Mississippi Science BOT.3.7

ScienceGrades 9–12Botany

The Standard

Plan, conduct, and communicate the results of a comparative laboratory investigation of differing fruit types.

2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Plant Reproduction

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students choose two fruit types and decide what to compare, such as seed count or seed covering. They examine several of each, record their observations, and explain what the data show.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student follows the same procedure for three specimens of each fruit type. They make a data table and labeled sketches, then use the results to explain a pattern and any differences among specimens.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think only sweet foods are fruits, so they leave out pea pods. They may mistake a peach pit for the seed, though the pit surrounds it. Some treat one fruit as typical of its whole type.
How to Assess It: Give students seed counts for three tomatoes (38, 42, 40) and three pea pods (5, 6, 5). Ask them to write a comparison claim using the numbers and explain why counting three of each helps.

Lesson moves

Give groups three cherry tomatoes and three snap pea pods to cut, measure, sketch, and count seeds.
Ask students to write which fruit had more seeds per specimen and cite counts from their tables.
Give pairs photos of cut tomatoes, pea pods, peaches, and apples to sort by seed arrangement and explain their groups.
Show a peach pit and a tomato slice, then ask why cooks remove one before eating but leave the other.

Free download

A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to BOT.3.7, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.

PDF, US Letter, prints cleanly in black and white.

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