The Best of Bugs: Designing Hand Pollinators Grade 2

Darlene Dutton Michelle Gottleber

Today’s Agenda Sign in Tech in a Bag Lesson 1 Storybook Kit Specific Lesson 2 Field of Engineering Kit Specific Break 5 min. Lesson 3 Testing Materials Kit Specific Lesson 4 Design Challenge Kit Specific Planning support – Exploration of teacher’s guide and online materials

Goals for Today Build awareness of technology, engineering, and engineering design process Develop knowledge of structure and types of learning activities in an Engineering is Elementary Unit Explore tools and tips for teaching units

Norms: Please have cellphones on vibrate/put away. You will not need your computer until the end of the session. Have fun and enjoy!

What is Technology?

What is the technology? What does your technology do? What problem does it solve? How else could you use it? What material(s) is it made of? What other materials could it be made of? Technology in a Bag

Our definition of technology…

What is Technology? Almost anything created to solve a problem or meet a need.

EIE defines technology as… Technology is anything human-made that can be used to solve a problem or fulfill a desire. Technology can be an OBJECT (like the spoon, paperclip or ball) Technology can be a SYSTEM (like the post-it notes, mechanical pencil, pencil sharpener,) Technology can be a PROCESS (like the recipe card)

What is Engineering? Design and/or improvement of technologies to solve problems

Ask Imagine Plan Create Improve The Engineering Design Process The Goal To solve a problem by developing or improving a technology. Criteria Constraints Science knowledge Brainstorming No evaluation and test

Tower Power Lesson: available on the Learn Page under K-5 Common Core.

Why Elementary Engineering? Why EiE? Technological literacy is a basic 21st century literacy. Engineering makes math and science relevant and integrates other disciplines. Engineering practices build and reinforce 21 st -century skills. EiE increases students’ awareness of and access to engineering and science careers EiE is consistent with the Framework for K-12 Science Education.

Teacher Guide Structure Overview: Background Information for Teachers Preparatory Lesson: What are Technology and Engineering? Lesson 1: Engineering Story Lesson 2: A Broader View of an Engineering Field Lesson 3: Scientific Data Inform Engineering Design Lesson 4: Engineering Design Challenge Assessments

Remember….!! Engineering problems have lots of solutions Working together is important Ask lots of questions Always be ready to change and improve your design Everyone engineers - you all design things to solve problems!

Lesson 1: The Best of Bugs Agricultural Engineering: Designing Hand Pollinators

Story - Mariana Becomes a Butterfly In this lesson, students will: – Read the story Mariana Becomes A Butterfly and learn key vocabulary words – Be introduced to the field of agricultural engineering – Recognize that insects are part of the natural world – Understand that insects can be helpful or harmful – Identify the parts of a natural system - the pollination system Students learn that: – Pollination is a natural system – Natural systems are made up of parts, each of which have different functions – If parts are missing, the system may not work – Agricultural engineers design and improve technologies for agriculture – Humans can engineer technologies to manage, replicate or restore natural systems

Mariana is a girl...

...who lives in the Dominican Republic.

She loves her garden and spends many hours there taking care of her plants. But one plant isn’t doing well - her ohelo (pronounced o-HAY-low) berry plant. Her friend Pablo brought the ohelo from Hawaii for her (of course, obtaining special permission and quarantining the plant beforehand). It used to have flowers and red berries, but not anymore. It still has flowers, but no berries.

Mariana doesn’t know why this is, so her father suggests that she ask her Tía (aunt) Leti who is an agricultural engineer. Mariana visits her aunt and explains the problem. “Tía Leti, I’ve been taking extra special care of my ohelo plant, but it will not produce berries.”

Tía Leti asks Mariana if she knows how plants make seeds. Mariana does and explains the process of pollination to her aunt. Tía Leti explains that there are seeds inside of berries—this causes Mariana to wonder and “Ask” if her plant is being pollinated.

Mariana decides to test this hypothesis by observing her ohelo plant to see if there are any insects visiting it and, indirectly, pollinating it. Her aunt gives her a journal with which to collect her data and…

…Mariana gets to work.

For weeks, she watches butterflies and other insects visit the plants in the garden.

Mariana soon realizes that not a single insect is visiting her ohelo plant.

When she tells her aunt about what she observed, this leads to a discussion about why insects visit flowers and the benefits of this behavior to both the insect (food) and the plant (pollination).

