Seeds: Nature's Amazing Travelers

*Please note, early ClassVR headset models (1550 may take longer to load this scene and performance could be affected.* Take your students on a wild ride to discover nature’s amazing methods of seed dispersal! In this ancient garden paradise, the mythical gods of water, wind and animals, have helped the plants to take over the land and thrive. As budding naturalists, your students will explore this natural wonderland to track a seed’s journey from plant to germination. Watch as fluffy dandelion seeds hitch a ride on the breeze, lily seeds float lazily along the water, coconuts bob their way to new shores, and mischievous foxes unknowingly carry xanthium seeds to fresh ground. Prepare your students to explore, observe, and uncover the magic behind how nature spreads far and wide! **Note to Teachers:** This experience is designed for students to discover how plant seeds are typically dispersed. Whether from trees or small flowers and shrubs, students will observe how animals, wind and water play a vital role in allowing seeds to spread and populate new areas. # Learning Objectives 1. Observe and understand how seeds are dispersed by wind{.info} 2. Observe and understand how seeds are dispersed by water{.info} 3. Observe and understand how seeds are dispersed by animals{.info} # Preparing for the Experience Before beginning the seed dispersal experience, ask students what they already know about how plants spread their seeds. Explain that seed dispersal is a strategy plants use to spread their seeds far and wide. This increases the chances of seeds germinating in areas with fewer plants, reducing competition and promoting successful growth. Plants rely on three main dispersal methods: wind, water and animals. These natural forces help seeds travel both short and long distances. The experience highlights a few examples. - **Wind Dispersal:** Wind plays a key role in seed dispersal in two ways. First, it carries lightweight seeds or those with specialized structures, allowing them to glide rather than fall straight down. Second, wind helps release seeds or seed pods from plants when they are ready, causing them to scatter. - **Water Dispersal:** Plants near moving water depend on currents to transport their seeds. When seeds drop into the water, they are carried away and deposited in new locations. - **Animal Dispersal:** Animals contribute to seed dispersal in multiple ways. Seeds can attach to their fur and fall off in new locations. Some animals eat seeds, which later pass through their digestive systems and are deposited elsewhere. Others, like squirrels, bury seeds as a food source, unknowingly planting them in the process. Now, let’s explore which plants rely on which method! **Preparation Questions** 1. What characteristics would wind-dispersed seeds have to make them glide?{.task} 2. What characteristics would water-dispersed seeds have to disperse easily?{.task} 3. What characteristics would animal-dispersed seeds have to help dispersal{.task} # Step-by-Step Experience Guide Teachers can use this step-by-step guide to lead students through the experience once they are in the headset. Alternatively, students can use the guide below independently or in a group. # Plants and their seeds{.objective .objective1}  Welcome to the garden of the gods! This ancient villa site has long been abandoned, and as a naturalist, you’re here to explore how the plants have taken over. From delicate flowers to towering conifers, you’ll uncover what led these plants to overgrow and dominate the landscape. Ancient civilizations believed in many mythical gods, some of whom wielded incredible powers over nature. Each section of this garden is ruled by one of these mythical gods: - **Neptune:** Master of water - **Aeolus:** Ruler of the wind - **Diana:** Whisperer of animals Look at the symbols to work out who is who! These symbols will be your key to discovering how seeds travel and spread in the journey ahead. ## Quick Fire Questions 1. Which symbol represents Wind?{.task} 2. Which symbol represents Water?{.task} 3. Which symbol represents animals?{.task} # Water{.objective .objective2}  As you step through the archway, take a moment to spot the symbol—it’s your clue to which force of nature we’ll be exploring next! Ahead, you will see a beautiful pond dotted with water lilies and the first statue, Neptune. What is he holding? The pond is filled with seed dispersal in action, can you spot it? The striking plants, water lilies, produce seeds inside cone-like pods. Keep an eye out—watch how the seed pods release the seeds. Where do you think they’ll end up? Behind Neptune is a tree bearing a different kind of water traveler—the coconut! This large seed sometimes drifts across water to find new places to grow. Follow the path to see where these floating seeds might be headed next! ## Quick Fire Questions 1. What type of seed is produced by a palm tree?{.task} 2. What flower is growing in the pond?