THE ONION 
Material 
Two onions per pupil; pins; knives. The onions should, if possible, be 
red, as the concentric rings show much better in the red onion than in 
others. 
Laboratory Work 
L 
Or 
Take an onion in your hand; examine, and notice 
color ; shape; general size; its two ends, one rather 
pointed, the other rather flattened. 
Has the onion a smell? 
Has the onion a pinch-sound? How would you 
describe it? 
Look carefully at the outside skin ; now raise a piece 
of it with a pin. What does it seem like? 
Pick off a good-sized piece of skin and shake it be- 
tween your fingers; what sort of a sound has it? 
Notice how very thin it is; what would be a good 
name for it? 
Notice the fine lines on the outer skin. Which way 
do they run? Where do they begin and end? 
Turn the onion so that the flattened end is upper- 
most, and examine the rough brown patch and the 
hairs growing out of it. These hairs are the roots 
of the onion. Notice how the paper skin ends at 
the rough brown patch. 
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