Title

Life Science - LOOK AT THAT: Pollinators

Authors

Elizabeth Martinez, Illinois Mathematics and Science AcademyFollow

Document Type

Teacher Resource

Grade Level

Grade Level: 2nd Grade

Publication Date

5-2020

Background Information

Pollinators are responsible for moving pollen from one flower to another flower of the same species or from one part of a flower to another part of the same flower. Moving the pollen from the stamen, male part of the flower, to the stigma, the female part of the flower, completes pollination, and results in the fertilization of a plant so that seeds may be produced to ensure reproduction.

Pollination involves animals such as butterflies, bees, wasps, insects, spiders, hummingbirds, and bats. These animals may deliberately visit a flower to gather pollen or accidently collect pollen while seeking nectar or nest building materials.

Some animals have structures that assist in the collecting of pollen, which is sticky and barbed. For example, a lemur and bat have fur, bees have fuzzy covered legs, and some birds have a sticky tongue.

Abiotic factors, such as wind and water, also help pollinate plants. Seeds that are produced by pollination may also be dispersed by animals, wind, and/or water.

Pollinators are vital members of ecosystems and contribute to clean air, healthy and stable soil, and generating oxygen. In addition, a large part of the agricultural economy is dependent upon pollinators.

Performance Expectations

2-LS2-2 Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy, and Dynamics

Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.

https://www.nextgenscience.org/pe/2-ls2-2-ecosystems-interactions-energy-and-dynamics

Recommended Citation

Martinez, Elizabeth, "Life Science - LOOK AT THAT: Pollinators" (2020). Model NGSS Lessons: Kindergarten - 3rd Grade. 20.
https://digitalcommons.imsa.edu/model_ngss_lessons_k_3/20