a mutually beneficial relationship whereby the bees assist with pollination and fertilization of the plant and in return collect nectar and pollen not only for themselves but also to feed their young. Bees have a number of specialised adaptations that make them particularly good at carrying large volumes of pollen. They can visit many flowers before returning to their hive, which increases the success rate of fertilization of the plants. Due to bees being excellent pollinators they play a pivotal role in farming, food production and the health of our ecosystems.

However, bees around the world, including in Australia, are in serious trouble. Overuse of pesticides and herbicides are causing bees to become more vulnerable to disease and pests. Modern agricultural practices and urbanisation are greatly reducing bee habitat and food sources. As a result, scientists are seeing a large decline in bee populations. This poses a threat not only for our food production but our environment as a whole, as flowering plants rely on pollinators to survive.

The good news is we can all do things to help ensure the survival of bees, such as:

Plant ‘bee friendly’ plants in clumps in your garden and let the vegetables flower. Bees love lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, perennial basil, borage, grevilleas, bottlebrush and tea trees whilst Eucalypts provide pollen and nectar for their food.
Use no pesticides or herbicides in your garden. For ‘bee friendly’ pest management try companion planting.
Before you buy, ask if plants have been treated with pesticides toxic to bees.
Create ‘bee friendly’ garden signs for your front garden to advertise what a ‘bee friendly’ garden is.
Put stones in bird baths to stop bees drowning.
Buy fruit and vegetables that have been locally and sustainably grown.
Buy local honey.
For more information, go to: actforbees.org.

A summary of the issues faced by bees on a global scale is explored in this video:

NATURE | Silence Of The Bees | (https://youtu.be/dIUo3STj6tw?list=PL45E34E4712249C79)

Additional background information:

Ages 0 - 2

Preparation:

Collect a range of fresh fruits and vegetables. Where possible collect two of each fruit and vegetable and cut one open to expose the seeds and leave the other one uncut. Consider collecting some of the following: orange, apple, strawberry, kiwi fruit, watermelon (with pips), grapes (with pips), stone fruit, pumpkin, capsicum, cucumber, potato, tomato.

Note: Strawberries have their seeds on the outside, and you can grow potatoes from seeds or by cutting up seed potatoes into pieces so that each piece has an 'eye'; each piece can then be planted.

Begin by inviting children to suggest what they already know about seeds. Use some of the following provocations to engage children:

I wonder what a seed is?
I wonder where we can find seeds?

Now, explain to children that all plants produce seeds. Seeds are like eggs - they have a hard case but inside is a baby plant. If the seed is planted in soil and given water and sunlight it might grow a baby plant.

Explain that many of the fruits and vegetables that we like to eat have seeds in them. Focusing on one fruit and vegetable at a time, show children the whole fruits and vegetables and invite children to tell you what these are. You can then present the cut versions of these fruits and vegetables and invite children to inspect these, looking for and pointing to the seeds. As you do, continue to talk to children about:

Which of these fruits and vegetables they already know
Which of these they like to eat
Which of these you can eat fresh and which need to be cooked
The colours of the fruit and vegetables presented
The textures
The smells

Finally, you could use the fruits you have cut up to make a fruit salad, soup or salad to share with children.

Provocations

I wonder what a seed is?
I wonder what I already know about seeds?
I wonder what a seed looks like?
I wonder what a seed is for?
I wonder if all plants have seeds?
I wonder if we can eat seeds?
I wonder where we can find seeds?
I wonder which of these fruits and vegetables I already know and like?
I wonder which of these fruits and vegetables can be eaten fresh and which need to be cooked?
I wonder what colours, textures and smells these fruits and vegetables have?

Possible lines of development

Collect some of the seeds from the fruits and vegetables you presented to children to plant (note: many commercially available fruits and vegetables have been bred in a way that prevents the seeds from producing fruit).
Engage a local grocer to come into the centre and share some of the lesser known fruit and vegitables sold and what they are used for.
Plant some other seeds with children (sprouts and sunflowers are fast growing).
Sort the seeds from biggest to smallest.
Find out more about seeds with these activities: Growing Seeds, Seed Walk, Comparing Seeds.

