Should've started with this...

I am piloting a "Are popcorn kernels alive?" lab where students practice setting up science apparatus, data tables, and making observations and inferences.

I should've started the year with this because students are observing osmosis, mitosis and differentiation in a shared constructivist activity.

A corn seed started growing for one group.  I asked "Do you think the corn seed is alive?"
She responded "Yes"
Because it is toward the end of the year I ask, "What process is the corn doing to make you think it is alive?"
She says "Photosynthesis"
I say, "Does it look green? Do you think there are chloroplasts in the growth you see?"
She says, "Oh no."
I say "What you do think is forming the new cells?"
She says, "Oh, mitosis?"
I say "Maybe"

I wish they would have made these observations at the beginning of the year to have a more concrete development experience to discuss cellular processes from.  
I could attempt to get students to make connections between this activity and the following vocabulary/concepts (starch having energy stored, differentiation, osmosis, mitosis, gene activation, and natural selection as not all popcorn will germinate)

I am blessed to have these resources to teach with.