Pollination Activities for Elementary Science
When we think of warm weather, we generally think about sunglasses, flip flops, sun, flowers blooming and the promise of summer days at the lake. And as a teacher, I also start to think about how those beautiful blooms came to be…enter pollination!
So how exactly does pollination work and why is it important? As spring approaches, we have a great opportunity to get outside and teach our students all about the fascinating phenomenon of nature. So let’s take a look at pollination.
Why is pollination so important? Science lessons for 2nd grade.
How Does Pollination Work?
Worksheets to help students understand how pollination works. Both can be found in the Pollination Spring STEM activities.
Pollination is how pollen transfers from one plant to another. This is largely done by the work of bees or other insects.
The insect lands on the flower to drink nectar. In the process, pollen from the anther (the male part of the plant) sticks to the insect’s body. When the insect travels to a new plant, pollen transfers to the stigma (the female part of the plant). This is necessary for seed production.
Did you know that one bee can pollinate up to 100 flowers in just one trip from the hive? Just think about what a whole colony of bees can accomplish in a day!
Why is Pollination Important?
Pollination is an essential part of growing food. Without pollination, seeds cannot be produced. Thus, fruits and vegetables wouldn’t be able to grow. And as a result, we wouldn’t have as much healthy food available to eat.
The Easy Way to Teach About Pollination
Looking for a FAST and FUN way to teach about pollination that includes nonfiction reading, comprehension, and a STEM challenge?
Click and print. Planning really is that easy.
Pollination Videos for Kids
There are plenty of engaging ways to teach elementary students about pollination. First, let’s check out some YouTube videos:
As always, I’m a huge fan of SciShow Kids! Check out this awesome video called “Flowers and Their Pollinators: A Perfect Match!”
Dr. Binocs gives a VERY detailed overview. In this animated video, Dr. Binocs goes into depth describing the male and female reproductive parts of plants. He also describes how pollination happens through self-pollination and cross-pollination.
In this video Jovanna interviews Dr. John Purdy. Together they answer an important question: Why do we Need Bees?
Take a Peek at pollination outside!
While studying nature, why not go outside and get right in it? On a nice day, head outside to see pollination in person. Go on an outdoor walk in the springtime and look for pollinators in action.
Have students make observations about what they are witnessing. Not only is this a fun activity that activates their detective skills, it also helps kids to see the value of animals that pollinate. Bees and insects are not just pests, they have an important job to do!
Nonfiction Reading Activity
“What are Pollinators” is a set of leveled nonfiction reading passages and corresponding reading comprehension booklets.
Nonfiction reading all about pollination makes a great quick (and no prep) activity. Print off and photocopy this nonfiction reading passage about pollination. This activity was designed to be an easy way to differentiate your instruction because it has two levels of reading passages and two levels of comprehension booklets.
Busy Bee Game
If your students enjoy running around and being active, play a game of “Busy Bee”. This is a game I invented, but you’ll probably see where I gleaned inspiration for this game.
Place a number of hula hoops on the floor of the gym or in a field. These will be the flowers. Put a number of bean bags into half of the hula hoops. The bean bags are pollen. Students are working together to transfer beanbags to all the hula hoops.
If you want to add an extra challenge, you could add in a time challenge; see if students can complete the task in under 2 minutes!
Pollination STEM Challenge
Pollination Painting is a great STEM Challenge for second and third grades.
This pollination STEM challenge is super hands-on… plus it’s a great art tie-in. Students will use the materials provided to build a device that transfers paint “pollen” from a station in your classroom to their papers. In the end, you’ll have created a piece of art that will display nicely on a bulletin board!
Students will be given a template of a flower (from this Pollinators STEM activity) and then they’ll have to figure out a way to transfer paint to the flower template.
stick-it-to-me Pollination Experiment
Do your students love doing hands-on experiments? Why not have your students try to discover creative ways to attach various objects to their own bodies! For instance, students might discover that various materials stick better to velcro than others. Or students might discover that some tapes are stronger than others. This little experiment is a fun jumping point for discussing how pollen sticks to insects.
Pollination is an important part of nature. And it’s an exciting topic to teach our students. What pollination activities are you going to use to teach your students?
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Lessons about pollination for 2nd grade.
Picture: a bee sits on top of a white flower.