During the presentation I discussed the four insects and the products we use that are included in my first book, Insects as Producers. We had some fun with several rounds of a game, but the highlight of the program was the pollination activity--with cheese puffs.
To better understand or demonstrate how insects and flowers work together, you can do this activity, too.
Please note: If you have invited me to your school for an author visit, please know this may be part of my presentation. It may be best to share this activity with your students after my visit. Thank you!
Materials
and Supplies:
small, wrapped candy pieces or erasers
bowl
cheese puffs (I prefer to use Herr's brand)
paper towel
marker
Directions:
1. Using a marker, draw
flowers on a paper towel.
2. Place the candy in the
bowl.
3. Fill the bowl with
cheese puffs.
4. Using your hand, dig
through the cheese puffs to get a piece of candy.
5. Wipe your hand on the
paper towel. Repeat steps four and five until all of the candy is gone.
6.
How do the bowl, candy, cheese puffs, cheese powder, and paper towel represent
parts of the pollination process? Even your hand plays a role!
What happened? You search the bowl like an insect searches for nectar. Just as you find what you're looking for, so does the insect. Both get powder on them. The cheese powder transfers to the paper towel. The pollen dust transfers to another flower resulting in fertilization and seeds!
If you're a teacher, I'd love for you to explore my free teacher guides. They're quite comprehensive and include 15-20 STEM and ELA activities. I try to be intentional about providing resources for teachers on this site. Some, like this pollination activity, focus on science or history.
I also provide author visits (both in-person and virtually). I love to inspire students with my nonfiction presentations, but I also have programs related to history and science. You can learn about all of my books here.
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