When Mariana realizes that there is nectar in her ohelo plant, she asks, “Why won’t the insects come to eat it?” Her Tía Leti then responds with this analogy, “imagine that you came over to my house for dinner, and on the table I laid out some food. But I put all the food in the very center of the table where you couldn’t reach it. Do you think you would have a very good dinner?”

So with that thought, Mariana starts to think up solutions for her ohelo plant and wonders if she might bring in an insect from Hawaii to pollinate her plant.

To think through her solution, Mariana decides to go visit her aunt at work.

While Mariana is there, she learns about invasive species…

…pesticides, and Integrated Pest Management.

Mariana decides that she might have a better solution to her problem—pollinating the plant herself rather than introducing an invasive species.

Tía Leti shows Mariana a technology that she uses in her work - a hand pollinator.

Tía Leti then tells Mariana about the Engineering Design Process and how it will help her create her hand pollinator. By asking more questions, imagining, planning…

…creating and testing, and improving, Mariana creates a successful hand pollinator. NOTE: The storybook is purposefully vague about Mariana’s successful design because we do not want students to believe that Mariana’s solution is the only solution.

And sure enough, her ohelo plant produces berries.

Now Mariana can start exploring pollinators for other plants!

Lesson 1: Important Points The Storybook: introduces field of engineering makes science content relevant through the context of the engineering design challenge introduces science and engineering vocabulary introduces the Engineering Design Process inspires students to do the engineering design challenge is purposefully vague about the child’s solution

Story Vocabulary Chapter 1 - Maguey, mariposa, ohelo, agricultural engineer Chapter 2 - Pollination, hypothesis Chapter 3 - Insect, larva, pupa, chrysalis, metamorphosis Chapter 4 - Nectar Chapter 5 - Pesticide, Integrated Pest Management Chapter 6 - Frangipani, technology, hand pollinator, Engineering Design Process Chapter 7 - texture

Teachers: Lesson 1 Lesson takes 2-3 sessions of about minutes Try to tie the story in with examples from the local area that kids will identify with Extension lesson idea: students create a butterfly glyph and compare results lesson_hand-pollinators_a-butterfly-glyph.pdf lesson_hand-pollinators_a-butterfly-glyph.pdf Extension lesson idea: students identify number patterns lesson_hand-pollinators_mariana-and-number- patterns.pdf lesson_hand-pollinators_mariana-and-number- patterns.pdf

Lesson 2: Who Are Agricultural Engineers? Guiding Question: How do agricultural engineers use Integrated Pest management to help farmers?

Who Are Agricultural Engineers? In this lesson, students will: – Read and act out a play about Integrated Pest Management in an apple orchard – Identify ways that insects can be problems and ways that they can be used as part of solutions to problems – Discuss natural systems in an apple orchard – Discuss why agricultural engineers need to know about the science of natural systems – Discuss how Integrated Pest Management is a technology used to manage natural systems Students learn that: – Agricultural engineers use their knowledge of biology and natural systems to create and improve technologies related to food production and agriculture – Insects have many roles in natural systems, including pollinators, predators and herbivores – Integrated Pest Management is a technology

Lesson 2 - Preparation & Approach Have students work in pairs - one student will be reader and other will be card holder Assign students roles for the play Copy and cut out pages 2-5 through 2-15 Explain that the play is about Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Students will place insect, agricultural engineer and IPM solution cards under “problem” or “solution” Discussion questions: Do you remember what IPM is? Why is IPM important?

Who were the agricultural engineers in the book? What was one type of problem that they worked on?

Insects: How are they problems? How are they solutions? (make up flip chart)

Problem Solution Winter Apple Tree Summer Apple Tree Fall Apple Tree Spring Apple Tree (place “Problem” and “Solution” about 24” apart on a flip chart)

The Play’s Characters

Spring Narrator 1: It’s springtime, Farmer Anne’s favorite time. She takes a walk around the farm. She isn’t gone long before she comes running back to the house. Farmer Anne: Farmer Bob! I see lots of green caterpillars! They are munching the pretty pink blossoms on our apple trees. Farmer Bob: Oh, no! We can’t let the caterpillars eat the blossoms! If we don’t stop those caterpillars, we’ll have no apples. Fruit Tree Leaf Roller: I am a fat, green caterpillar. We stay in our eggs all winter long. When it is springtime we wake up hungry for apple blossoms. Yum!

