During this unit, we used seed image photos to conduct post-assessment interviews with several children. Students were presented with photos of different seed types and compared them to seeds that had been observed during class investigations. Students were asked to note how the seed changed over time and describe seed or seedling features and function of those features. We asked students to put a series of photos in order, to show changes during Fast Plant germination. Some photos showed dried and soaked seeds of the same type and students were asked to describe differences between dry and soaked seeds.
In the future, we plan to use the seed images as both a pre- and post -assessment. In this way, we can document student learning effectively. Another potential use for these images would be to stimulate student writing in journals or learning logs that could be used to keep track of student ideas about seeds and how these ideas develop over the course of the unit.
