flower dissections · flowers attract pollinators like bees, butterflies, insects, and birds with...
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FLOWER DISSECTIONS
Weallknowflowersarelovelytolookat,buttheyhaveanamazingpurposefarbeyondaddingbeautytotheworld!Flowerdissectionsareagreatwaytotakedeeperlookintotheworldoftheseearth-superheroes,andevenmakeconnectionsbetweenourownbodiesandthoseofplants!Perhapsbestofall,FlowerDissectionsareeasy,fun,andengagingforallages,andrequirenomoretoolsthanourhands,fingers,andeyes!
ThepurposeofFlowerDissectionsislessaboutmemorizingthenamesandfunctionsofflowerpartsandmoreabouthavingahands-onopportunitytoexaminethepartsofa
flowerandmakeconnections.FlowerDissectionsencouragechildrentothinkbeyondtheprettypresentationofafloweranddelveabitmoreintohowthatlovelypieceofnaturesupportsaninterestingandimportantfunctionandpurpose.FlowerDissectionsalsoalign
withtheNextGenerationScienceStandards,whichwewillexploremoreatbelow.
MATERIALSRequired:hands,fingers,eyes,curiosity!
Optional:scissors,tape,pencil,magnifyingglass,cellphonecamera
Step1:Chooseyourflowers!Werecommendchoosing3differenttypesofflowersiftheyareavailablesothatyoucanseethesimilaritiesanddifferencesinsideofeach.Thisprovidesawonderfulopportunitytodiscussdiversity,andhowthoughtheflowerslook
different,theyeachhaveaveryimportantfunction.Ifyoudonothaveaccesstodifferent
typesofflowers,anyflowerwilldo,howeverflowerssuchaslilies,daisies,andpoppiesareideal.
Step2:ReviewthePartsofaFlowerdiagram.Whileitisnotnecessaryforchildrentomemorizethenamesandfunctionsofflowerparts,thediagramwillserveasanexcellent
guideforunderstandingwhattheyareseeingastheymovethroughthedissection.
Step3:Tellchildrentheyareabouttobecomejuniorbotanists!(Abotanistisan expert in or student of the scientific study of plants.)Explainthattheveryfirstthingany
scientistdoesissimplypayattention,observe,andexaminesomething.Thereisnorightwaytodissectaflower-That’swhatsoexcitingaboutthisactivity.Placeyourfloweronaworksurface,andbeginyourdissection!Oftenchildrenareafraidtodisturbtheflower-Encouragethemtodissecttheirflowercarefully,butremindthemthattheydon’thavetobeasgentleastheywouldwithaflowerusedfordecoration.Ifachildneedsaprompt,agoodplacetostartisbypullingthepetalsapartandawayfromthebase.Thisisagreatopportunitytoexercisefinemotorskillsandpracticeself-control.Whilechildrencanusescissorsorpenciltipstoslicepartslikethestemandovariesopen,fingernailsworkgreat!Themoretheytakeaflowerapart,themoretheywillfindthingstotakeapart!Theywillfindthatpetalscanbepeeledintothinnerlayers,tinyeggscanbefoundinsideofthe
ovary,strandscanbefoundinthestem,moisturepocketscanbeuncovered,andpigmentcanbeextracted,amongotherthings!Letchildrendissecttheflowersaslongandas
extensivelyastheylike.
Step4:Examineandinvestigate!Asyourchildremoveseachpartfromtheflower,askthempromptingquestions-Whatdidyoujustfind?Whatdoyouthinkthatdoes?Whydoyouthinkthat’sthere?Howdoyouthinkit’srelatedtotheotherpartsoftheflower?Whatdoyounoticeaboutthatpart?Canyoufindthatpartonthediagram?What’sitcalled?Doesitremindyouofanything?Ifyouhaveamagnifyingglassavailable,youcanuseittotakeacloserlookattheinnerworkingsofthepieces.Ifyoudonot,simplyuse
thecamerafunctiononyourcellphonetozoominonacertainpart-Itwillworkjustlikeamagnifyingglass!Askchildrenwhattheynoticeinthemagnifiedimagethattheycouldn’t
seewiththeirnakedeye.
AdditionalExplorations:Forfurtherengagement,yourchildcantapethedifferentpiecesoftheirflowerstopaperorinsidenotebooks.Theycanlabeltheseparts,drawdetailed
pictures,andjournaltheirquestionsandobservations.
Reflections:Talktochildrenaboutwhattheyobserved!Whatdidtheydiscover?Whatdidtheylearn?Whatnewquestionsdotheyhave?Whatkindsofanimalsdotheythinkmightbedrawntotheirflower,andwhy?Whatkindofpollinatormightbedrawntothestructureorfunctionoftheirflower?RefertothePartsofaFlowerdiagram,andmakeconnectionsbetweentheirflowersandthefunctionsonthediagram.Discusshowthe
petalsprotectthepistilandstamen,andhowtheleavesmakethestemoftheflowerstronger.Helpchildrendrawconnectionstotheirlivesandtheirbodies-Doourbodies
havesimilarpartsandfunctions(i.e.aneck,ourskin,etc.).Endyouractivitybydiscussingpollination,andexplaininghowandwhyflowersareearth-superheroes.
