To coincide with STEAM week, Reception have been running their own biology experiment. Inspired by the story ‘Jasper’s Beanstalk’ about a cat who plants a bean and waits to see what happens, everyone in Reception planted a runner bean but each with a different variable! The girls could choose to plant the bean in compost or in tissue, inside or outside, with the jar lid on or off and with differing amounts of water.    

After waiting a week or so, we came up with the best conditions for a bean to grow. The tallest beanstalk was planted inside, in compost, lightly watered with the jar lid on like a terrarium! The beans planted inside, swimming in water had turned mouldy and were very stinky! The beans planted outside in compost looked like they might grow a shoot soon because the seed shells had cracked open. And finally, the beans planted inside in compost with the jar lid off, had begun to grow roots. We will remember all these tips when we next plant seeds at Forest School. 

Written by Mrs Brown, Reception teacher