Farmer Anne: What should we do? Farmer Bob: We don’t want to spray pesticides again. (Farmer Anne and Farmer shake their heads, “No.”) Chorus: (sung to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat): Bugs, bugs, bugs invade Our apple crop they munch! An agricultural engineer Saves apples for our lunch! Agricultural Engineer 1: Let’s try Integrated Pest Management. We can bring some lady beetle larvae in to eat the caterpillars in your orchard. Farmer Bob and Farmer Anne: Yay! We’re saved!

Which is the problem? Which are the solutions?

Problem Solution Winter Apple Tree Summer Apple Tree Fall Apple Tree Spring Apple Tree

Summer Narrator 2: It’s summertime. Lots of honeybees and other insects are visiting the apple trees. The insects pollinate the flowers. Farmer Bob and Farmer Anne are happy. At the end of the summer, tiny apples start to grow. Farmer Bob and Farmer Anne go for a walk in their orchard. Farmer Bob: Oh no! Some of the apples are sick and brown. What’s that bug? Weevil: I am a weevil. At night, I climb up the tree trunk for a tasty meal. These apples are yummy!

Chorus: (sung to the tune of Row, Row, Row Your Boat): Bugs, bugs, bugs invade Our apple crop they munch! An agricultural engineer Saves apples for our lunch! Agricultural Engineer 2: Let’s try Integrated Pest Management. We can paint glue around the tree trunk. The weevils will get stuck in the glue. Then they will not be able to climb the tree. Farmer Bob and Farmer Anne: We’re saved!

Which is the problem? Which are the solutions?

Problem Solution Winter Apple Tree Summer Apple Tree Fall Apple Tree Spring Apple Tree

Return to the Guiding Question: How do agricultural engineers use Integrated Pest Management to help farmers?

Reflection: Do you think insects can be both problems and solutions? Why? What were the technologies that the agricultural engineers used to solve the farmer’s problems? What kind of biological knowledge did the agricultural engineers need to know in order to implement IPM? Is Integrated Pest Management a technology? Why or why not? Can you think of any other systems that are technologies?

Teachers: Lesson 2 Note that there are Advanced vs. Basic versions of the play Connect to local agriculture (Willcox apple orchards, ARBICO Organics - uses bugs as pest control) Extension lesson idea: students learn about insect types while playing “bug-go” Extension lesson idea: students make their own insect models (butterfly, dragonfly, fly, cockroach) ension.psu.edu/pests/ipm/kids/fun-websites/insect- models ension.psu.edu/pests/ipm/kids/fun-websites/insect- models

Lesson 3: Exploring Pollination Materials Guiding Question: What materials and properties of materials work best for picking up and dropping off pollen?

Exploring Pollination Materials In this lesson, students will: – Conduct a controlled experiment – Observe and compare the efficacy of different materials for picking up and depositing “pollen” – Use the results of the experiment to make decisions about what materials would work best to create a hand pollinator Students learn that: – Materials have properties that make them good choices for some uses and poor choices for other uses – Conducting experiments helps to determine which materials are the best choice for a given task – In order to make decisions about which materials work best, it is best to test all materials in the same way – Experiments can be improved

Lesson 3 - Part 1 Preparation/Discussion Students work in pairs Prepare a bag of materials for each student pair (foil, pipe cleaner, eraser, marble, pompom, tape) Discussion questions: - What are “properties” (use a pencil as a discussion example) - What are the properties of each material? - Heavy/light - Smooth/rough - Clear/opaque - Rigid/flexible - Hard/soft

What problem did Mariana need to solve and what technology did she design to help her solve it? Mariana needed to find a way to pollinate her ohelo plant so that it would produce berries. She designed a hand pollinator that would allow her to pollinate her plant by herself.

Design Challenge Goal: Work as agricultural engineers to design a hand pollinator

Directions: Students work in pairs to discuss material properties of each item in their material bag Add optional materials if your students would benefit from this Review each material as a class and have groups report on properties

Materials and Their Properties ObjectMaterialProperties (make a flip chart) Marble Tape Eraser Foil Pompom Pipe Cleaner

Make a Prediction: What do you think will be good qualities or properties of a material used to make a hand pollinator? Why do you think so? (make a flip chart)

How will we test to see which materials will work best? (make a flip chart)

Lesson 3 - Part 2 Preparation/Discussion Provide material bag to each pair of students Prepare flower “stamen” (cup/baking soda) for each pair of students Get real flower to show students stamen, pistil & pollen location Demonstrate “three tap” testing method - Gently touch material being tested to pollen - Hold base of cup then place material over center of hole in cup - Gently tap material on edge of cup three times Tapping materials ensures all materials are tested the same way - Discuss importance of controlled experiment Students will test all materials, then evaluate data

Students should complete this in their pairs Clarify the difference between “some” and “a lot” Discussion questions: - What must a good hand pollinator be able to do? - What would happen if the material could pick up pollen but was not able to drop it off on another flower?

