Bean Seed Dissection Lab

If you have never done a Bean Seed Dissection with your kids, then now is the perfect time! Most students are eager to learn through hands-on methods and engaging activities. This lab is inexpensive and easy. Even though many would think of this lab as being for younger students, it can be geared for an older student too. I am an adult and enjoyed this investigation! With our Parts of Bean Seed Worksheets, the Bean Seed Dissection Lab with run smoothly as you talk about the different parts of the bean. The FREE Bean Seed Dissection Lab Worksheet will tie it all together giving your students a complete lesson! DOWNLOAD BELOW!

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How to Set up a Bean Seed Dissection

Soak Beans

We soaked our beans in a big bowl, but for groups or individual investigation, I suggest soaking in individual cups overnight. If you soak too long, the bean’s seed coat just falls off.

Observe Dry Lima Beans

To start with, give your students to some dry lima beans in a bowl. Let your students handle them and observe them. Tell them that they will be dissecting a lima bean today. Explain to them that they will be soaking their dry lima beans in water to soften them. This will allow them pop their lima beans open and to take off the seed coat, which is a protective covering for the bean seed.

Alive or Dead?

Now it is time for the students to answer the two first questions of the bean seed dissection lab worksheet. There is no wrong answer for #1. Now, #2 might be tricky for some students. This is a great question to discuss with your students. They may find it hard to accept that the seed is alive since it is in a state of dormancy. But a bean seed is very much alive! A seed is the embryo (baby or offspring) of a new plant and as such is a living thing ,but in a dormant state, which means its sleeping. Seeds can die if they are not cared for. If a seed gets too hot or cold, it can die. All a seed needs to germinate and begin to grow is water, nutrients, and sunlight.

Draw Findings

On the Bean Seed Dissection Lab Worksheet, students will draw the before and after dissection. First, students will slide the seed coat off of the bean. Next, they need to split the bean open gently. Sometimes, if you aren’t careful, the embryo will detach and fall off from the bean. So, be gentle. Once open, refer to the Parts of a Bean Seed Worksheets to locate the parts of the bean. Your students will draw their findings on their lab worksheet.

Talk about what you learned...

Complete the Lab Worksheet talking about what you learned and what you liked best. I thought it was pretty cool to pinpoint each part of the bean seed and discuss the purpose of each part. Great hands-on science lesson.