How does a sprout poke out of the soil?

Have you ever pushed a bean seed into a pot of soil? The soil feels cool and crumbly under your finger. Then you wait, and one day a green sprout peeks out!

But the seed sits down in the dark, under all that soil. So how does a sprout poke out of the soil? Let's find out together.

Every bean seed wears a thin, hard skin, like a little jacket. Down in the damp soil, the seed drinks water. The water wakes up the baby plant sleeping inside.

The seed swells up, plump and round. It grows so big that its skin cracks open. Now the baby plant has a way out!

First, a little root slips out through the crack. It grows down into the soil and holds the seed in place. Then a second part starts to wake. Which way do you think it will grow?

It grows up, toward the top of the soil! This part is the shoot, which means the young stem of the new plant. The shoot can tell which way is up, even in the dark.

The bean shoot bends over like a hook. Its soft tip stays tucked behind, safe from scratchy bits of soil. The bent back goes first and opens the way.

Now the shoot grows longer and longer. Each day it stretches up a bit more. It pushes the crumbs of soil aside, one small push after another.

The shoot gets its strength from the seed. The seed packed food inside itself, like a lunchbox. The shoot uses that food to keep growing in the dark.

At last, the bent back of the shoot pokes up into the air. Then the shoot slowly straightens up toward the light. Hello, little sprout!

Shoot. Water wakes the seed, and its shoot grows longer and pushes up through the soil.

Sleep tight, and dream of green shoots reaching up to say good morning.