• About us
  • Contact us
logotype
Search:
Text
  • Home
  • Primary
  • Secondary
  • Students
  • Library
  • Associates
secondary
  • Home
  • Primary
  • Secondary
  • Students
  • Library
  • Associates
  • Teaching Resources
  • Key Themes
  • Science Clubs
  • Biology News
  • Specifications
  • CPD
Free resources by e-mail
  • Home>
  • Secondary>
  • Teaching Resources>
  • Using Broad Beans in the Lab

Using Broad Beans in the Lab

Practicals Teaching topics Description Growing and sourcing Curriculum links

 

Quick and reliable to germinate in the lab, broad beans are a member of the pea and bean family, the Fabaceae, and so an excellent example for topics including mutualism and nitrogen fixation.

 

Practicals

  • Nitrogen fixation - Observation of root nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria

 

Teaching Topics

  • Nutrient Cycles
  • Nitrogen fixation
  • Mutualism

 

Image resources

  • Mitosis in root tip of broad bean (1)
  • Mitosis in root tip of broad bean (2)

 

Description

Broad Bean, Vicia faba
 
A hardy bean, cultivated since Neolithic times. Broad beans have nodules containing nitrogen-fixing bacteria on its roots – a common feature of the Fabaceae (the Pea and Bean family, previously known as the Leguminosae).

 

Growing and sourcing

Obtaining: Grow from seed, which are available from garden centres, nurseries and horticultural suppliers such as Thompson and Morgan.  

Care: For school use, broad beans can be sown indoors, either in seed compost or in damp filter paper, in jars.

Soak your beans for one hour then wrap damp filter paper round the inside of the jars and place the bean seed between the damp paper and the jar. Keep the bean moist and well-lit. The bean should sprout in 4 days. Students can observe and record if and/or when root nodules are visible.

When sown outdoors some broad bean varieties, such as Super Aquadulce, can be planted in Autumn, survive the winter cold and be ready for early summer harvest.

 

Curriculum Links   

GCSE

  • OCR Science A B3.1 (18) the importance of microorganisms inc. nitrogen fixation
  • OCR GCSE Biology B2 (d) root nodule practical
  • EDEXCEL GCSE science 3.19 (b) iii nitrogen-fixing bacteria and 3.27 (b) nitrogen-fixing bacteria living in root nodules

CfE

  • Scottish Highers Unit 4 sustainability and interdependence mutualism detailed example

 

 

Tags: 4-7 (KS1), 7 -11 (KS2), 11 -14 (KS3), 14 -16 (KS4), Post 16, Adaptation, Agriculture and farming, Nutrient cycles

Download Resources

There are currently no resources associated with this article - perhaps you could suggest one

Filter secondary resources by...

Filter results by type:
Category
Text

Related resources

  • Using Aspidistra in the Lab
  • Using Potatoes in the Lab
  • Using Dandelions in the Lab
  • Using Pelargoniums (Geraniums) in the Lab
  • Using Cauliflower in the Lab
  • RSS
  • Share
  • Follow Us
Primary
  • Teaching Resources
  • Beyond the Classroom
  • Hints & Tips
Secondary
  • Teaching Resources
  • Science Clubs
  • Key Themes
  • Biology News
  • Specifications
Students
Library
  • Image Library
  • Links
Legal & Other
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Health and Safety
  • Accessibillity
  • Cookie policy

© 2021 Science & Plants for Schools

Free SAPS newsletter by e-mail

notepad Sign up now