We love sweet potatoes, it’s one of my daughter’s favorite vegetables. I cook it in soups, salads, casseroles and often substitute it for bread or bagel in the mornings. It’s no surprise, Irish potatoes, sweet potatoes, and autumn squash are usually in my kitchen bin. At times the heat and humidity of this Midwest climate cause them to sprout. So here we are doing a science experiment with the sprouted ones, as we did with some Irish potato earlier this year.
For this experiment cut a potato that has sprouts in half, then place in a shallow glass jar. I added little water to the jar, barely enough for the potato to sit in. Too much water in the container would cause the potato to rot.
The children kept adding a teaspoon of water every 2 or 3 days. As they watched and recorded the growth.
Their observation noted more roots and bigger leaves emerge over time.
Like any plant potatoes need water and sunlight to grow. Having it near the window did help make the project a success.
This project was done in October and our Midwest climate would not allow us to plant and reap like we did with the Irish potatoes. They, however, observe that potato with tubers can grow into a plant if it is watered and cared for….(under the right circumstances).
Have fun with your little ones as you teach them about earth science. Miss Sue:)



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