Theme: Pursuing Pollinators
Insect Appeal
Getting to Flowers by Studying Bugs
What
if your students don't show an immediate interest in exploring
plants? "Our connections with the creatures who live in our
garden provided the hook that eventually led my second language
learners to want to explore plants and their flowers more closely,"
reports elementary school science resource teacher Brandyn Scully
from Los Angeles, CA. "Let's face it, busy insects are a compelling
draw for most kids," she adds.
In the school's garden laboratory, students collect, examine,
and count the different creatures they encounter. As they discover
new ones, they do population inventories; for instance, counting
and documenting the number of ladybug eggs, larvae, pupae, and
adults they find. "When we catch an insect, students explore
and research its structures and functions, life cycle, and needs,
then use that information as a basis for comparing other insects
we find," says Brandyn. "Once students have 'met' an animal
in this way, they are more inspired to retain the information,
and they begin to build their own body of knowledge," she explains.
Brandyn notes that her students' insect inquiries have prompted
observations of other environmental connections. For instance,
they began to notice and predict when there would be a lack
or an abundance of particular types of insects based on subtle
seasonal or weather changes. "When we noticed fewer butterflies
this spring, students inferred that the unusually cold weather
might have been a factor," Brandyn explains.
What Do Insects See in Flowers?
By training their eyes on insects, Brandyn's youngsters eventually
began to notice plants. For instance, because they spent so
much time hunting for ladybugs, students began to hone in on
the types of plants they seek out. Her keen observers were intrigued
by the carpenter bees they discovered on sweet pea flowers.
Noticing that the weight of a bee caused the flower to drop
open, students began to wonder about what might draw insects
to different flowers. "The kids were ripe with great questions
and ideas, so I tried to follow their interests," says Brandyn.
For instance, fourth graders were curious to find out if the
insects they'd come to know well — bees, carpenter bees,
wasps, and butterflies — had preferences for different
flower colors. The class made a chart with insect names down
the side and flower colors across the top, then worked individually
to tally who visited which colors over time in different locations.
"The one conclusion students drew that time was that bees seem
to go for every color," she reports.
A month later on an overcast morning, students decided to repeat
their experiment. "We were surprised to find only bees in the
garden and they were only visiting sunflowers," says Brandyn.
Her students realized that since spring flowers had faded, the
garden was predominantly yellow. They wondered if more insects
would show up by afternoon to visit other flowers. "We agreed
that our data that day might have led us to think that bees
prefer yellow flowers, but that we wouldn't have enough information
to be sure about that after just one or two studies," explains
Brandyn. Meanwhile, students' observations prompted a range
of new questions: Which flowers have the most nectar? Do
bees like those flowers best? How many different kinds of bees
come to our garden? Do bees only like big flowers? Where do
the bees go after they visit our flowers? As they discussed
how they might answer some of their questions, the young scientists
began to realize that they would need time to observe. They
also understood that their conclusions might be incomplete because
the garden was constantly changing.
"The students' focus and retention in the garden setting are
much deeper than with any other instructional tool," says Brandyn.
"And as they question, observe, and explore, I am seeing them
increasing their comfort and ability to engage with the natural
world," she adds.
Author: Eve Pranis
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