NGSS
FlowerDissectionsalsosupportNextGenerationScienceStandards!DuringFlowerDissections,childrenwill:*Askquestions;developandusemodels,planandcarryoutinvestigations;analyzeandinterpretdata;constructexplanations;engageinargumentfromevidence;andobtain,evaluate,andcommunicateinformation.Theywillalso
explore:*Patterns;causeandeffect;scale,proportion,andquantity;systemsandsystemmodels;energyandmatter;structureandfunction;andstabilityandchange.
ENJOYYOURDISSECTIONS!
Besuretocheckoutthehelpfulmaterialsbelow,includingthe*PartsofaFlowerdiagram,*PollinationPower,*FromFlowertoFruit,*FunFactsaboutFlowers,and*LifeCycleofaFlower.Your
littleoneswillneverlookatflowersquitethesameagain!(*fromTheUniversityofIllinoisExtensionsTeacher’sGuide:https://web.extension.illinois.edu/gpe/glossary/fruit.html)
PARTS OF A FLOWER
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Flowersareimportantinmakingseeds.Flowerscanbemadeupofdifferentparts,buttherearesomepartsthatarebasicequipment.Themainflowerpartsarethemalepart
calledthestamenandthefemalepartcalledthepistil.
Thestamenhastwoparts:antherandfilaments.Theantherscarrythepollen.Thesearegenerallyyellowincolor.Anthersareheldupbyathread-likepartcalledafilament.
Thepistilhasthreeparts:stigma,style,andovary.Thestigmaisthestickysurfaceatthetopofthepistil;ittrapsandholdsthepollen.Thestyleisthetube-likestructurethat
holdsupthestigma.Thestyleleadsdowntotheovarythatcontainstheovules.
Otherpartsoftheflowerthatareimportantarethepetalsandsepals.Petalsattractpollinatorsandareusuallythereasonwhywebuyandenjoyflowers.Thesepalsarethegreenpetal-likepartsatthebaseoftheflower.Sepalshelpprotectthedevelopingbud.
Flowerscanhaveeitherallmaleparts,allfemaleparts,oracombination.Flowerswithallmaleorallfemalepartsarecalledimperfect(cucumbers,pumpkinandmelons).Flowers
thathavebothmaleandfemalepartsarecalledperfect(roses,lilies,dandelion).
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Pollination Power
Whenpollinationoccurs,pollenmovesfromthemalepartstothefemaleparts.Pollengrainslandonthestigmaandatinytubegrowsfromitanddownthestyleintotheovary.
Thefertilizedovulebecomestheseedandtheovarybecomesthefruit.
Sinceflowerscan'tmove,theyneedtobeabletoattractpollinatorsorbebuiltsothatwindisabletopollinatethem.Flowersattractpollinatorslikebees,butterflies,insects,andbirdswithsweetnectar,brightcolors,andshapesandstructures.Someflowersopenatspecialtimestoattractpollinatorssuchasnightbloomingplantsthatarepollinatedby
bats.
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From Flower to Fruit
Whenaplantflowersandproducesseeds,italsoproducessomethingelsewealllike-Fruit!Asyoulearned,whentheovaryripens,itswellsandformsaprotectivecoveringaroundtheseeds.Thisprotectivecovering,orfruit,oftenfindsitswayontopofcereal,
icecream,asalad,orjustatastysnack.
Whatareyourfavoritefruits?Arethereanyuniqueorexoticfruitsthatyoulike?Arethereanyfruitsthatyou’venevereatenandwouldliketotry?
Fun Facts about Flowers
• Flowersdidnotalwaysexist;theyfirstappeared140millionyearsago.Beforethat,fernsandconebearingtreesdominatedtheearth.
• SeveralcenturiesagoinHolland,tulipsweremorevaluablethangold.
• Broccoliisactuallyaflower.
• Someplantssuchasorchidsdonotneedsoiltogrow-theygetalloftheirnutrientsfromtheair.
• Someplantsproducetoxicsubstancesthatkillotherplantsaroundthem-thesunflowerisanexample.
• Carnivorousplantsarefloweringplantsthateatbugsandsmallanimals!Forexample,theVenusflytraphasleavescoveredbylittlehairs.Whenabuglandsonthehairs,thetrapsnapsshutanddigestivejuicesdigestthebug.
Othercarnivorousplantssuchaspitcherplantshaveleavesthatformpitchersthatarefullofdigestivefluids.Insects,frogs,andothersmallcreaturesareattractedtothenectarandbrightcolorsonthepitchersandflowers.Some
unfortunatecrittersfallin,drown,andaredigested.
• Notallflowerssmellgood.Oneoftheworld'srarest,largest,smelliest,andstrangestlookingfloweristhetitanarum,orthecorpseflower.Itiscalledthecorpseflowerbecauseitsmellslikearottingdeadbody.Thebloomisover8foottalland12feetincircumference.Theysmelllikerottingfleshinordertoattractflies,theirpreferredpollinator.Peoplehavebeenknowntopassout
fromthesmell!
• ThelargestFlowerintheworldistheflowerofthePuyaraimondii,whichhasaflowerstalk35,000feettallandbearsover8,000whiteflowers.
• Mimosapunica,orsensitiveplant,willactuallyfoldupitsleaveswhenitis
touched.Ithaswhitishpinkfuzzyflowersthatlooklikelittlepompoms.
• TheBirdofParadiseisabeautiful,oddlyshapedplantthatresemblesacolorfultropicalbird.
LIFE CYCLE OF A FLOWER