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Introducing Flowers

Source:

Noss National Nature Reserve, teaching pack (SNH)

OBJECTIVES

Time

10-20 minutes

You will need

Did you know?

Flowers are often designed to attract particular insect pollinators by using smell and colour. In addition, the nectar is often contained at the bottom of long tubes, so that only long tongued bees, moths or butterflies can get access to the nectar.

Before the activity

Check with the ranger or warden, if available, where would be a good place to do this activity. Ask if you can pick one or two of the commoner flowers to show the children the nectar and the pollen. Check with them which flowers you could use for this activity (including tree flowers - such as willow - good source of pollen!). Ask for help if you are not sure about finding the pollen and the nectar.

The activity

Find a sunny spot which has lots of flowers.

Talk with the children about flowers. Ask them if they find them attractive. What other animals find flowers attractive? Does anyone know what else the flower does to attract insects. The flower has nectar (sugary liquid) which is food for the insects. The insects visit the flowers to find the nectar, attracted by the bright colours and sometimes by the smell. Find out if the children know what the plant gets in return for offering food. What else is in the flower? When the insect visits the flower and searches for the nectar, some of the flower's pollen gets stuck to it. When the insect moves onto another flower, the pollen is taken with it and transferred onto the second flower. The second flower is then able to make seeds (reproduce).

So why aren't all flowers pretty then? Get them to think about how else pollen can be moved between flowers? Can they feel the wind blowing around them? Is pollen heavy or light? Do they think the wind could carry it? So that's it! Some plants rely on the wind to move their pollen. If you are a plant which relies on the wind, there is no need to go to all the trouble of making pretty flowers and nectar to attract insects. Can they spot some flowers which rely on the wind to move their pollen (all the grasses and many trees use the wind as a pollinator).

Ask the children to look closely at the petals, stems and leaves of a flower close to them. What colour are the petals? How many petals are there? Are the stems and leaves hairy or smooth or prickly? Are they thin or thick? Shiny or waxy or dull? Big or small? If you have hand lenses get them to look intently at the leaves and stems and petals. Can they hold a leaf up to the light and see if they can see through it and see it's veins?

Ask the children to swap flowers with a friend (they don't need to pick the flowers, they can move rather than the flower!). Get them to examine this flower in detail and discuss it's differences with their friend.

Ask them to choose one of the flowers to draw - not forgetting the stem and leaves and all the details they were able to see. They can add in where the leaves have been nibbled by insects and add in an insect too if they want.

Suggested Follow up

Grow flowers in pots and containers in the school grounds. Select plants which will flower at different times of year and which will attract a variety of different insects

Additional Information

Plants are often hairy so that they can preserve moisture. The wind can dry out stems and leaves, the hairs trap a layer of moisture laden air around the leaf or stem which decreases the drying effect of the wind. Plants are also sometimes hairy to make them less attractive to eat, nettles even have stinging hairs to really put the nibblers off!

Scottish Natural Heritage provide free leaflets about planting for wildlife in the Garden For .... series:

These are available from SNH Publications at Battleby, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW, Tel 01738 444177

Curriculum Links

Age Range

1. Pre-school
2. Primary