Materials List: Light Plants and Dark Plants, Wet Plants and Dry Ones

  • 20 quarts (~22 liters) of good quality potting soil
  • (optional) shallow plastic bins in which to place the potting soil for easier access
  • sunflower seeds, enough for 2 per student plus 6 extras
  • 20-oz disposable plastic drink cups, 2 per student plus 6 extras; punch holes in the cup bottoms in advance, as described in the Procedure section
  • knife or scissors, to punch drainage holes in the cups
  • permanent-ink marker
  • water
  • plastic trays, enough to hold all the plastic cups
  • 1" stacking cubes (Unifix cubes), 100 or more
  • several liquid measuring cups with spouts
  • several medium scoops, ~1 cup volume
  • 1" grid paper, 3 sheets per student (1 for data graph, 1 for post-activity assessment graph, 1 cut up into squares)
  • Drawing Handout, 1 per student
  • data sheet, 2 per student (= 1 per plant); prepare in advance as described in the Procedure section
  • data sheet, 1 per student, for a post-activity assessment activity
https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/duk_sunflower_mary_act