{.task} # Wind{.objective .objective3}  As you step through the archway and make your way to the statue, what force of nature is represented? It's Aeolus, the god of wind. Can you find the pine trees? Pine trees are evergreens, meaning they keep their leaves all year-round. Their seeds are tucked away inside tightly sealed pinecones. When the cones mature, the wind helps shake them loose from the tree. As they hit the ground, the impact causes them to pop open, scattering the seeds nearby. Keep an eye on the pine tree. Can you spot any pinecones getting ready to release their seeds? Cross the bridge and look to your right. You’ll see dandelions and milkweed flowers. Unlike pine trees, these plants produce seeds attached to fluffy white tufts. Because they are so lightweight, even the smallest breeze can send them floating away. Take a moment to watch as the wind carries them off into the air! Before we leave this area, there's one last wind-reliant plant to see: the majestic maple tree. Unlike dandelions, maple seeds don’t float; they spin! Each seed has blade-like extensions, allowing it to twirl like a tiny helicopter as it falls. Wind can catch these spinning seeds, sending them even farther from the tree. Now, let’s continue the journey and see where the wind takes us next! ## Quick Fire Questions 1. How do pine trees store their seeds?{.task} 2. What do dandelions produce that seeds are attached to?{.task} 3. How to maple seeds disperse from the tree?{.task} # Animals{.objective .objective4}  Continue down the path and through the archway. Take a moment to spot the next symbol. Look around the statue of Diana, the goddess of animals. What clues can you find? What force of nature is at work in this area? As you walk along, you’ll notice different ways animals help to disperse seeds. There are four animals to find, each showing a different method. From seeds being carried on their fur to seeds being passed through the digestive system and buried in the ground, these animals play a vital role in seed dispersal. **Xanthium:** Seed pods, like the xanthium, have spiky husks that help them stick to animal fur. This allows the seeds to be transported and dropped in different locations. **Fruits & Berries:** Fruits and berries are a good source of food for animals. However, the seeds are hard to digest and pass through the digestive system of animals that eat them. Once they pass through, they can be deposited in different locations. **Acorns:** These oak tree seeds are usually buried by animals who use them as food. Burying them in different locations is a method of storing them for later. ## Quick Fire Questions 1. What feature do xanthium seeds have that helps them stick to animal fur?{.task} 2. How do birds disperse seeds from berries?{.task} 3. What do squirrels do to disperse seeds?{.task} # Germination{.objective .objective5}  As you step through to the final area and reach the end of the garden, seeds from an earlier part of the journey are here! Can you find them? As the stream flows, it transports seeds, like coconuts, along its path. Eventually, some are deposited here, where they will settle into the soil and begin to germinate into new plants. This is why you might find the same plant species in two distant locations, with none in between—just like the palm trees in this experience! Nature has a fascinating way of spreading life far and wide. Take one last look around and appreciate how the forces of wind, water, and animals have shaped this incredible garden! # Quiz Answer the following statements with true or false: 1. Coconuts are lightweight seeds that rely on wind to disperse. [False] 2. Water lily seeds rely on water currents to disperse. [True] 3. Dandelions produce large seeds with a tough outer husk. [False] 4. Xanthium seeds are transported by animals as they get stuck to their fur. [True] 5. Maple tree seeds have parachute-like fuzz and are blown off the tree by wind. [False] 6. Some berries have hard-to-digest seeds that pass through an animal’s digestive system. [True] 7. Squirrels bury acorn seeds in different locations. [True] 8. Pinecones explode when they hit the ground to disperse seeds. [True] # Extended Learning Now that students have observed how wind, water and animals disperse seeds, they can deepen their understanding of physical forces in nature. Whether a seed is on an animal’s fur, being released by a flying bird, swept into the air by wind, or simply being dropped by a plant due to their weight, students should have observed how seeds eventually make their way down to the ground. Ask students to use diagrams with arrows to illustrate the forces that cause seeds to fall to the ground. They should add annotations to describe how the forces act on the seeds. For higher age groups with more knowledge of forces, students can be directed to describe opposing forces on falling seeds, and to explain why some seeds fall to the ground faster. For example, why does dandelion fuzz fall to the ground slower than a pinecone? Students should consider the characteristics of both types of seeds from the experience. # Cross-Curricular Links **Art and Design** Students can explore the scene and use it as inspiration to produce a landscape piece of art. They should be asked to select an art style and create their interpretation from one of the sections of the scene. **Religious Education** Students can explore the use of ancient Greek and Roman beliefs of gods and their influence on nature. Students can discuss the concept of religious belief and how society embraced these gods in their cultures. # Teacher Resources ### Download the Teacher Notes Below [](https://avnfs.com/MC13Aol4YybgyIGjHLUxmtaPeuCOHEryWkhPcli_5Ac?size=10204732&type=application%2Fpdf&name=Seed+Disperal+REBUILD+Teacher+Notes+-+Teacher+Version.pdf) ### Download the Student Notes Below [](https://avnfs.com/oJOO0hpq2pz2Y4c5yT8MPqHJAtny1WyIP_EG5Wr2mY8?size=8510496&type=application%2Fpdf&name=Seed+Disperal+REBUILD+Teacher+Notes+-+Student+Version.pdf)