Quran and Science Festival

Assalamual’aikum!

We hope you have enjoyed the session with us at Quran and Science Festival. It was nice to have you graced our booth and after much thought, we have decided to add the three presentations which we did during the Quran and Science Festival. 

1. Water Cycle

2. Water Cycle in a Terrarium

3. Building a Green Bean Terrarium

We also have some additional activities that you can do at home as a family.

1. ‘Treehouse’ for your terrarium

Now that everyone has their terrarium to care for at home, let’s decorate it!

First, download and print the following document: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B63twqoTSvQcWTFrRlliRXlDV0k

Once you have it printed, grab your color pencils before watching a presentation by Agent Umar. 

I hope you enjoyed the presentation.  Next, cut along the dotted lines on your printed document to create a box.

Then, using a double-sided tape, carefully attach your terrarium to the paper.

Now, you have just created a beautiful home for your terrarium. A piece of nature to look and marvel at everyday. 😀

2. Observation

Learning how to observe is one of the many important skills in science and you can develop it by predicting what will happen during an experiment. Here are some observations you can make about your plant as it grows in your terrarium:

Height of the Plants I have experimented with several terrarium and observed that the germination of the green beans varies. It can take as short as 7 days or as long as 14 days. Additionally, green beans germinate better in a place where there is no direct sunlight. Once it germinates, the green bean grows extremely fast. SubhanaAllah. Here is where you can observe the growth of the plant. You would be able to even see some difference in growth within a day. 

The Roots The advantage of growing beans in a transparent medium is you are able to see the magnificent roots. You will probably have lots of questions running through your mind as you observe the plant. You can explore the importance of roots in plants as how our hearts are to us. That certainly provides wonder, at least for me and my children. I marvel at how perfect Allah has made each one of His living things. You can also observe the roots of the plant as it grows. Why do you think the roots grow in such a way and what benefit would growing in that way bring to the plant?

Life Cycle of a Green Bean

Water Cycle in a Terrarium

You have learnt about water cycle at our booth and what better way than to internalise the facts through observation and self-discovery. I am sure visual learning will help you to understand concepts easier and encourage better information retention. At the same time, it can help you to organise and analyse the facts you have learnt earlier. 

 Take time to observe frequently to notice other changes in your plant. 

3. Data Recordings

There are many ways to do data recordings. Parents, you can encourage your little ones to do data recording by, firstly, asking them the materials they might need to record their findings. You will be surprised by the creative answers that they might give you.

Importantly, make data recordings fun! If the little ones cannot read or write yet, there are other fun ways to do data recordings with numbers, pictures or even videos! It can also be as simple as making a mark (like a height growth chart) on your terrarium. Most important, observe your plant and make some recordings of your observation.

4. Results and Conclusion

From the data recordings you have made, try to think  about what you can conclude from the experiment.

5. Improvements

Parents, you can arouse further interest in your little ones by asking them the following questions:

– if they were to repeat the experiment, what could they have done better? – what do they need to find out next? – how does this experiment benefit society and does it bring you closer to Allah?

6. Book Suggestions

From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons

It is a book that is easy to understand. The book talks about plant reproduction, seed dispersal, pollen transference, and seed germination. I love the illustrations that comes along with the book.

The Apple Tree by Maryam Al-Kalby

This book is divided into many different scenarios that revolves around planting a tree. I really love the book because it showcases the benefits of trees at different stages. At the same time, it indirectly focuses on the many different types of charity. It also emphasises the importance of being kind and selfless.

And lastly, may this sharing bring benefit to all of us, insyaAllah. <3