======Seed Dispersal======


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**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
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**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
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**Alternative titles:** How Seeds Spread in Nature
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====Summary====                   
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====Procedure====  
  - Collect a variety of dried seeds and pods (such as dandelion, burdock, acorn, milkweed, and thistle).  
  - Observe the seeds and note their structures (fluff, wings, spikes, pods).  
  - Test wind dispersal by blowing lightweight seeds with a fan or hair dryer.  
  - Test water dispersal by placing seeds in bowls of water and seeing which float or sink.  
  - Test animal dispersal by pressing sticky seeds into painter’s tape and sticking them to fabric or skin.  
  - Test mechanical dispersal by gently pressing or twisting open dried pods to see seeds pop out.  
  - Record observations and compare dispersal strategies.



====Links==== 
Seed dispersal - TheParklands1: 
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📄 Seed Dispersal Experiment for Kids - Little Bins for Little Hands: [[https://littlebinsforlittlehands.com/seed-dispersal-experiment-for-kids/]]\\


====Variations====
  * Create a seed scavenger hunt outdoors to collect local examples of dispersal.  
  * Build a model wind-dispersal system with coffee filters, string, and tape.  
  * Slice open fruits like apples or cucumbers to count and compare seeds.  
  * Make a chart or Venn diagram sorting seeds by dispersal type.



====Safety Precautions====
  * Handle scissors carefully when cutting tape or pods.  
  * Be cautious with small seeds around young children (choking hazard).  
  * Use a hair dryer on a low setting to avoid burns or blowing debris into eyes.  
  * Wash hands after handling seeds, especially if using wild plants.




====Questions to Consider====
  * Why is it important for seeds to disperse away from the parent plant? (To reduce competition for light, water, and nutrients.)  
  * Which type of dispersal would work best in a windy environment? (Wind dispersal, such as dandelions or maple helicopters.)  
  * How do animals help plants spread seeds? (Seeds stick to fur or are eaten and later excreted.)  
  * Which dispersal type seems most effective for producing many new plants? (Depends on the environment—wind spreads far, animals provide targeted dispersal, water carries seeds downstream.)