Resources: Handout, access to an outdoor space (such as a park or garden), notebook, pencil and pen, coloured paper/card, camera or camera phone (optional).
Core Handout: An activity to observe the process of pollination.
The students should have some knowledge of pollination, which is the transfer of pollen from the male parts of a flower to the female parts of a flower. They will likely be familiar with different types of pollinators - such as bees, birds or small animals - as well as the importance of pollinators for protecting biodiversity.
Ask the students to think about pollinators and how they contribute to daily life. Ask them to consider the impact of reduced pollination, including a lack of crops and food to raise animals.
Go through the presentation slides, exploring the different processes involved in pollination and the various roles played. Answer questions and take part in activities during the presentation. The students will then observe pollination in the field and produce a documentary to explain what is occurring.
Expert Film: Dr Ian Bedford, an entomologist from the John Innes Centre, talks about insect pollination.
There are two parts to the Mission Assignment. Firstly, the students should use the opportunity to go outside to a planted area, such as a garden or local park, and observe pollinators at work. They should look at the structure of a number of different flowers, recording what they see through drawings and diagrams. Examples of things to look for can include adaptations of flowers to increase the likelihood of pollination and different types of seeds and fruits. Ask them to think about the mutual relationship between the plants and the pollinators.
For the second part of the Mission Assignment, the students should produce a nature documentary outlining the full pollination and seed formation process using examples from their observations. This can be filmed using a camera or camera phone, or presented using crafted props for demonstration.
Support: Ask the students to produce a model or diagram to help them explain the process of pollination and fertilisation for their documentary.
Challenge: Ask the students to research a variety of different pollinators and what it is that attracts them to certain plants. Make several models or diagrams to show this.
Ask the students to create a diagram or flowchart showing the process of plant fertilisation and seed formation. You could provide them with a list of the key steps in the process and ask them to organise them in a logical sequence. Then, they can draw arrows and use labels to show how the different parts of the flower (such as the stamen, stigma, ovary and pollen) play a role in fertilisation and seed formation.
When people think of the word 'fruit' they tend to feel that it classifies all varieties. However, within the 'fruit' family, there are a range of subdivisions of fruits, all with different properties.
In the pupil table on the handout, we have included 6 of the key classifications of fruit.
Legumes - these are fruit that split on both sides to open up, i.e. pea
Berry - Typically one or more carpel with one or more seeds and a fleshy wall, i.e. grape, tomato
Hesperidium - typically citrus fruits with a thick skin and leathery rind, ie. lemon, orange
Drupe - With a hard, stony centre and thick skin, i.e. avocado, peach
Pome - i.e, an apple
Aggregate Fruit - with small seeds on the outside, often squishy in the middle, i.e strawberry.
Most fruits are reproduced by either insect or wind dispersal. The seeds help to develop new fruit plants/trees when reproduction happens between the male and female parts of the flowers. Fun Fact - When eating a fruit, you are effectively eating its ovary!