Pause for Thought: Planting Seeds
From little seeds grow beautiful things
by Rebecca Parkinson
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To encourage us to realize that we have an exciting future.
Preparation and materials
- You will need the PowerPoint slides that accompany this assembly (Pause for Thought: Planting Seeds) and the means to display them.
- Have available the YouTube video ‘Growing Sunflower Time Lapse - Seed to Flower in 83 Days’. It is 2.20 minutes long and is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5mHzwEOpp4
- Optional: you may wish to tell the parable that Jesus told about planting seeds in various types of ground (Matthew 13.1–9). It is available at: https://tinyurl.com/yydw2qj7
Assembly
- Ask the children what they think of when they hear the word ‘seed’.
Listen to a range of responses. - Show Slide 1.
Ask the children whether they can identify the seed and what they think the seed will grow into.
Show Slide 2.
Explain that these seeds will grow into sunflowers. - Show Slides 3-8 and repeat the process.
- (Slides 3-4) Pea seeds will grow into peas.
- (Slides 5-6) Mustard seeds will grow into mustard trees.
- (Slides 7-8) Acorns will grow into oak trees. - Show the YouTube video ‘Growing Sunflower Time Lapse - Seed to Flower in 83 Days’.
- Point out that all of the seeds shown on the slides – sunflower, pea, mustard and acorn - are very small compared to the size of the final plant. To grow, the plants need soil, water, nutrients and sunlight.
- Point out that when we are young, things help us to grow! Ask the children what they need to help them grow. Expand the discussion to include a range of things, not just food, water, shelter and so on. Consider the importance of care, love, friends and so on.
Time for reflection
In Matthew 13.1–9, Jesus tells the parable of the sower. In this story, a farmer sows seeds in various types of ground. The seeds don’t grow very well on some ground, like on rocks or in soil choked with thistles, but where they are sown in good soil, the seeds grow into strong plants.
Optional: you may wish to read the parable of the sower in full.
Ask the children what they think the story means.
Listen to a range of responses.
Explain that we are all a bit like soil! If we don’t try, or we are unkind or lazy, for example, it will hinder us in our growth as people. However, if we try our best, seek to help and care for others, and listen carefully, we will develop into the best that we can be.
Ask the children whether they are finding something difficult today. Encourage them to keep trying and not to give up.
Extension activities
- Why not have a go at growing some broad beans in a glass jar so that you can watch them grow? A YouTube video is available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTRW2Cf9U2U (1.45 minutes long)
- Plant a pot of seeds such as cress, white mustard or radishes. Remember not to put too many seeds in the pot, and remember to water them regularly.
