Beauty and the Bees | Hickory Knolls Discovery Center

For Grades 3-5

Pre-Question: Do flowers depend on pollinators, or do pollinators depend on flowers? Explain.

Video: Watch Hickory Knolls’ Beauty and the Bees Video

Post-Video Questions:

1) Construct a model to show how bees (pollinators) and flowers life cycles are different, yet dependent upon each other in an ecosystem.

2) Create picture/comic or other media to show how non-native species can impact an ecosystem.

Activity:

1) Visit a natural area or garden, look for pollinators at work. Record the different types of pollinators you find, and the types of flowers they visit. Do you see any patterns? If so, what are they? Create a graph to show your findings

2) Dissect a flower. Locate and identify the petals, stamen, pistil and ovary.

3) Draw, video or take pictures of a dandelion’s (or other flower) life cycle in your yard for 7 days. Explain what is happening each day. Begin with the flower bud, if possible.

Dig Deeper:
1) Plants often have markings which help direct pollinators that can see ultraviolet light, these are called nectar guides. Create a pamphlet, or guide, explaining the advantage of having this adaptation. Dandelions, day-lilies and black-eyed Susan’s are examples of plants with this trait.

2) Seed dispersal is vital for plants to continue spreading/living. Try an experiment about one type of seed dispersal: click here Can you find flowers with of other types of dispersal?

3) Plants and animals can be invasive, or non-native, in an ecosystem. Identify one invasive, or non-native species, in your area and create a poster explaining how it is affecting the ecosystem, how it arrived and what can be done to minimize its impact.

4) Chlorophyll is the substance that makes plants green and is vital for photosynthesis. Try this art project to see how chlorophyll differs in plants while creating a beautiful piece: click here Explain why plants might benefit from having different types of chlorophyll.