FOREST GUARDIAN BADGE

Root Power Test

Lesson 11.5 — Roots & Tropism

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Kitimu says: "Roots might be hidden underground, but they are seriously powerful! They can crack concrete, lift walls, and always know which way is down. Today you're going to find proof of root power AND grow your own experiment. Let's go, Cub!"

🎒 What You Need

Outdoor area with paths & walls

A dried bean or seed

A clear plastic cup

Damp cotton wool or soil

Your worksheet

Pencil & crayons

📋 How To Do It

Hunt for root power: Walk around your neighbourhood, garden, or park. Look for places where roots have cracked pavement, lifted paving stones, pushed through walls, or buckled fences. These roots are stronger than concrete!
Find water-seeking roots: Look near drains, pipes, or gutters. Can you see roots growing towards water sources? Roots can sense moisture and grow in that direction — this is called hydrotropism.
Document your evidence: On your worksheet, sketch or describe at least 3 examples of root power you found. Label each one: "cracking pavement," "lifting a wall," "growing toward water," etc.
Start your gravitropism experiment: Place a damp piece of cotton wool in a clear plastic cup. Tuck a bean seed against the side so you can see it through the cup. Let it sprout upright for 2 days.
Turn it sideways: Once the root starts growing downward, turn the whole cup on its side. Check it every day and draw what happens. The root will curve and start growing DOWN again — no matter what! That's gravitropism — roots always grow toward gravity.
Record your results: Draw the bean on Day 1, Day 3, and Day 5 on your worksheet. Label the root direction each time. Write one sentence explaining what gravitropism means in your own words.

Ranger Tip: The record for the deepest root ever found belongs to a wild fig tree in South Africa — its roots reached over 120 metres underground! That's deeper than a 40-storey building is tall.

Science Bonus: Roots contain special cells called statocytes that sense gravity. These tiny gravity detectors tell the root which way is "down" so it always grows in the right direction, even if the plant falls over!