Plant breathing experiment
Time: 2 x 15 minutes
Materials: clear cups, magnifying glasses (optional)
Activity: Ask if kids know that plants breathe. Plants breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. We do the opposite, so they make the air breathable for us. We can’t see them breathing because they do it through little holes in their leaves instead of with lungs like us. We can use water to help us see the plants breathing though. Partially fill cups with water. Have kids each get a leaf or piece of leaf that will fit in the cup. Put the leaves in the cup and shake off all of the bubbles. Leave the cups in a sunny spot for 30 minutes to an hour. Come back to the cups and look at the leaves carefully without touching them. There will be little bubbles of oxygen that have formed on the submerged part of the leaves. These can be further examined with a magnifying glass.
Categories:
Nature & Science