The Pollinators' Journey

The Pollinators’ Journey Summary Background pollen directly to the flower. Students perform a short play While collecting nectar from the about threatened migratory Flowering plants are much more base of a flower, pollinators like pollinators. common than non-flowering bees brush against pollen from plants. Many people believe that the flower’s anther. The bee ends the success of flowering plants is up carrying a load of pollen on due in large part to the flower’s its body. At the next flower the Grade Level: K-4; 5-8 close relationship with animals bee visits, some of that pollen in the process called pollination. reaches the female reproductive Time: 2 to 3 class periods parts while the bee feeds. For (90 minutes or more) Many flowering plants depend other animals, the exact way on animals to reproduce. Bees, they collect and deliver the Subjects: Science, Language Arts, butterflies, hummingbirds, bats, pollen is different (humming- Art, Social Studies ants, moths, beetles and others birds sometimes collect pollen visit flowers in search of food. In on their heads!), but the Skills: Evaluation, observation the process, animals pollinate the function is the same. The polli- flowers, bringing their reproduc- nation relationship is mutually Learning Objectives: tive cells from one plant to beneficial to flower and animal – Students will be able to: another of the same species. Pol- one gets food while the other ■ List four animals that pollinate lination leads to fertilization, the receives help reproducing. flowers development of new seeds and, ■ Describe the the relationship in some plants, fruit. The young Over time, flowers have devel- between pollinators and the seeds (either in fruit or not) may oped adaptations to ensure that plants they pollinate be carried by wind, water or ani- the best pollinator for their ■ Name three environmental mals to new locations where, if species will visit and threats facing pollinators today all goes well, they will grow into return often to ■ State one way that people can new plants. feed. In fact, help protect pollinators flowers’ How does the process of Materials: pollination work? Flowers ■ Video: Pollinators in Peril contain a plant’s reproductive (Produced by NWF; to order a parts, including the male loaner copy, call 703-438-6001). anther and the female pistil. (See ■ Flower anatomy reference page 48 for a diagram). The sheet structure of the flower forces the ■ Pollinator’s Journey work male anther, holding pollen sheets grains, to brush up against the ■ Paper pollinating species while it is fragrance, bright ■ Pencils looking for its food, the nectar. colors, nourishing nectar and ■ Pipe Cleaners The female pistil includes the varied shapes are considered ■ Paper plates stamen, which is sticky and col- adaptations to attract certain ■ String lects pollen from the bodies of pollinators. For example, the ■ Glue animal visitors, and the egg, bright colors of flower petals ■ Markers or crayons called an ova. When pollen are thought to help flowers stand ■ A fresh flower grains fertilize an ova, a new seed out against a green background. ■ Pictures of a monarch butterfly, begins to develop. Many flowers, such as a black- lesser long-nosed bat, organ eyed susan, have a bull’s-eye pat- pipe cactus and milkweed Plants, rooted in one place, must tern of color to focus animal ■ Maps of Southern Arizona, the face the challenge of transferring attention on the part of the Sonoran Desert and Mexico pollen to another flower of the flower with pollen and nectar. ■ Books on pollination, flowers, same species. Some flowers rely Violets have both a weak bull’s- monarch butterflies and nectar- on wind to carry pollen grains, eye pattern as well as “nectar feeding bats while others use water. Animal guides” – a pattern that radiates pollinators, however, give plants out from the nectar cup and an advantage as they deliver leads animals to the part | Activities of the flower where the nectar, In this decade, anther and stamen are found. conservation biol- Many flowers have nectar guides, ogists discovered a which aren’t always visible disturbing trend. to the human eye. Pollinator populations have declined Birds and bees find different drastically. Domesticated flowers attractive, largely due to honeybee populations differences in the animal senses. dropped 25% between Birds have a poor sense of smell, 1990 and 1998, mostly but keen color vision. Bees use due to the spread of a parasitic both color and odors to find a mite. Wild bee populations suitable flower. The face risks from pesticides and shape of the flower also habitat loss, and other polli- plays a role in deter- nators, such as birds, bats mining the kind of pol- and butterflies, have also linator who can feed from suffered declines. Migra- the flower. Butterflies must have tory pollinators appear a perch to land on while feeding. especially vulnerable to Hummingbirds