We have been trying to grow the seeds into plants whilst at the same time investigating what seeds and plants need.  The beans in soil grew but so did the beans in plastic bags without soil.

Cress seeds grew without soil too.  They grew in the light, in the dark, in the heat and in the cold.  The seeds in the light and in the heat of the classroom were not as thin and were green rather than yellow so we think that seeds need light and heat to grow into healthy plants.  We also decided that seeds need water to grow into plants as the seeds that we didn't water didn't grow.