September 10

Symmetry and Plants

Sweet potatoes grow underground. Can we trick a potato into growing if we place it in a dark cabinet, as if it was underground?

My scientists knew that blood travels through our body in veins, but they didn’t realize that plants are designed in a similar way. Food and water travels throughout leaves in a network of veins. We split a Napa cabbage leaf and placed it in red and blue food coloring. Before the end of lab, the colored water had moved through the veins. What a great reminder that whatever we pour into our soil is absorbed by the plants around it. For more information about this investigation, click here.

Before the end of lab:

The next morning:

Symmetry was the next topic. God created many plants and animals with symmetry. Where would you draw the line of symmetry on these pictures? Some objects have more than one line of symmetry and others are asymmetrical.  Click here to watch a video about symmetry. We did not watch this in lab. Look for symmetry as you are out and about with your child.

Engineers use symmetry in buildings.


Second grade botanists folded a piece of paper in half and then used the fold (the line of symmetry) to cut out a symmetrical leaf. Use fall colors and cut out symmetrical leaves to decorate your home.

Finally, we drew designs on one side of lines. We placed a mirror on the lines which made our drawings symmetrical. This is a fun activity to do at home.


Posted September 10, 2020 by pbright2 in category Math, Science

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