Ages 3 - 5

Preparation:

Collect a range of fresh fruits and vegetables. Where possible collect two of each fruit and vegetable and cut one open to expose the seeds and leave the other one uncut. Consider collecting some of the following: orange, apple, strawberry, kiwi fruit, watermelon (with pips), grapes (with pips), stone fruit, pumpkin, capsicum, cucumber, potato, tomato.
Print the Different types of seeds flashcards and stick the provocations to the back of each corresponding image.

Note: Strawberries have their seeds on the outside, and you can grow potatoes from seeds or by cutting up seed potatoes into pieces so that each piece has an 'eye'; each piece can then be planted.

Step 1.

Begin by inviting children to suggest what they already know about seeds. Use some of the following provocations to engage children:

I wonder what a seed is?
I wonder where we can find seeds?
I wonder why plants have seeds?

Explain to children that all plants need a way to create their own baby plants so that there will still be these plants in the future, so plants produce seeds. You can think of a seed as a 'baby plant'. The seed has a thick, hard case on it, like an egg with a baby chick inside. This hard case protects it until the right conditions are available for it to grow. When those conditions are right - good light, warm temperature, and ample moisture - the first shoots and roots emerge from the seed. This is called 'germination'. The shoot will then push its way above the soil and become a seedling, which will then grow into a plant that will produce its own seeds.

Sometimes these seeds are tiny and yet still grow into huge trees. There are all different types of seeds, some of them we can eat and some of them we can't. Show children the Different types of seeds flashcards to help them understand the diversity of seeds produced by edible plants.

Step 2.

Explain that many of the fruits and vegetables that we like to eat have seeds in them. Focusing on one fruit and vegetable at a time, show children the whole fruits and vegetables and invite children to tell you what these are. You can then present the cut versions of these fruits and vegetables and invite children to inspect these, looking for and pointing to the seeds. As you do, continue to talk to children about:

Which of these fruits and vegetables they already know and have tried
Which of these they like to eat
Which of these you can eat fresh and which need to be cooked
The colours, textures, weights and smells of the fruit and vegetables presented

Finally, you could use the fruits you have cut up to make a fruit salad, soup or salad to share with children.

Provocations

I wonder what a seed is?
I wonder what I already know about seeds?
I wonder what a seed looks like?
I wonder what a seed is for?
I wonder if all plants have seeds?
I wonder if we can eat seeds?
I wonder where we can find seeds?
I wonder which of these fruits and vegetables I already know and like?
I wonder which of these fruits and vegetables can be eaten fresh and which need to be cooked?
I wonder what colours, textures and smells these fruits and vegetables have?

Possible lines of development

Collect and dry out some of the seeds. You could create a poster about seeds, sticking the dried out seeds to the poster and labelling them.
Collect some of the seeds from the fruits and vegetables you presented to children to plant (note: many commercially available fruits and vegetables have been bred in a way that prevents the seeds from producing fruit).
Plant some seeds and watch them grow.
Undertake research to find the biggest and smallest seeds in the world.
Find out more about seeds with these activities: Growing Seeds, Seed Walk, Comparing Seeds.
A Fruit is a Suitcase for a Seed, is a useful resource that shows students where their fruit comes from. Consider sharing this story with children by reading it yourself or playing the following clip, Fruit is a Suitcase for a Seed.
There are various folk tales involving seeds, for example, Folktale from Punjab. Consider speaking to centre's community to find any appropriate seed folktales that could be shared with children.

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with challenges and persisting when difficulties arise
Wellbeing	Being involved

Embedding into daily practice

Where possible, buy heirloom seed varieties for your veggie beds - these can taste better than hybrid varieties but you can also collect the seeds from heirloom veggies to use in your garden the next year. Many hybrid varieties don't develop seeds that can be grown into productive plants.
Indoor plants improve indoor air quality but can also help to reduce stress and improve mental health by making us feel more secure and relaxed. You could involve children in the tending and watering of indoor plants by creating a watering roster.
Birds love seeds but artificial feeding stations for birds can transmit diseases. So instead, consider planting bushes and grasses with seeds that will appeal to your local bird species.

Where Can You Find Seeds?

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