Plant Growth & Development
Lesson 9
Getting a Handle on Your Bee
Students will observe dried bees, carefully glue them to toothpicks, and use them for cross pollinating their Brassica plants.
Reading and highlighting the objectives in each lesson assures that participants are with you at the beginning of each lesson.
4. Lesson set up and Management
GLE 1.1.6 Understand the characteristics of living organisms.
(Lessons 1-7, 9, 10, 16)
*Identify observable characteristics of living organisms (e.g., plants have roots, stems, leaves, seeds, flowers; bees have two antennae, compound eyes, six legs, two pairs of wings, a head, thorax, and abdomen).
*Describe how plants and animals get food differently.
GLE 1.2.1 Analyze how the parts of a system go together, and how these parts depend on each other.
(Lessons 1-14, 16)
*Identify the parts of a system (e.g., roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds) and how the parts go together.
*Describe the function of a part of a system (e.g., leaves are the food factories of Wisconsin Fast Plants.)
*Explain how one part of a system depends upon other parts of the same system.
*Predict and explain how a system would work if one of its parts was missing or broken.
GLE 1.2.3 Know that substances are made of small particles.
(Lessons 1, 2, 6, 9 10, 11)
*Observe and describe that some particles can only be seen with magnification (e.g., parts of seeds, parts of flowers, parts of bees).
GLE 1.2.7 Understand the life cycles of plants and animals, and the differences between inherited and acquired characteristics.
(Lessons 3-12, 16)
*Observe and describe the life cycle of a plant or animal (e.g., Wisconsin Fast Plant).
*Describe that the young of plants and animals grow to resemble their parents as they mature into adults (e.g., Wisconsin Fast Plants; bees).
*Describe inherited characteristics (e.g., leaf shape, flower shape and color).
GLE 1.3.8 Understand that living things need constant energy and matter.
(Lessons 3-12, 16 and EXTENSIONS: students also earn information from listed books, videos, web sites)
*Identify sources of energy and matter used by plants and animals to grow and sustain life (e.g., air, water, light, food, mineral nutrients).
*Identify sources of energy and matter used by animals to grow and sustain life (e.g., air, water, light, food, mineral nutrients).
*Explain how plants and animals obtain food (e.g., plants make food from air, water and sunlight, mineral nutrients; animals obtain food from other living things.)
GLE 2.1.1 Understand how to ask a question about objects, organisms, and events in the environment.
(Lessons 1-16)
*Ask questions about objects, organisms, and events based on observations of the natural world.
GLE 2.1.2 Understand how to plan and conduct simple investigations following all safety rules.
(Lessons 1-16)
*Make predictions of the results of an investigation (e.g., growth rate of the Wisconsin Fast Plant during the growth spurt).
*Generate a logical plan for, and conduct, a simple controlled investigation with the following attributes: 1)appropriate materials, tools, and available computer technology, 2) gather, record, and organize data using appropriate units, charts, and/or graphs.
*Identify and use simple equipment and tools (such as magnifiers, rulers) to gather data and extend the senses.
*Follow all safety rules during investigations
GLE 2.1.5 Understand how to report investigations and explanations of objects, events, systems, and processes.
(Lessons 1-16)
*Report observations or data of simple investigations without making inferences.
*Summarize an investigation by describing: -materials used in the investigation, -observations, data, results, -explanations and conclusions in written, mathematical, oral, and information technology presentation formats, -safety procedures used
GLE 2.2.1 Understand that all scientific observations are reported accurately and honestly even when the observations contradict expectations.
(Lessons 1-12, 15, 16)
*Explain why scientific observations are recorded accurately and honestly.
*Explain why scientific records of observations are not changed even when the records do not match initial expectations.
*Explain why honest acknowledgement of the contributions of others and information sources are necessary.
GLE 2.2.3 Understand why similar investigations may not produce similar results.
(Lessons 3-12, 15, 16)
*Describe reasons why two similar investigations can produce different results (e.g., identify possible sources of error, different rates of plant growth).
GLE 2.2.4 Understand how to make the results of scientific investigations reliable.
(Lessons 3-12, 15, 16)
*Describe how the method of investigation insures reliable results (i.e., reliability means that repeating an investigation gives similar results).
GLE 2.2.5 Understand that scientific comprehension of systems increases through inquiry.
(Lessons 3-12, 15, 16)
*Describe how scientific inquiry results in facts, unexpected findings, ideas, evidence, and explanations.
GLE 3.2.2 Understand that people have invented tools for everyday life and for scientific investigations.
(Lessons 1-12, 15, 16)
*Describe tools (technology) invented to advance scientific investigations (e.g., rulers, plant lights, automatic watering system, magnification devices, the development of Wisconsin Fast Plants by Dr. Paul Williams for classroom investigations).
- Flowering plants must be pollinated in order to produce seeds.
- Many plants are pollinated by bees.
- A flower’s pollen clings to a bee, but some rubs off when the bee feeds at other flowers.
Flowering plants cannot produce seeds unless they have been pollinated. Honey bees have specialized bodies and jobs that support life in the hive - workers, drones and the queen.
Student Preconception
Most students have acquired a healthy respect for bees, having personally experienced a bee sting or two. Students are initially wary of touching the dried bees, even though they are dead. You will need to reassure your students that dead bees cannot sting any more.
4. Lesson set up and Management
Materials:
Tip:
A convenient place to store the bee sticks is in the soil of the planter quads. They are easy to find when students need to use them and you don’t need to provide a special receptacle in which to store them.
Labeled parts of a 10X magnified dried
honeybee.
FINAL ACTIVITIES
Depending on the time of year when this unit is taught, the expectations you have for writing will need to be taken into account.
Show student work from your classroom if available.
EXTENSIONS
Music integration:
Tickle Tune Typhoon: Singing Science, "I Am An Insect"
ASIN: B000063124 1-800 490-0871
http://www.tickletunetyphoon.com
Writing Support:
- While students are reading "Bees," have them write interesting facts and questions they may have down on sticky notes. Students keep the sticky notes in their book until they are ready to transfer their sticky notes to their science notebooks.
Reading Support: Students use non-fiction reading strategies.
- Continue reading books listed in Lesson 8.
- Have students partner-read and write interesting facts and questions they may have on sticky notes. Students leave their sticky notes on the pages of the book until they are ready to transfer their sticky notes into their student notebooks.