FLOWER DISSECTIONS

Weallknowflowersarelovelytolookat,buttheyhaveanamazingpurposefarbeyondaddingbeautytotheworld!Flowerdissectionsareagreatwaytotakedeeperlookintotheworldoftheseearth-superheroes,andevenmakeconnectionsbetweenourownbodiesandthoseofplants!Perhapsbestofall,FlowerDissectionsareeasy,fun,andengagingforallages,andrequirenomoretoolsthanourhands,fingers,andeyes!

ThepurposeofFlowerDissectionsislessaboutmemorizingthenamesandfunctionsofflowerpartsandmoreabouthavingahands-onopportunitytoexaminethepartsofa

flowerandmakeconnections.FlowerDissectionsencouragechildrentothinkbeyondtheprettypresentationofafloweranddelveabitmoreintohowthatlovelypieceofnaturesupportsaninterestingandimportantfunctionandpurpose.FlowerDissectionsalsoalign

withtheNextGenerationScienceStandards,whichwewillexploremoreatbelow.

MATERIALSRequired:hands,fingers,eyes,curiosity!

Optional:scissors,tape,pencil,magnifyingglass,cellphonecamera

Step1:Chooseyourflowers!Werecommendchoosing3differenttypesofflowersiftheyareavailablesothatyoucanseethesimilaritiesanddifferencesinsideofeach.Thisprovidesawonderfulopportunitytodiscussdiversity,andhowthoughtheflowerslook

different,theyeachhaveaveryimportantfunction.Ifyoudonothaveaccesstodifferent

typesofflowers,anyflowerwilldo,howeverflowerssuchaslilies,daisies,andpoppiesareideal.

Step2:ReviewthePartsofaFlowerdiagram.Whileitisnotnecessaryforchildrentomemorizethenamesandfunctionsofflowerparts,thediagramwillserveasanexcellent

guideforunderstandingwhattheyareseeingastheymovethroughthedissection.

Step3:Tellchildrentheyareabouttobecomejuniorbotanists!(Abotanistisan expert in or student of the scientific study of plants.)Explainthattheveryfirstthingany

scientistdoesissimplypayattention,observe,andexaminesomething.Thereisnorightwaytodissectaflower-That’swhatsoexcitingaboutthisactivity.Placeyourfloweronaworksurface,andbeginyourdissection!Oftenchildrenareafraidtodisturbtheflower-Encouragethemtodissecttheirflowercarefully,butremindthemthattheydon’thavetobeasgentleastheywouldwithaflowerusedfordecoration.Ifachildneedsaprompt,agoodplacetostartisbypullingthepetalsapartandawayfromthebase.Thisisagreatopportunitytoexercisefinemotorskillsandpracticeself-control.Whilechildrencanusescissorsorpenciltipstoslicepartslikethestemandovariesopen,fingernailsworkgreat!Themoretheytakeaflowerapart,themoretheywillfindthingstotakeapart!Theywillfindthatpetalscanbepeeledintothinnerlayers,tinyeggscanbefoundinsideofthe

ovary,strandscanbefoundinthestem,moisturepocketscanbeuncovered,andpigmentcanbeextracted,amongotherthings!Letchildrendissecttheflowersaslongandas

extensivelyastheylike.

Step4:Examineandinvestigate!Asyourchildremoveseachpartfromtheflower,askthempromptingquestions-Whatdidyoujustfind?Whatdoyouthinkthatdoes?Whydoyouthinkthat’sthere?Howdoyouthinkit’srelatedtotheotherpartsoftheflower?Whatdoyounoticeaboutthatpart?Canyoufindthatpartonthediagram?What’sitcalled?Doesitremindyouofanything?Ifyouhaveamagnifyingglassavailable,youcanuseittotakeacloserlookattheinnerworkingsofthepieces.Ifyoudonot,simplyuse

thecamerafunctiononyourcellphonetozoominonacertainpart-Itwillworkjustlikeamagnifyingglass!Askchildrenwhattheynoticeinthemagnifiedimagethattheycouldn’t

seewiththeirnakedeye.

AdditionalExplorations:Forfurtherengagement,yourchildcantapethedifferentpiecesoftheirflowerstopaperorinsidenotebooks.Theycanlabeltheseparts,drawdetailed

pictures,andjournaltheirquestionsandobservations.

Reflections:Talktochildrenaboutwhattheyobserved!Whatdidtheydiscover?Whatdidtheylearn?Whatnewquestionsdotheyhave?Whatkindsofanimalsdotheythinkmightbedrawntotheirflower,andwhy?Whatkindofpollinatormightbedrawntothestructureorfunctionoftheirflower?RefertothePartsofaFlowerdiagram,andmakeconnectionsbetweentheirflowersandthefunctionsonthediagram.Discusshowthe

petalsprotectthepistilandstamen,andhowtheleavesmakethestemoftheflowerstronger.Helpchildrendrawconnectionstotheirlivesandtheirbodies-Doourbodies

havesimilarpartsandfunctions(i.e.aneck,ourskin,etc.).Endyouractivitybydiscussingpollination,andexplaininghowandwhyflowersareearth-superheroes.

