This series of activities can be done year round. The best time to use them is in the Spring and August - September.
Students are divided into 4 groups.
Time frame for this series is approximately 2 hours.
This is a series of activities created to teach students about flowers and their role in nature. Students participate in hands-on activities in many areas of the Arboretum to look beyond the outer beauty of flowers and learn to appreciate the function of flowers in nature.
Flower Power List of Series
Students tour the greenhouses and look at surrounding plant life to observe the stages of life that a plant goes through to produce a flower. They see why flowers are important to the plant, and how insects play a role in pollination.
Procedure
1. Docent asks students what activities they have been to at this point and discusses for a couple of minutes what they have learned from the other activities.2. Docent then asks students if they can name the different stages of life that a plant goes through (seed, grow into plant, makes flower, makes seed, some plants die (annuals/perrinials) and the cycle begins again) and important processes that take place so that a plant will flower and eventually make seeds (germination and pollination).
3. Docent gives out worksheet on germination and has the students as a group put them in order. Whey they get to the section on the sprout, the Docent gives the students an alfalfa sprout or mung bean sprout to examine and then taste.
4. Docent then takes/sends the students through the greenhouses and shows them examples of stages of germination.
5. If time, Docent brings the students to the attention of "air plants," or epiphytes, and prompts students to guess how these plants get the components necessary to survive.
Alabama Course of Study for Science
This activity meets goals specified for grades K--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 15, 16, 17…1st--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26…2nd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 20, 21, 23, 24…3rd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 32, 34…4th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, …5th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4,
Learning Outcomes
Students will make the connection between the life cycle and the other activities and the processes of germination and pollination during this life cycle.
Instrumental Objectives
SWBAT identify stages of germination. SWBAT identify adaptation made by plants to attract pollinators. SWBAT discuss the life cycle of a plant. SWBAT distinguish epiphytes from plants that have to live in soil. SWBAT discuss the cycle of life that plants go through and connect new knowledge of the smaller parts to the bigger picture.
**Flower Power created by Shannon Whitley.
Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4
Activity 2
Flower Dissection Students take flowers cut them up and pull them apart to discover what is inside and then attach the different parts of the flower to a flower diagram.
Materials Needed
Flower diagram sheet, Pencils, Scissors, Tape, Flower Model, Flowers
Procedure
1. Docent asks students to name the parts of the flower they are familiar with.
2. Docent then passes out diagram sheets, flowers, and scissors.
3. Students are instructed to look at the diagram sheet to identify the parts of the flower. Docent will then read over the different parts of the flower for younger students or have older students read the parts to them, and ask the students if they have any questions.
4. Next, students are told that they should begin dissecting their flowers by cutting through the base of the flower as demonstrated by the Docent, they have to amtch each part of the flower that is named on the diagram sheet with the parts in the flower they find.
5. Students are told that they may get assistance from the Docent and adults helping their group if necessary.
6. Students are reminded to be careful with the scissors.
7. Students are made aware of the tape available to attach the parts of the flower to the diagram sheet.
8. During the dissection process Docent demonstrates to students while working with them how flowers reproduce to make seeds so that the plant can produce another generation. (Demonstrate with the real parts how pollen comes off the anther and is rubbed off onto insects or birds and then knocked off at other plants to travel down the pistil to the ovary and make a seed.)
Alabama Course of Study for Science
This activity meets goals specified for grades K--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6…1st--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 19, 21, 24…2nd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 26, 27…3rd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 13, 32…4th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7…5th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 24
Learning Outcomes
Students will recognize the smaller parts of the flower and how they work together to make new seeds so that the plant can reproduce ensuring new generations of that plant.
Instrumental Objectives
SWBAT distinguish and name the different parts of a flower. SWBAT dissect a real flower to discover the inside of a flower. SWBAT discuss how a flower reproduces. SWBAT demonstrate how seeds are made and how each part of the flower helps in that process.
Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4
Activity 3
How Do Flowers Grow? Students plant seeds while discovering the basic needs of plants to grow and survive.
Materials Needed
Seeds, Potting soil, Tin pans, Soil demonstration, Examples of plants with and with out sunlight, Jug of Water
Procedure
1. Docent asks students to think of the four most important things that all living things need to survive (air, water, food, and sunlight). Docent then asks students to hypothesize how plants get these necessities of life.
2. Docent takes the examples of plants that have been getting enough sunlight and one that has not. Docent asks students to guess which is which. Docent then explains briefly the process of photosynthesis, how the plant makes its food (air, sunlight and water).
3. Docent then takes the 3 examples of soil (sand, clay, and potting soil) and explains that one of the ways that plants get water and nutrients to help the chlorophyll to photosynthesize is by gathering water from the soil.
4. Docent takes water jug and asks students to count to see how fast the water starts coming out of the bottom of the containers once the Docent has begun pouring water into the soil. Docent asks which type of soil would help a plant most and why.
5. Next, students plant seeds in some potting soil to take home and remind them what plants need to grow and survive.
6. Docents ties the concept of a healthy plant will produce flowers and then seeds to make sure that there are new plants.
Alabama Course of Study for Science
This activity meets goals specified for grades K--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 14, 20…1st--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 19, 21, 24, 26…2nd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 14, 20, 25…3rd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 13, 37, 39, 40, 41…4th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 32, 46…5th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
Learning Outcomes
Students will understand the basic components that plants need to survive and ultimately make flowers to make seeds to make new plants.
Instrumental Objectives
SWBAT identify why a soil is good for plants. SWBAT discuss why a plant needs sunlight. SWBAT determine what plants need to be healthy and produce flowers and seeds. SWBAT plant their own seeds to feel the accomplishment of putting their knowledge to work.
Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4
Activity 4
Flower Walk Students take a walk through the Arboretum’s forest to find the different flowers in bloom at that time and look closely at the differences found in flowers.
Materials Needed
Arboretum, Trails
Procedure
1. Docent takes students on a walk through the woods to look at the flowers in bloom and experience the beauty of the Arboretum.
2. Docent will prompt students to make connections to the ideas learned from other activities to put knowledge into practice and see how differenct flowers are structured.
Alabama Course of Study for Science
This activity meets goals specified for grades K--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 14, 15…1st--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 20, 24…2nd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 20, 21…3rd--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, …4th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4, …5th--#’s 1, 2, 3, 4,
Learning Outcomes
Students will enjoy the beauty of the natural outdoors and how flowers play an important part of the beauty attributed to nature.
Instrumental Objectives
SWBAT synthesize new knowledge about flowers. SWBAT discover the many flowers that grow in the Arboretum. SWBAT enjoy the natural outdoors offered by the Arboretum.
**Flower Power created by Shannon Whitley.
Activity 1 Activity 2 Activity 3 Activity 4 Bats Biodiversity Earth Month Flower Power
Food Chain Habitats Insects Tree ID
Leaves Native Indians Plants Seeds Senses Soil Trees
The sunflowers, flower line, and opening banner saying "Flower Power" graphics on this page came from Full Moon Graphics.go see
www.fullmoongraphics.com
Background for this page came from the Texture Warehouse.
go see at www.stuff.uk.com
