From Flower to Fruit

Ward, Joy A.                        Hope Community Academy 
                                    1-312-962-2760
                                                        

Objectives

1) Students will learn that flowers have essentially four parts. 
2) Students will learn both the male and female reproductive parts of the flower. 
3) Students will learn about self-pollination and pollination by insects and other 
   animals. 

Equipment and Materials

Petri dishes                             Lily plants
Dissecting kits                          Geranium plants
Scotch tape                              Gladiola plants
Magnifying glasses                       Apples
Saran wrap                               Spices
Construction paper                       Fruits
Overhead projector                       Nuts
Prepared transparency                    Olives
Prepared worksheets                      Honey
Silk scarf                               Indigo
Pictures

Recommended Strategies

Display flowers, scarf, pictures and edible items at front of the 
classroom. 

(Phenomenological Approach) - Students will answer questions about the flowers, 
honey, dye, pictures, etc. Example: What do you notice? Possible answers: flowers, 
fruit, colors, etc. Show picture of bee pollinating flower. Ask: What do you know 
about bees and flowers? Possible answers: Bees make honey, insects pollinate flowers. 

Students will use handouts to identify the parts of a flower and the sub-parts. 

Demonstrate the parts that are male and female by use of the overhead projector. 

Use a transparency of flower diagram.

Use a sample flower (lily) to show the studied parts.

Pass the lily around the classroom for each student to see. 

Students will show knowledge of the parts of a flower by dissecting a lily and/or a 
gladiola. They will affix each part on a prepared sheet and label the parts. 

Show picture of apple flower and cross-section of an apple. Teacher will cut an apple 
in half and show the remnants of the pistil. Teacher will cut the apple crosswise to 
show the ovules. (eggs) 


Students will eat products of the flower: seeds, nuts, raisins, etc.  Students will 
observe the cut apple and cross-section and then eat the parts. Students will color 
labeled sheets for take-home or bulletin board display. Students will place dissected 
plant sheet on construction paper for bulletin board or take-home.    

Optional

Dissect pollen tubes and count number of pollen grains. Calculate length of time it 
takes pollen to travel down the tube using worksheet suggested from United Graphics. 
(see resources)  Rate = distance/time 

Resources

Funeral Homes
Flower Power, United Graphics, Inc. 1979
Leo's Florist  407 E. 71st Street  723-6579
The Botany Coloring Book (see Nasco Science Catalog)