This is a two-part activity. We recommend that you allow at least four days (up to one week) in between Part One and Part Two of the experiment to give the radish seeds time to germinate. (To speed germination, soak the seeds in water overnight.)

You will need access to water and a sunny windowsill where the radish seeds can grow.

We recommend students work in pairs for this activity and share some supplies with another pair. Homeschool students can work on their own.

Prep Radish Seeds

For each group of four students, put a pinch of radish seeds (at least 15 seeds) in a Dixie cup.

Prep Dixie Cups

For each student, fill a Dixie cup halfway with moist potting soil. Or if you are using peat pellets, place one pellet in each cup, fill the cup with water, and let the pellet soak up the water for at least 30 minutes.

Prep Spray Bottles

In each spray bottle, mix about 1 cup of water with about ¼ teaspoon of baking soda. Adding baking soda will inhibit mold growth in the soil, but won’t affect the plants.

Prep Root Viewer

To give your students a way to see what their radish seeds are doing underground, you can make a root viewer. Here’s how:

*Fold paper towels and put them in a Ziploc bag. *Add water until the towels are saturated. *Place three seeds on top of the wet paper towel. *Squeeze the air out of the bag and zip it closed. *Tape the bag to a wall or window and encourage your students to check each day for roots growing from the seeds.

Plan Your Time

After students complete Part One of this activity, they will need to wait at least four days for the seeds to sprout. Each day, encourage your students to watch the seeds in the root viewer as a way to see what is happening to their seeds under the soil in the cup.

When most of the leaves have come up, show Part Two of the activity. If you like, you can have your students draw the plants as they grow and change.