Flowers are the seed-makers of the plant world. Inside every flower are tiny parts that help make seeds. One part is called pollen. Pollen is a fine yellow powder that lives on the flower's anther. The anther is a little stick in the center of the flower.
For seeds to form, pollen needs to move to another part of the flower called the stigma. This process is called pollination. How does pollen move? Bees, butterflies, and the wind can carry pollen from flower to flower.
Flowers are bright and colorful to attract bees and butterflies. They also smell sweet. Bees love nectar, which is a sugary drink inside the flower. When a bee lands on a flower for nectar, pollen sticks to its fuzzy body. Then the bee flies to the next flower and drops the pollen there. The flower did not have to move at all!
1. What is pollen?
2. What is pollination?
3. Why are flowers bright and colorful?
4. How does a bee help move pollen from one flower to another?
Write a definition or draw a picture for each word.
Read each flower. Circle how it most likely gets pollinated.
| Flower | Bee | Butterfly | Wind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bright red flower with sweet smell | ⚪ | ⚪ | ⚪ |
| Tall grass with tiny flowers, no color | ⚪ | ⚪ | ⚪ |
| Large yellow daisy | ⚪ | ⚪ | ⚪ |
| Corn with feathery tassels on top | ⚪ | ⚪ | ⚪ |
| Purple lavender with strong smell | ⚪ | ⚪ | ⚪ |
| Rice plant with no colorful petals | ⚪ | ⚪ | ⚪ |
1. Pollen is a fine yellow powder.
2. Only bees can carry pollen.
3. Pollination is when pollen moves to the stigma.
4. Flowers smell sweet to attract insects.
5. Nectar is a sugary drink inside the flower.
6. Wind cannot help with pollination.
Draw a bee landing on a flower. Show the pollen sticking to the bee.
Label these parts in your drawing: petal, pollen, bee, nectar
Word Bank: pollen pollination nectar bees colorful seeds
1. Flowers are ____________________ to attract insects.
2. ____________________ is the yellow powder in a flower.
3. When pollen moves to the stigma, it is called ____________________.
4. ____________________ land on flowers to drink nectar.
5. Nectar is a ____________________ drink that insects love.
6. After pollination, the flower can make ____________________.
Look around your home, yard, or neighborhood. Find a flower!
| What I Found | Color | Smell (circle) |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet / None / Other | ||
| How many petals does it have? | ||
Coming Wednesday: We will take apart real flowers and look inside with a magnifying glass! Then we will simulate pollination using corn starch.
Think about it: What do you think you will find inside a flower?