Life Cycles
Objective:
Students will recognize the interdependence between plants and animals. Students will also
study the four stages of plant reproduction and will identify the order in which they occur
through the construction of a “reproduction wheel”.
Vocabulary:
Pollinator
Pollination
Fertilization
Reproduction
Germination
Dispersal
Materials needed:
Paper plates
Metal brads
Pencils
Scissors
Crayons/markers
Handouts
Procedure:
1.
On the board, draw a large circle. Ask the students if they know the life cycle of a
human. Put the following four stages on the circle: birth, growth, reproduction, and
death. Depending on how much your students have studied this subject, you may get
into greater detail.
2.
Draw another circle on the board and ask the students if they have ever planted a seed.
Ask them to explain what happens after the seed is planted. Draw a plant life cycle on
the board and be sure to include the four stages mentioned in the human life cycle.
Again, feel free to go into greater detail with the students.
3.
Distribute the “Life Cycles!” handout and ask the students what differences they notice
between the pine and apple tree life cycles. What similarities do they notice? They will
hopefully note that the pine tree and apple tree have very different ways of protecting
their seeds. Cones and fleshy fruits like apples are just two methods plants use to help
disperse and protect their seeds.
4.
Ask the students how the seeds are produced. Write the following four terms on the
board: pollination, fertilization, seed dispersal and germination. Challenge the students
to look closely at the life cycles on their handout and identify which stage comes first,
second, third and fourth. Take time to briefly define each word. Demonstrating the
concepts in an outdoor area would be ideal.
5.
Giv
ve each student two pa
aper plates and instrucct them to cu
ut out the in
nner circle o
of one
of the plates (y
you can also use the te
emplate on page 26 insstead of a seecond platee). On
the
e outside rim
m of the unc
cut paper plate, have tthe studentss draw pictu
ures represeenting
eac
ch term. For example, they can drraw a bee aand a butterffly for pollination, 1 + 1 for
fertilization, water
w
and wind
w
for disp
persal and a sprout for germination. Encouragge
eativity! See
e sample be
elow.
cre
6.
On
n the cut (no
ow smaller)) paper plate
e, have the students divide the spaace into 4 ssections,
writing one te
erm in each section. Stu
udents can either draw
w a picture to match thee one
the
ey drew for the term on
n the uncut paper platee or write a short definition. After the
stu
udents have completed both piece
es, attach th e smaller ciircle to the uncut papeer plate
usiing one mettal brad so the
t two laye
ers can movve freely. Th
he students have now
completed the
eir “reprodu
uction whee
el”. See the example beelow for claarification.
7.
The students can
c use the wheel to in
ncrease und
derstanding of each term, moving their
deffinitions to match theirr pictures, and
a visa ver sa. Afterwaards, studentts can sharee their
dra
awings and definitions with fellow
w classmatess.
Reproductio
R
on Wheel T
Template
D
Directions: You may use this temp
plate for the
e inner circle of the rep
production w
wheel. Havve the
sstudents cutt out the circle and atta
ach it to the
e uncut papeer plate usin
ng a metal b
brad. Be sure to
d
discuss these definition
ns with yourr students, and
a fully exxplain any in
nconsistenccies in their
u
understanding.
EExtension Activities:
A
T
There are many
m
South Florida native plant and animal sp
pecies to exxplore with your studen
nts.
B
Build upon the discussions of plan
nt life cycless and add liife cycles off native buttterflies, rep
ptiles,
aand birds. Using
U
a scho
ool garden as
a a reference, your stu
udents can o
observe pollinators and
d plant
life cycles in
n action!
H
Have childrren research
h plant repro
oduction to
o identify thee reproducttive parts off flowers and their
ffunctions. Challenge
C
stu
udents to re
esearch theiir favorite frruits and fin
nd out whatt the flower that
p
produced th
he fruit look
ks like. Conn
necting flow
wers to fruitts solidifies the concept that plant
rreproduction is part of its life cycle
e.
Name ________________________________________ Date ____________________________
Adapted from http://www.exploringnature.org
N
Name _____
__________
___________
__________
_________ D
Date __________________________________
Flow
wer Partts
SSepals- prottect the flow
wer bud
P
Petals- help attract polllinators to the flower
P
Pistil- female reproductive organ (it
( is made up
u of the fou
ur parts below)
y top part of the pistil for
f pollen to
o land on
1. Stiigma- sticky
2. Sty
yle- tube that carries pollen from the
t top of th
he pistil to tthe bottom
3. Ov
vules- deve
elops into th
he seeds of the
t plant
4. Ov
vary- develops into the
e fruit of the
e plant
SStamen- ma
ale reproduc
ctive organ (it is made up of the th
hree parts below)
1. Po
ollen- comb
bines with an ovule to make
m
a new
w seed
2. An
nther- produ
uces the po
ollen
3. Fillament- holds the anther and polle
en up high in the floweer
Plant Reproducction
N
Name 3 pollinators (be
esides bees):
N
Name 3 sprreaders (bessides birds)::
____________
__________
___________
_
__________________________________
____________
__________
___________
_
__________________________________
____________
__________
___________
_
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