Flower

thingiverse

There are many aspects to pollination and parts of a flower that must be understood. This lesson will examine the parts of a flower, their functions, and how flowers go through pollination. Flower Fun “Project: Flower Fun” Objectives: This lesson will examine the parts of a flower, their functions, and how flowers go through pollination. Audiences: I recommend this lesson for 3rd grade as it ties well to Next Gen Science standards. Subjects: STEM, Science Skills Learned (Standards): Grade 3: Science: 3-LS1-1. Develop models that describe organisms have unique life cycles but all share birth, growth, reproduction, and death. 3-LS3-2. Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by environment. 3-LS4-3. Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some less well, and some cannot survive at all. 3-LS3-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have inherited traits from parents and variation of these traits exists in similar organisms. Preparation: In this activity, students will make flowers from paper and bees from pipe cleaners. They'll fly their bees from flower to flower, carrying pollen. Each student needs: a Make-a-Flower sheet a Flower Base sheet markers or colored pencils (green and two other colors) scissors two or three pipe cleaners a sticky label school glue To see pollen transferred from one flower to another, students need two different kinds of pollen. For each table, you need: two small paper cups a tablespoon of pollen for each cup Pollen can be made from powders available at the grocery store. Choose two: ground coffee cornmeal cinnamon ground sage or other leafy herb Lesson/Activity: Part 1: Students will assemble flower parts and record a video or Explain Everything about the parts and their functions. Use printed flower parts to introduce each part. When assembling, use clay so it can be taken apart again. Discuss why each part is important. Part 2: Hand out materials and have students color flower parts. Use markers or colored pencils as crayons will prevent stickers from sticking. Cut out the flower template and glue the base triangle to the flower triangle. Make a cone shape and glue it down. Make a bee from pipe cleaners and find a partner with different pollen. Add the stigma by wrapping a label around your thumb with the sticky side out. Stick it to the inside of the cone on your flower. Put a pinch of "pollen" in your flower. Using your bee, let it search for nectar in your partner's flower. Then have it come back and search for nectar again. Look at the stigma and see if there is pollen on it. Part 3: Discussion questions: What is the bee looking for in the flower? What needs to happen for your flower to make seeds? Why do you think the stigma is sticky and not the whole flower? What parts of your flower had pollen on them after the bees came? Will your flower make seeds? What evidence do you have to support this? How could you change your flower to make it easier for the bee to carry pollen to the stigma? Part 4: Have students complete the end of lesson quiz. Use printed flower pieces as references. Possible Extensions: Experiment with where you put the sticky stigma. Can you make a flower where the bee always gets pollen on the stigma? Make a garden of flowers of different colors using construction paper or coloring the flower template. Make flowers of different shapes by cutting off parts of the flower template and overlapping petals.