In this month’s issue of Click, we showed you how to find out what happens when you plant bean seeds upside down. But what happens if you turn a growing plant upside down? Try this experiment to find out.

1. Set up your beans and jar as described in steps 1 through 4 on page 16 in your copy of Click. (You can use just one bean, as in the photos here.)
2. After a few days, when the stems have begun to show and the roots are an inch or two long, screw the lid on the jar and turn it upside down. Make sure to keep the paper towels wet. (If you don’t have a lid, you can turn the jar on its side.)
3. Wait three or four days. Are the roots and stems still growing in the directions they started? Or did they bend and change directions?
4. Turn the jar right side up, and take the lid off. Wait a few more days. Now which way do the roots and stems grow?

If you have extra bean seeds, you can try one of these experiments to find out more about how seeds grow.

Set up your beans and jar as described in steps 1 through 4 in Click, then

• place the jar in the refrigerator. Do the seeds still grow?
  No, it’s too cold. Seeds need warmth to grow.
• place the jar in a dark cupboard or closet. Do the seeds still grow?
  Yes, bean seeds will start to grow in the dark. But the seedlings will need light to keep growing.
• do not add water to the jar. What happens to the seeds when the paper towels are dry?
  Without water, the seeds will stop growing and die.