Flower Power (3rd-6th) | Series 8, Lesson #2
Flower Power
Key Topics: Plant Anatomy, Stamen, Pistil, Ovary, Sepal, Pollination, Adaptation, Coevolution
Grade Level: 3rd-6th
Click here for #8 Series Description
Lesson Bridge
Connect this lesson (2) to Getting Micro with Climate (1) by having students recall how different plants and animals are adapted to different climates. We will discuss the function of flowers and learn that although many are adapted for different climates, they all have some parts in common to help them survive and thrive.
Lesson Overview:
In this lesson, students will learn about flower anatomy by identifying and drawing its components. They will be able to locate the reproductive organs of a flower in order to discuss pollination and discuss the vital role pollinators play in spreading pollen to produce fruits and seeds. They will analyze how the structures of different flowers are beneficial to a variety of different pollinators and will be able to describe coevolution. Students will also role-play flowers and pollinators to find their perfect match and observe coevolved flowers and pollinators! Overall, students will understand how human survival is connected to pollinators through the food system.
Learning Objectives by Grade:
- 3-LS3-2 How do plants and pollinators change their form through evolution to adapt to each other?
- 4-LS1-1 What are the internal and external structures of plants that support reproduction?
Essential Question(s) that Connect CCCs and SEPs:
- What are the different parts of a flower and how do these parts function to help the flowers grow? (Structure & Function; Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating Information).
- What flower structures help attract bees and other pollinators? (Structure & Function; Obtaining, Evaluating, & Communicating Information).
- Does the size of a flower have to do with the size of the animal that pollinates it? (Scale; Engage in Argument from Evidence).
Vocabulary:
Plant Anatomy- The different parts of a flower
Stamen- The part of the flower that produces the pollen
Pistil- The part in the very center of the flower that collects pollen from a pollinator and makes a seed
Ovary- The part of the pistil at the very bottom where the seed is created when the pollen is received
Sepal- The very base of the flower, it is shaped like a leaf
Pollination- Plants and animals helping plants to reproduce by moving pollen from one flower to another
Adaptation- When plants or animals learn and change to survive in their environment
Coevolution- When plants and animals evolve in a way that if good for one another
Materials:
- Paper
- Colored Pencils and regular pencils.
- Clipboards
- Flower specimens with pronounced male and female parts (ideally those found in the garden)
- Different Climates, Different Habitats Series Garden Journal (optional)
Prep:
- Make sure your garden has a good selection of flowers. If necessary, bring some to the school from elsewhere to provide good examples of different flower shapes and types.
- Reserve clipboards from the school and put the paper into them beforehand.
- Sharpen pencils.
- Lesson Photos
Activity Procedure:
Engage:
Do you think flowers are important? Without them we wouldn’t be able to live! Do you think bees and other flying insects are important? Without them, flowers wouldn’t be able to live, so we need both!
Explore:
Write the following chart on the board. Break students into groups and tell them what type of pollinator they are from the list below. Have them act out their pollinator and go around the garden looking for a flower that they want to drink nectar from. Have them use the chart as their guide. They can think about how they will move through the garden. Beetles might crawl, hummingbirds might move very fast) When they come back ask how it felt being a pollinator. Was it easy to find nectar? Were they in competition with other pollinators who liked the same type of flowers?
Pollinator | Type of Flower Preferred |
Beetle | Small white or light green flowers that hang down near the ground |
Honeybee | Flowers with sweet smells and showy, bright petals, often blue or yellow |
Fly | Reddish flowers that smell like rotten meat |
Butterfly | Bright-colored, sweet-smelling flowers that they can land on |
Bat | Large sweet-smelling, white flowers that bloom at night |
Hummingbird | Bright red or yellow flowers with long tubelike shape and very little scent |
Moth | White or yellow flowers with sweet smell |
Explain:
What structure does a hummingbird have that makes it well suited to drink nectar and pollinate from a long tube shaped flower? (It’s beak!) Most scientists believe that flowers and their pollinators coevolved. That means that they changed over time to suit one another; they adapted to one another.
Think, Pair, Share: How does this coevolution benefit the flower and the pollinator? (Structure and Function; Engage in Argument from Evidence)
Sentence Frame: Flowers benefit pollinators by __________ and pollinators benefit flowers by ______.
Pollination happens when an insect or other animal moves some of the genetic material from one plant to another plant of the same species. This means that the seeds produced by that plant will make flowers that have some of both traits.
Thumbs up/down: Would our garden produce fruits and seeds if there were no pollinators?
To understand more about how flowers make seeds, let’s look at flower anatomy! On the board draw a flower and label the different Structures and Functions. Explain that some flowers such as sunflowers and daisies are called composites and are actually a lot of tiny flowers. Take this opportunity to define the rest of the vocabulary terms.
Action: Flower Anatomy
- Review your Garden Agreements
- Have students gather flowers from the garden.
- Hand out pencils, clipboards and paper to each and have colored pencils at hand.
- Have students put their names on their paper and draw their flowers. Instruct the class to identify and label as many flower parts as they are able to.
- Go around to students individually and help them identify the parts correctly and title their paper with the correct name of the flower.
- Once finished with the anatomy, they can color their flowers in!
Reflect:
What kind of flower did you find? Have students volunteer to share their drawings with the class. Was it easy to find the stamen on your flower? What about the ovaries? What else did you notice about your flower? What sort of animal would like to pollinate your flower based on its color, shape, and smell? What do you think would happen if there were less flowers and pollinators in the world?
Extension Activities:
- Pollinator Matching Game
- Go outdoors with students and sit quietly near some flowers. Watch carefully. What pollinators do you observe? How long does a pollinator stay on each flower?
- Classes can adopt a space in the garden (bed, row) and plant a pollinator garden.
- Have students in the Garden Club or Green Team pick flowers, herbs, and greens to make a bouquet for the teachers you work with! It is such a positive way to give, create joy, and remind them of the beauty of engaging outdoors. Our teachers need a reminder of how appreciated they are and spreading joy is never a waste of time to create abundance and gratitude in our social system.
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