What is Pollination
Objective
Big Idea
Teacher Background
The Next Generation Science Standards state that students should create a model to show how animals help with the pollination of plants. Before they can create that model, students should understand what the term pollination means.
This lesson is a quick overview of pollination to give the background for the understanding of what pollination is.
Sharing A Powerpoint
I want students to have some understanding of the term pollination. I have chosen to create a short power point that will give them a visual representation of the pollination process. The purpose of the power point is to give students a brief introduction to the term pollination and what it means.
I project the power point presentation on the board and go through each slide talking about the process and taking questions and comments from the students. I try to answer their questions as I project the slides. My goal is to make sure that the students gain a basic understanding of pollination.
Making a Model of a Flower
Now that students have seen the power point presentation, I bring out tissue paper, construction paper, and pipe cleaners. I demonstrate cutting out the leaves, stamen and pistol from the construction paper and taping them to a pipe cleaner. Next I cut out several strips of tissue paper about 2 inches wide and cut the tops in scallops. I wrap the tissue paper around the popsicle stick so that it is not too tight, then I pinch in the bottom and tape it to the pipe cleaner so that it forms a flower around the stamen and the pistol. I tape leaves on the stem of the flower.
I give students the materials and allow them to make several flowers.
Once the flowers are made, I have several paper bumble bees and some glitter. I allow students to take the bumble bees to someone else's flower and sprinkle some glitter (the pollen) on their flower.Pollinating the Flower We continue this until everyone has had a chance to pollinate a flower. (Students can use a glue stick to make the pollen stick to the flower.)
We end the lesson by discussing the term pollination. I ask, "can you tell what it means to pollinate a flower?" I let students respond as I assess their understanding of the term.