can hover in habitat loss and other front of the flower and so don’t threats. In the United need a place to land. Pollinators States many migratory pol- have also adapted to ensure that linators are in peril. For they will have access to flower example, the lesser long- nectar. Animal adaptations nosed bat pollinates cacti such as milkweed plants and humans – include sense of smell, color the organ pipe and saguaro com- on paper scraps. Student groups preferences, beak shape (especial- mon to the Sonoran desert land- will pick a character out of a ly noticeable in hummingbirds) scape. The bat, along with bowl for the play. and tongue length. migratory pollinators such as the rufous hummingbird, white- Pollinators have a critical role in winged doves and monarch but- both agricultural and natural terflies, must move from bloom Procedure ecosystems. Crop plants depend to bloom to take in enough 1. on pollination to produce much energy on its 2,000 mile or more Introduce the main ideas of of the food we eat – from wheat journey to Mexico to survive. pollination – flowering plants and oats to corn and tomatoes. Along this nectar corridor, and their pollinators have adapt- In fact, scientists estimate that human development, extensive ed to each other to the point every third bite of food humans planting of non-native species that one may have trouble eat is made possible by the (that pollinators can’t feed on) surviving without the other. act of pollination. Pollinators and the destruction of “stop- Show a diagram of a flower’s are also key to maintaining over” areas by pesticides and parts and pictures of different the health and biodiversity of human alterations work together pollinators interacting with wildlife habitat. Many flowering to reduce the number of these flowers. Ask students to give plants will not produce seeds migrants. For instance, monarch examples of pollinators, such as for the next generation, such butterflies depend on the milk- bees, butterflies, birds, bats and as new oak trees or milkweed weed plant for food and a place others. Outline the role that pol- plants, without the aid of animal to raise young. The milkweed is linators play in maintaining the pollinators. A habitat that often a target of large-scale her- health of an ecosystem and its doesn’t have young to replace bicide spraying along roads and biodiversity. the old of all species will eventu- on farms. 2. ally become less diverse – a few Explain that some key types of plants may become pollinators (from honeybees to dominant, and in turn, the Preparation hummingbirds) are now threat- habitat will be able to support ened due to parasites, habitat fewer animal species. 1. Write the characters for the play – long-nose bats, monarch butterflies, organ pipe cacti, National Wildlife Federation | WORKSHEET Bee - Pollinator Pistil Stigma Style Stamen Ovary Anther Filament Petals The Stamen is the male part of the flower that produce the pollen. Each stamen has 2 parts: The Anther, which produces the pollen, and the Filament, which provides support for the anther. The Pistil is the female part of the flower that produces the seeds. The pistil has 3 parts: The sticky Stigma receives pollen during pollination, the Ovary produces seeds, and the Style connects the stigman to the ovary. Petals surround and protect these parts of the flower. 48 | Activities © Copyright 2001 National Wildlife Federation loss, pesticides and introduced ridor has been built on or con- a long nose and a long tongue species. The effects of a major verted to roads or farms. People (use pink construction paper) loss of pollinators could be have used pesticides in some and may also fashion wings. dramatic. Ecosystems could areas that kill the plants relied Cacti can color their masks change their character, as trees upon by migrants. Not having green and cut pipe cleaners in to and plants once common, begin enough plants to feed on during 1/2 to 1 inch pieces to represent to disappear. Agriculture could the journey reduces the number cactus spines. Have them glue also suffer huge losses, which of pollinators that can survive. the “spines” onto the paper plate might lead to less food being as well as a “flower”. Milkweed produced. Create a chart show- 6. Tell students that they will plants may want to draw or cut ing what students know and now act out a short play about and paste green leaves and milk- what they want to know about the problems faced by a special weed flowers onto the mask. pollination. group of pollinators, the migratory pollinators in the South- 8. Read the following story to 3. If you have it available, watch western United States. Divide students once out loud. Then, the NWF video Pollinators in class into 5 groups, which will have them rehearse the four Peril for further background for each pick one character from a scenes while you remind them of the students.

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