Plants and Insects: Pollinators are needed!

Institute: University of Lisbon.

Developed by: Adriana Galveias, Inês Paulino and Raquel Barata.

OverviewThis game aims to engage families with children from 6 years onwards on a quest to find the relationship between seven plants and seven insects on the loose from the Botanical Garden and the butterfly house of the National Museum of Natural History and Science.

Grade level: 6 yrs +

Duration: 2 hours

Resources (for each group)

A map of the botanic garden with plant locationsA recording sheet with cluesA box displaying seven insects, and photos of their mouthparts

CompetencesCritical thinkingTeamwork ‘Hands on’ skills Development of empathy for the natural world and its conservation Debating / discussion skills

IntroductionSeven suspect insects are on the loose somewhere in the garden, however each regularly visits a particular plant. Students take on the role of ‘Sherlock Holmes’ to try to figure out which insect has pollinated each of the seven plants and why the relationship between plants and insects is so important

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SummaryThis is a mystery trail in the Botanical Garden and the butterfly house. Seven insects are on the loose, but each regularly visits a particular plant. The relationship is beneficial for both because the insects feed on the nectar or pollen of the flowers but they also carry pollen which allows the fertilization of the plants and the development of new seeds. Students need to investigate which suspect visits each flower to ensure both the flower and pollinator can be monitored and preserved for the future of biodiversity in the botanical garden and butterfly house. The students take on the roles of experienced researchers, who gather information about the seven insects and the flowers they visit, in order to find out ‘who visits who?’The activity takes place in the botanical garden and to unravel this ‘mystery’, students need to follow the activities suggested. Botanic Gardens are living museums. Students should respect the collections and help to preserve the plants and insects by not walking in flower beds and not picking plants or plant parts. This activity should be done preferably in the late spring.

The ActivityStudents should look at the map of the Botanical Garden of the National Museum of Natural History and Science and note the flowers that the insects prefer to visit marked on the map.

Students should visit each station marked on the map and investigate the plants and information found there.

Station 1

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Students should use the image and the following clue: “My flower is brown and hairy and smells like rotten fruit. Insects have to force their way in to get the nectar”.Using the recording sheet, students write the name of the plant down and note any particular features.

Station 2

Students should use the image and the following clue:"I'm a large tubular flower and can be found in a lot of different colours. I love living near the water and I have a ‘landing strip’ marked out down the middle of the petals.”Using the recording sheet, students write the name of the plant down and note any particular features.

Station 3

Students should use the image and the following clue:"I'm blue and I have a flat shape to serve as a ‘landing platform’. I'm an open flower; my nectar is not difficult to get. "Using the recording sheet, students write the name of the plant down and note any particular features.

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Station 4

Students should use the image and the following clue:"I have orange and pinkish flowers with a little tube; deep down there is very sweet nectar."Using the recording sheet, students write the name of the plant down and note any particular features.

Station 5

Students should use the image and the following clue:"I'm a tall plant but I'm not a tree. I have rounded red flowers. My nectar is in a ‘cup’ and is easy to reach. "Using the recording sheet, students write the name of the plant down and note any particular features.

Station 6

Students should use the image and the following clue: “My flowers are small and white and together they look like an umbrella; they are open to give access to the nectar”Using the recording sheet, students write the name of the plant down and note any particular features.

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Station 7

Students should use the image and the following clue: “I’m a flower with white, smooth, flat petals that make it easy for insects to land. The middle of my flower is bright yellow.”Using the recording sheet, students write the name of the plant down and note any particular features.

Station 8

Students should investigate the insect box in the butterfly house where the ‘suspects’ in this investigation are displayed. Using the recording sheet the common and Latin names of the insects are written down. Students should study the mouthparts of each insect displayed and find the right features for each insect in their recording sheets to match up their insects to.

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Station 9

Using the clues provided and their observational recordings, students should decide which plant has been pollinated by which insect, matching the special characteristics of the flowers that have been observed with the insect clues in the table. The answers should be recorded on the sheet. Children should be able to justify their selection. Ask children to reflect on what would happen if one of the plants or insects became extinct.

Plants produce nectar to feed the insects but in turn they depend on them for reproduction; the conservation of each one of them depends on the conservation of the other.

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