The "National Science Education Standards" provide a vision and standard of science instruction that includes not only the factual, content-rich history of science but also an understanding of the processes and skills necessary to "do" science. Moreover, the "Standards" provide the framework for science instruction that embodies the use of scientific reasoning and problem-solving skills. In accordance with those standards, this article presents a description of a semester-long series of activities based upon a seed producing plant's life cycle. Specifically, seeds are used as a venue to allow preservice elementary education students to explore some of the aspects of life cycles, plant structure and needs, ecological relationships, the role of sunlight in a system, and plant reproduction. This long-term plant study prepares these future elementary teachers to assist future K-6 students in developing their biological literacy about plants. The sequence of activities closely resembles the 5 E Learning Cycle. (Contains 4 figures.)