GWS parts of a flower curriculum - Groundwork …

1 Identifying parts of a flower Objective As a result of this lesson, students should be able to identify parts of a flower , including the pistil, sepals, calyx, petals, stamen, filament, anther, ovary, style, and stigma. Students should understand each part s function and role within the flower and the flower s environment. Standards Identify the structures in plants (leaves, roots, flowers , stem, bark, wood) that are responsible for food production, support, water transport, reproduction, growth, and protection. Duration One hour class (including Paper flowers and flower Dissection ) or two 50 minute classes ( Paper flower one day, flower Dissection the other day) Prior knowledge Function of flowers : The primary function of all flowers is to produce seeds.

2 Seeds are needed by plants to reproduce. The shape, color, smell, and size of the flower all play crucial roles in helping the flower produce seeds. flowers must first be pollinated in order to make seeds. parts of the flower : Each part of the flower contributes to the flower s role of making seeds. The pistil is the female part of the flower and is made up of the stigma, style, ovary, and ovule. Each pistil is made up of one or many leaf like structures. The ovary is the enlarged base where seeds develop to fruit and where ovules await fertilization. The ovule is the part of the ovary that turns into seeds.

3 The style is a long stalk that comes out of the base of the ovary and holds up the stigma. The stigma is the sticky bulb at the center of the flower . Pollen grains attach to the stigma and germinate, producing seeds and fruit. The male part of the flower is called the stamen and is composed of the anther and filament. The stamen produces pollen. The filament is a thin structure, which supports the anther. The anthers are filled with pollen. When the pollen is ready to be spread, the anthers open up and curl back to release pollen. The pollen is picked up by pollinators or the wind and transferred between flowers .

4 The role of the petals is to attract certain animals to the flower for pollination. Petals come in a variety of colors, shapes, and smells in order to attract certain pollinators. The sepals are leaf like parts at the bottom of the flower and help protect the developing bud. Sepals are mostly green, except for lilies and tulips, which are colorful. A group of sepals is called a calyx. flowers can have all male parts , all female parts , or a combination of male and female parts . flowers with all male or female parts are labeled imperfect and include, cucumbers, pumpkins, and melons. flowers that have both male and female parts are labeled perfect and include roses, lilies, and dandelions, tomatoes, broccoli, basil, and most vegetable plants other than cucumbers.

5 ( ) A Brief Overview of Pollination: Pollination refers to the movement of pollen. Although many flowers make their own pollen, flowers often need more pollen from other flowers to produce seeds. Pollen is moved from flower to flower by wind, water, or with the help of animal pollinators. Some examples of animal pollinators include bees, ants, bats, butterflies, hummingbirds, and wasps. These animals come to the flower in order to eat its sweet nectar or protein rich pollen. In the process of searching for the flower s nectar, animal pollinators come in contact with the stamen, covered in pollen. The animal pollinators become dusted with pollen and continue on to other flowers .

6 Upon reaching another flower , the animal pollinators brush up against the flower s sticky stigma, thus spreading the pollen (New York Botanical Garden, flower Mystery) Approximately 80% of all flowering plants and over 75% of the staple crops that feed humans rely on animal pollinators ( Forest Service, Celebrating Wildflowers ) How flowers Produce Seeds: Pollen moves from the stigma to the ovary. In the ovary, pollen combines with ovules to produce seeds. Simultaneously, the flower s petals die and the ovary grows into a fruit with seeds inside. (New York Botanical Garden, flower Mystery) Materials Tulip or lily (Note: Florists, grocery stores, and funeral homes may be willing to donate leftover flowers .)

7 Photographs of different types of flowers Diagram of parts of the flower (see page 7) Q tips Tissue paper (4 6 pieces for each child) Pipe cleaners or twist ties Glue sticks Felt pompoms Construction paper Scissors (optional) Markers (optional) The Reason for a flower by Ruth Heller (optional) Cohort (Grade levels, class size, etc) 2nd 5th grade, 3 20 students Setting Teacher guides conversation and introduces activity with instructions and background, followed by individual and small group work with teacher supervision. This lesson can take place in a classroom or outside. Connection to Literacy Through this lesson plan, students will expand their vocabulary by learning the names and functions of parts of the flower and will learn to use these words in context.

8 Students will observe the parts of the flower both on a diagram and on the actual flower and will make inferences about the roles of each part . Students will hone their analysis skills by comparing and contrasting the number, shape, and smell of parts of various flowers . By creating paper flowers , students are encouraged to demonstrate their creativity through art. By presenting their paper flowers to the class, students will learn how to articulate and convey information. Students are encouraged to work in groups in the paper flowers and flower dissection activities, promoting the development of communication and collaboration skills.

9 Through flower Poetry, children will use their five senses to analyze flowers and convert their observations to a lyrical form. Guiding Questions What is the role of a flower ? (Note: The Reason for a flower by Ruth Heller may be a helpful resource in answering this question) What are the names and functions of each parts of the flower ? How does each part of the flower contribute to seed production? What is the role of pollinators in seed production? Learning experiences Begin with a conversation on the function of the flower as a whole and the roles of individual parts (Note It is helpful to have an actual simple flower such as a tulip or lily to show students the parts of the flower ): Time (15 minutes) Ask students what grows in their yards.

10 Have you ever given flowers as gift? Have you ever used flowers as decoration? Bring in photographs of different types of flowers and pass them around, naming the type of flower in each photograph. Note: Pictures of tulips and lilies are optimal, as they have easily identifiable parts , unlike carnations, daisies and chrysanthemums and other complex flowers . What is your favorite kind of flower ? Why do flowers exist? We know that they provide us with beauty and wonderful aromas, but what is their function in nature? The main role of the flower is to make seeds, and seeds become fruit. The flower is divided into male and female parts .