Introduction: Teaching Cross-pollination in Pre-school
This morning the greenhouse keeper at my school asked me if I could help him put together a lesson teaching cross pollination of a flower in a garden to his pre kindergartens that would be visiting the greenhouse. He said he wanted to demonstrate the process of a bee cross pollinating in an age appropriate way. So we created this easy lesson.
Step 1: Supplies
a small soft sponge (a cotton ball can be used as well)
color paper for bee wings
drawing paper (xerox machine to make several copies)
Step 2: Tools to Demonstrate
I cut and glued wings etc. on the sponge to create the bee. Then drew two large flowers on the paper which was xeroxed several times so each child had a copy.
Step 3: Cross-Pollinating
We used pastels to color in the "pollen" Pastels cause a dust-like surface to represent the pollen grains which are small and dusty. Next the bee was rubbed in the pastel to represent the pollen sticking to the bee when he visits the flower to collect food. Then the bee travels to the other flower and deposits (by gently rubbing the drawing) the pollen. Later the children were given crayons to color their pollinated posies.