Plant Growth and Adaptations

NC Standard:  1.05


Activity:  Pollination

Question: How do bees pollinate flowers?

Vocabulary: pollinate, pollen, stamen, flower sepals, nectar, petal, pistel

Materials: black marker, glue, 4" x 4" assorted construction paper, scissors, green construction paper, flexible straw, hole punch, tape, 2" x 2" waxed paper, 4 - 3" yellow pipe cleaners, 3 - 2" black pipe cleaners, 1 - 3" green pipe cleaner, clay, cornmeal, packing peanuts

Background: Bees pollinate plants as they fly from flower to flower in search of sugary liquid called nectar. The petals of the flower attract bees with their bright colors and also provide tiny informational lines that lead bees to the nectar. The stamens of the flower create a dust called pollon which sticks to tiny hairs on the bees legs. The bee moves from one flower to the next causing tiny pollen particles to fall into the pistil enabling the flower to produce a seed.

Procedure: 

  • 1. On a 4" x 4" piece of assorted construction paper have students draw a 3 or 4 petal flower which looks like a 3 or 4 leaf clover without the stem.

  • 2. On the 4" x 4" piece of green paper students should create a smaller version of the flower petals. These will represent the sepals and help hold their flower in place on the straw.

  • 3. Using the remaining green paper students should draw a leaf and a small pistil to go in the center of the flower. The pistil looks like the grinding part of a chemists pestil and mortor or drum stick.

  • 4. When all the parts have been made have the children punch 1 hole in the center of their flower and 1 hole in the center of the sepal.

  • 5. Tape the small green pistil on the green pipe cleaner.

  • 6. Insert the green pistil pipe cleaner into the hole in the center of the flower petals and the hole in the center of the sepals.

  • 7. Insert the pipe cleaner with flower into the straw and secure with tape.

  • 8. Take the remaining yellow pipe cleaners and stick into the straw and surround the green pistil. These will represent the stamens. Bend the tips 90 degrees.

  • 9. Add green leaves to the side of the straw and secure with tape and place in clay clump or vase.

  • 10. Give each child a packing peanut and 3 - 2" black pipe cleaners to create their bee. Students should wrap the black pipe cleaners around the peanut and twist to form 6 legs of the bee.

  • 11. Color the bee with markers and let dry.

  • 12. Make wings for the bee using waxed paper and glue in place.

  • 13. While the bee is drying have the students sprinkle the yellow flower stamens with corn meal.

  • 14. Students should then hold their bee and gently allow it to touch the stamens of their flowers.

  • 15. Observe what happens and record the results.

Conclusion: Pollen is transported from flower to flower by bees.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________


Line of Learning:  This line is drawn to provide students with a space to share their experimental learning in words or pictures.
__________________________________________________________________________________________