Pollen Nectar

Evaluating Pollination Materials MaterialPick up?Drop off? How much? marble tape eraser foil pompom pipe cleaner (Complete this as a class)

Return to the Guiding Question: What materials and properties of materials work best for picking up and dropping off pollen?

Reflection: Which two materials deposited the MOST pollen? Which two materials deposited the LEAST pollen? Why did some students have different results than others? How can we prevent this from happening? What material properties work best for picking up and dropping off pollen? Based on your data, which material(s) do you think will be the best choice for your hand pollinator design?

Teachers: Lesson 3 Very important that students understand materials analysis Allow students to discuss testing methodology -Controlled conditions are important Provide connections to mathematics, science, and ELA Extension lesson idea: discuss clarifications or changes to experiment, then repeat experiment and compare results to the first time Extension lesson idea: students prepare bar graphs and pie charts from experiment results lesson_hand-pollinators_graphing-our-findings.pdf lesson_hand-pollinators_graphing-our-findings.pdf

Lesson 4: Designing a Hand Pollinator Guiding Question: How can we use our knowledge of pollination, materials and their properties, and the Engineering Design Process to design and improve a hand pollinator for a model flower?

Designing a Hand Pollinator In this lesson, students will: – Use the steps of the Engineering Design Process as they design a hand pollinator – Think about the design constraints imposed by different model flowers – Use what they learned in Lesson 3 about the properties of materials for their designs – Test their hand pollinator designs and use test results to improve their designs Students learn that: – Engineers use a series of steps called the Engineering Design Process to design solutions to problems – A human made design (technology) can help to solve a problem within the natural world – A tool designed to solve one specific problem may not be successful in solving another similar problem

Lesson 4 - Two Parts Students work in pairs for both lesson parts Part 1 - “Ask”, “Imagine” and “Plan” steps - Prepare materials table and model flowers (see teachers guide or EiE video for instructions on preparing model flowers) - Each student pair receives one of the four model flower types, for which they will design a hand pollinator - Each student will “Imagine” several ideas, then select one to “Plan” Part 2 - Create” and “Improve” steps - Students “Create” the design they planned, then test it using the three tap method from Lesson 3 - Students will “Improve” design based on test results

Activity & Discussion Questions Distribute bag of sample materials to each student pair Inform students that they will have larger material samples for their design Which materials did you not test in Lesson 3 (craft stick, wire, string, straw)? What might you use them for? Hand pollinator must have both material to pick up pollen and handle to reach into flower Which materials picked up and dropped off the most pollen? What properties did those materials have? What is the “three tap” method of testing?

Ask

Imagine Students should each think of two or three ideas individually before they work with their partner

Plan Students should work with their partner to pick one design to “Create” Watch for students who want to dominate the discussion; encourage them to circle parts of different ideas they would like to combine

Create One student from each group collects material from materials table Remind students of three tap testing method Depending on maturity of students, you may want to not add pollen to flowers until design is built and you have looked at it Encourage students to complete questions 5 & 6 of this worksheet before they start any redesign activity

Improve Prior to “Improve” step have class discussion. Ask each group: Was your hand pollinator able to pick up and drop off pollen? How do you know? What parts of your hand pollinator worked well? What parts could be improved? How will you know if your hand pollinator design is improved?

(Basic level doesn’t include cost)

Return to the Guiding Question: How can we use our knowledge of pollination, materials and their properties, and the Engineering Design Process to design and improve a hand pollinator for a model flower?

Reflection: Did your redesigned hand pollinator work better than your original design? How do you know? Do you think you spent enough time on your plan? Could you have made your plan better? How? If you redesigned your hand pollinator to work with another flower, what would you do? Which step of the Engineering Design Process did you find the most difficult? The easiest? Why?

Teachers: Lesson 4 Encourage students to connect to Lesson 3 data when choosing materials for their designs Students often struggle with the “Imagine” and “Plan” steps of the EDP and might need some extra support Allow enough time for the “Improve” step of the EDP and separate it from the “Create” step Extension lesson idea: students develop pricing for different material orders using pricing sheet pollinators_receipts.pdf pollinators_receipts.pdf Extension lesson idea: student workbook with fun activities to reinforce pollination concepts