POLLINATION MODULE REVEIW Funded by the Teacher Quality Program A project of : The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, The GA Museum of Natural History and Georgia 4-H

POLLINATION MODULE REVIEW Overview: In this module, learners work as naturalists, displaying curiosity as they investigate pollinators as well as host and nectar plants on their Club site. Activities include a flower dissection, pollinator count, a cross pollination game, butterfly investigation stations and more. A GEN take-home pamphlet allows learners to extend their knowledge by looking for pollinators near their home and share their knowledge about pollination with other family members. An optional stewardship/service learning project involves learners growing and planting host and nectar plants on their school site to feed and attract more pollinators to their site.

POLLINATION MODULE Enduring Understandings: Learners will understand that… * Pollinators, including bees, butterflies, flies, wasps, beetles are necessary for traits to be transferred from one plant to another. *Pollination is a vital life support function that sustains life in all ecosystems. Essential Questions: Why is pollination important to my daily existence on earth? Who pollinates flowers in my local environment? How can I help pollinators that live on my school site or in my local environment?

Major Concepts: 1. Plants require help from animals, wind or rain in order to mate and reproduce. 2. Plants give animals rewards, such as pollen and nectar, as a lure to visit flowers. 3. Plants and animals have adapted to work together. 4. Pesticides, when applied inappropriately to crops, kill many beneficial insects, such as pollinators. 5. Pollinators are essential for fruits, seeds, or new generations of flowering plants. 6. Pollinators are threatened by habit loss and lack of host plants. 7. Some pollinators migrate each year to cope with climate and food issues. POLLINATION MODULE

Each module contains 4 main Lessons as well as a suggested Citizen Science project.

FRONT BACK GRAB YOUR GEN QUICK GUIDE! QUICK GUIDE Features: Essential Questions At A Glance Concepts Objectives Learning cycle wheel Procedures / Supplies Pollination Quick Guides 75 minute lesson plans

Pollination Module: Quick Guide 1

Pollination Module: Quick Guide 2

Pollination Module: Quick Guide 3

Pollination Module: Quick Guide 4

POLLINATION MODULE: -REVIEW RESOURCES Introductory PowerPoint Instructor Background Info Internet search

Welcome to the Pollination Department

13 Every place on Earth is an ecosystem, including our club site.

In today’s club adventure we will investigate pollination eco-services… 3

…provided at our club site. 4

bees even do headstands for it! 5 Pollination is so much fun…,

Pollination is: 1)another name for the country of Polli. 2)a new way to take a survey. 3)how plants reproduce. 6

If you guessed how most plants reproduce… You were right! 7

Let’s look at the parts of a flower. Male parts : stamens (anther and filament) Female parts: pistil (stigma, style, ovary) 8

Flower Parts Most flowers have both male and female parts, and it is best if pollen goes from one plant to the stigma of a different plant. 9

Here’s another kind of flower, an Easter lily. 10

How do plants make sure that pollen goes from one plant to another? Separate male and female flowers 11

Or plants might make sure that the male & female flower parts mature at different times.

Pollination Department In Garden Earth, Suga Magnolia oversees the department and all its workers. 13

Suga has lots of workers. Let’s meet some of them. 14

Bees 15

Wasps 16

Butterflies 17

Beetles 18

Flies 19

Birds 20

Bats 21

Breezes (yes, the wind can pollinate) Johnsongrass Red Maple 22

Why do pollinators visit flowers? To collect pollen: used as food for bee larvae (babies). 23

Why do pollinators visit flowers? To collect nectar: provides energy for the pollinator or its young. 24

What attracts pollinators to flowers? Flower color Flower odor Deception 25

Adaptations for Pollinators: Red color Flowers with a tube shape Large amounts of sweet nectar Open during day Hummingbirds often visit flowers that have:

Adaptations for Pollinators: White color Flowers with a tube shape Large amounts of sweet nectar Open during night Hawkmoths often visit flowers that have:

Adaptations for Pollinators: Butterflies Many colors Flower clusters to land on Odorless Small floral tubes with nectar

Adaptations for Pollinators: Tiny flowers Many flower parts missing No nectar Open during day or night Wind pollinated plants have:

Adaptations for Pollinators: Bees are the most common and important pollinators. Color: yellow, blue, white Short tube Sweet scent Ultraviolet patterns

From Gronquist, Matthew et al. (2001) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 98,

How will we learn about pollination ? Bees! Hardworking Pollination department workers!

How will we learn about the Pollination Department? Parts of a Flower

Bees & Flowers: Lots of Variation

What could hurt pollinators at our site? 36

Threats to Pollinators Pollinators are threatened by: Use of pesticides Lack of host plants Destruction of habitat 37

How can you help pollinators? Don’t use pesticides in areas where pollinators are visiting. Plant many different kinds of plants to provide nectar during the entire growing season. Leave some bare areas as homes for ground nesting bees.

What can we do to help the Pollination Department at our site?

Quiz Yourself 1. Most of the trees on our school site (oak, pine, etc.) are dependent upon ________ for pollination. 2.Name five organisms (Pollination Department workers) that move pollen from plant to plant. 3.The activities of man have forced many species to the point of extinction. List two ways in which this is happening. 4.What benefits or rewards do plants provide for their flower visitors? 5.In plants, male reproductive cells are called _______________ and female cells are called _______________.

HAVE FUN LEADING THE POLLINATION MODULE WITH YOUR CLUB! & PLEASE SEND PHOTOS OF YOUR ACTIVITIES