Flowers and Their Friends

Create flowers and their pollinating pals using Crayola® Model Magic.

• 1.

  Study flower and plant parts: roots, stem, leaf, seed, sepal, petal, stamen, and pistil. Learn what role each plays in the plant's life.

• 2.

  Find out how sight, smell, and shape affect which birds and insects pollinate different flowering plants.<br> <b>Sight</b>-Birds have great color vision, which is why hummingbirds prefer to visit red flowers and bird feeders. Bees are attracted to white and blue flowers. Many flowers have "targets" (honey guides that are often invisible to humans). Insects use these stripes, spots, or stars somewhat like markers on a runway to lead them straight to the pollen.<br> <b>Smell</b>-Birds have a poor sense of smell, so the flowers they visit often have no fragrance. Flowers that bees visit are often very fragrant.<br> <b>Shape</b>-Flower shapes determine what kind of bird or insect can pollinate them. For example, hummingbirds have long beaks and pollinate flowers with long necks. Other flowers with long throats, such as larkspur and columbine, attract moths and butterflies. Their long, coiled tongues (like party noisemakers) help them reach the nectar.

• 3.

  Use Crayola Model Magic to form a flowering plant (real or imagined) with all the main parts. Start with the largest shapes, then add details. Choose colored Model Magic, blend the colors, or create new hues by mixing white modeling compound with Crayola Washable Marker colors.

• 4.

  Create a bird or insect (real or imagined) that would be attracted to the type of flower that was sculpted.

• 5.

  When the Model Magic is dry, cover the work area with recycled newspaper. Paint and decorate both sculptures with Crayola Watercolors or Washable Paint and Brushes.

Benefits

• Students learn the basic parts of flowering plants.
• Children explore flower characteristics that attract various bird and insect pollinators.
• Children represent real or imaginary flowers and pollinators based on their knowledge of pollination.

Adaptations

• Visit an apiary. Find out how honey is collected and processed. Taste honey from various plant sources. Compare colors and aroma. Collect (or invent) recipes that use honey. How much honey does one bee make?
• Observe insects and birds as they are attracted to plants growing in the wild. Sketch the plants, their pollinators, and seeds. Make a class book to document the findings.
• Write and illustrate original, imaginative stories or poetry about a bird's or insect's search for a plant to pollinate.
• Younger children and special needs students may benefit from short practice sessions experimenting with modeling techniques before participating in this activity. Encourage children to sketch ideas before modeling to remind them to include the main flower parts.