Granny's Garden School

Once the seeds are dry, it's time to separate the seed from the chaff. The chaff consists of dried seed coverings and small bits of dried stems, leaves, or petals that can sometimes be confused with the actual seed. At GGS, we usually do this in January or February.

If you are working with large seeds that are easily identifiable from the chaff, your students will enjoy opening the seed pods to collect seeds or plucking them from a sunflower head. If you will be separating the seed from the chaff, it helps to be able to spread the seeds out on a piece of light colored paper. If the seeds are largish, a pair of tweezers is useful for picking them up. If the seeds are small, you can separate them from some of their chaff by holding the paper at an angle and letting the seed roll down - the chaff generally stays put. A combination of these methods usually results in more or less 100% seed only. If you stored your seed pods in paper bags, you will find many of your seeds have separated from the chaff and have fallen to the bottom of the bag.

About the seed packet

Contact Roberta to get a supply of small paper envelopes to serve as the inside liner that holds the seeds, and print a template (found at the top of this page) for students to create the outer, descriptive seed packet. Over the years we have learned that in their effort to avoid sticky fingers, students sometimes leave gaps that allow seeds to escape the seed packet. Using the small inner envelope provides an extra layer to lock in seeds. Seeds are placed inside the small envelope, which is sealed shut by the student. Then, the students cut out the template, fold the flaps, insert the seed envelope, and glue the flaps down.

Seed Packet templates are available on the Seed Packet Patterns page. A blank template is available for students to write planting and growth information and to write the name of and draw the plant that will grow. You may decide to enter all or some of the plant information in advance. If you are packaging the seeds found on the seed sharing page, the plant information is accessed by clicking the link by the picture. Ask your teacher to make copies of the template for the class to use.

Making connections to math or science during your packaging activity

If you are using two different seeds, ask the students to list what is the same and different between the seeds.
Ask the students to estimate the number of seeds in an inch and write them on the board. Then, have the students find the actual number and compare it to the estimate. Extend this by asking the students to estimate the length of one seed and then find the actual length. Next, relate the unit of measurement of the seed to an inch. For example, if the seed is ¼ inch long and 4 seeds equaled one inch, draw a conclusion about how many ¼ inches are in one inch.
Estimate and find the actual amount of seeds in ½ teaspoon.
Ask students what unit of measurement, best measures their seed – inches, centimeters, millimeters.
Check with your teacher about using scales to weigh seeds. The students can estimate the number of seeds in one ounce and find the actual amount. The students can estimate the weight of ½ teaspoon of seeds and find the actual.
Don’t forget to tell the students that a seed is a package of a tiny plant (embryo) and food for the embryo to grow.