NGSS

FlowerDissectionsalsosupportNextGenerationScienceStandards!DuringFlowerDissections,childrenwill:*Askquestions;developandusemodels,planandcarryoutinvestigations;analyzeandinterpretdata;constructexplanations;engageinargumentfromevidence;andobtain,evaluate,andcommunicateinformation.Theywillalso

explore:*Patterns;causeandeffect;scale,proportion,andquantity;systemsandsystemmodels;energyandmatter;structureandfunction;andstabilityandchange.

ENJOYYOURDISSECTIONS!

Besuretocheckoutthehelpfulmaterialsbelow,includingthe*PartsofaFlowerdiagram,*PollinationPower,*FromFlowertoFruit,*FunFactsaboutFlowers,and*LifeCycleofaFlower.Your

littleoneswillneverlookatflowersquitethesameagain!(*fromTheUniversityofIllinoisExtensionsTeacher’sGuide:https://web.extension.illinois.edu/gpe/glossary/fruit.html)

PARTS OF A FLOWER

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Flowersareimportantinmakingseeds.Flowerscanbemadeupofdifferentparts,buttherearesomepartsthatarebasicequipment.Themainflowerpartsarethemalepart

calledthestamenandthefemalepartcalledthepistil.

Thestamenhastwoparts:antherandfilaments.Theantherscarrythepollen.Thesearegenerallyyellowincolor.Anthersareheldupbyathread-likepartcalledafilament.

Thepistilhasthreeparts:stigma,style,andovary.Thestigmaisthestickysurfaceatthetopofthepistil;ittrapsandholdsthepollen.Thestyleisthetube-likestructurethat

holdsupthestigma.Thestyleleadsdowntotheovarythatcontainstheovules.

Otherpartsoftheflowerthatareimportantarethepetalsandsepals.Petalsattractpollinatorsandareusuallythereasonwhywebuyandenjoyflowers.Thesepalsarethegreenpetal-likepartsatthebaseoftheflower.Sepalshelpprotectthedevelopingbud.

Flowerscanhaveeitherallmaleparts,allfemaleparts,oracombination.Flowerswithallmaleorallfemalepartsarecalledimperfect(cucumbers,pumpkinandmelons).Flowers

thathavebothmaleandfemalepartsarecalledperfect(roses,lilies,dandelion).

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Pollination Power

Whenpollinationoccurs,pollenmovesfromthemalepartstothefemaleparts.Pollengrainslandonthestigmaandatinytubegrowsfromitanddownthestyleintotheovary.

Thefertilizedovulebecomestheseedandtheovarybecomesthefruit.

Sinceflowerscan'tmove,theyneedtobeabletoattractpollinatorsorbebuiltsothatwindisabletopollinatethem.Flowersattractpollinatorslikebees,butterflies,insects,andbirdswithsweetnectar,brightcolors,andshapesandstructures.Someflowersopenatspecialtimestoattractpollinatorssuchasnightbloomingplantsthatarepollinatedby

bats.

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From Flower to Fruit

Whenaplantflowersandproducesseeds,italsoproducessomethingelsewealllike-Fruit!Asyoulearned,whentheovaryripens,itswellsandformsaprotectivecoveringaroundtheseeds.Thisprotectivecovering,orfruit,oftenfindsitswayontopofcereal,

icecream,asalad,orjustatastysnack.

Whatareyourfavoritefruits?Arethereanyuniqueorexoticfruitsthatyoulike?Arethereanyfruitsthatyou’venevereatenandwouldliketotry?

Fun Facts about Flowers

• Flowersdidnotalwaysexist;theyfirstappeared140millionyearsago.Beforethat,fernsandconebearingtreesdominatedtheearth.

• SeveralcenturiesagoinHolland,tulipsweremorevaluablethangold.

• Broccoliisactuallyaflower.

• Someplantssuchasorchidsdonotneedsoiltogrow-theygetalloftheirnutrientsfromtheair.

• Someplantsproducetoxicsubstancesthatkillotherplantsaroundthem-thesunflowerisanexample.

• Carnivorousplantsarefloweringplantsthateatbugsandsmallanimals!Forexample,theVenusflytraphasleavescoveredbylittlehairs.Whenabuglandsonthehairs,thetrapsnapsshutanddigestivejuicesdigestthebug.

Othercarnivorousplantssuchaspitcherplantshaveleavesthatformpitchersthatarefullofdigestivefluids.Insects,frogs,andothersmallcreaturesareattractedtothenectarandbrightcolorsonthepitchersandflowers.Some

unfortunatecrittersfallin,drown,andaredigested.

• Notallflowerssmellgood.Oneoftheworld'srarest,largest,smelliest,andstrangestlookingfloweristhetitanarum,orthecorpseflower.Itiscalledthecorpseflowerbecauseitsmellslikearottingdeadbody.Thebloomisover8foottalland12feetincircumference.Theysmelllikerottingfleshinordertoattractflies,theirpreferredpollinator.Peoplehavebeenknowntopassout

fromthesmell!

• ThelargestFlowerintheworldistheflowerofthePuyaraimondii,whichhasaflowerstalk35,000feettallandbearsover8,000whiteflowers.

• Mimosapunica,orsensitiveplant,willactuallyfoldupitsleaveswhenitis

touched.Ithaswhitishpinkfuzzyflowersthatlooklikelittlepompoms.

• TheBirdofParadiseisabeautiful,oddlyshapedplantthatresemblesacolorfultropicalbird.

LIFE CYCLE OF A FLOWER