Download Wildflowers - Bradford Woods

Wildflowers
Concepts:
 Different plant species need different amounts of sunlight and water.
 Each plant is adapted to live in a different habitat under different conditions.
Objectives:
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The students will demonstrate
knowledge of the parts of a
flower.
The students will be able to
identify at least three wildflowers common to Indiana.
The students will name the
medicinal or culinary use of a
common wildflower or tell a
story about a plant identified in
the field.
The student will survey a plot
for wildflowers and make inferences about the needs of the
plants living in that plot for
sunlight and water based on
soil and light conditions.
Equipment:
 Straws
 Yellow blocks
 Cups
 Flower Model kit
 Crayons/colored pencils
 Plot survey worksheet
 Peterson’s first wildflower guide
 Jeweler’s loupes
 Pencil
 Flower Bingo Sheets
 Paper
Note to Teacher:
Be sure to check both the common and scientific names of each
plant and use a good field guide in
your research. Be aware that different flowers will be in bloom at
different times during the season.
Check charts at the end of this
lesson for a list of species common to Bradford Woods with approximate blooming times.
Time: 1 hour, 50 minutes
Activities in Lesson:
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Wildflower Bingo (20 min)
Drawing a Flower (25 min)
Flower Identification (15 min)
Plant Needs Relay (20 min)
Plot Survey (30 min)
Vocabulary
Adaptation- any beneficial alteration in an organism resulting
from natural selection by which
the organism survives and multiplies in its environment.
Anther- the pollen-bearing part of
the stamen.
Disturbed- an area that has been
changed from a pristine state
due to activity.
Edge- the area that separates
two distinct ecosystems.
Leaf– a usually green, flattened,
lateral structure attached to a
stem and functioning as a principal organ of photosynthesis and
transpiration in most plants.
Native- an original inhabitant or
species of an area or ecosystem.
Non-native- not an original inhabitant or species of an area or
ecosystem.
Petal- one of the often brightly
colored parts of a flower immediately surrounding the reproductive organs; a division of the
corolla.
Pistil- the central set of female
reproductive organs in a flower.
The pistil is composed of one or
more carpels and produces the
ovule.
Pollen- the male reproductive
cell of flowering plants and conebearing plants. Pollen grains are
produced in the anther of a flower.
Sepal- small leaves located directly under a flower; the outermost part of a flower. Collectively, the sepals are called the calyx.
Stamen- the male reproductive
parts of a flower. It consists of
the filament and the anther,
which produces pollen.
Undisturbed- an area that has
not been changed from a pristine
state due to activity.
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Wildflowers
Wildflower BINGO (20 min)
Materials: bingo cards, pencils.
1. Begin by asking the students:
 Who can name a wildflower?
 What does it mean to be a wildflower?
 How are wildflowers different from flowers
you buy in the store?
2. Explain to the students that they will be studying wildflowers at Bradford Woods. The goal of
today is for them to be able to identify several
different wildflowers by name and identify the
parts of the plant.
3. Divide the students into pairs or small
groups. Tell the students they will be playing
the Wildflower Bingo as they walk. Hand out a
bingo card to each group. Each group should
try to complete as much of the Bingo card as
possible before reaching the next location.
4. Instruct the students not to pick any plants or
flowers. Be sure to move at a pace that will allow students to complete their bingo card. Upon
arrival, review what the students found. Students may or may not be able to get bingo or
complete their Bingo card depending upon the
season and the location to which you are traveling. Ask the students why they may or may not
have found some of the items on the cards.
Drawing a Flower (25 min)
Materials: paper, colored pencil, jewelers loupe,
flower model
1. Divide the students into pairs or small
groups. Have each group choose a live flowering plant to draw in detail. Ask the student to
make a detailed drawing that includes all the
parts of the plant visible above the soil. Ask the
students to take great care in drawing the
shape of leaves and petals. The students may
touch the plant and gently move the petals
aside, if necessary, to see inside the flower. Remind the students not to pull the flowers apart
or out of the ground.
**Note: Make sure the plants students are handling
are not harmful to touch.**
2. As the students draw their plants, they
should label all the parts they know (i.e. leaves,
stem, petals, pistil, stamen etc.). This will give
you an idea of how much the students know
about the names of the plant and flower parts.
When the students finish their drawings, use a
flower model to review the parts of a flower and
the functions of each part. Nominate one student to hold the parts of the model together as
you ask the students to name a part of the plant
and describe the function of that part. Work with
as a large group to describe the following:
 Roots: absorb nutrients and water from the
soil.
 Stem: transports water, food and nutrients
throughout the plant.
 Leaves: manufacture food (sugar) for the
plant to grow.
 Petals: attract insects to plant to help in
pollination.
 Pistil: holds sweet nectar that the insects
collect for food and, after pollination, becomes the seed.
 Stamen: holds the anther which produces
the plant’s pollen.
 Sepal: the leaf-like structures just below the
petals that are the remnants of the flower’s
bud state.
Flower Identification (15 min)
Materials: wildflower field guide.
1. Allow the students to use a field guide to
identify the flower they just drew. Explain the
three key characteristics to which they will need
to pay attention in using the Peterson’s First
Field guides:
 Petal color: The guides are arranged by
petal color. The students must determine
the color of their flower’s petals and then
turn to the section in the book with the
matching color in the upper right-hand corner of the page.
 Flower shape: Next the students need to
match the shape of their flower with the
flower shapes in the book. They may decide
that their flower is open like a daisy, bellshaped, cup-shaped or that their flower has
many tiny blooms that form an umbrella.
 Leaf shape: Finally the students will need to
look closely at the shape of their leaves and
match the leaf shape of their flower with the
shape of the leaves in the book. Some
leaves will be short with jagged edges, long
with smooth edges, wide like a hand, or narrow like grass.
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Wildflowers
2. Hand out one field guide per group. Once the
students have identified their flower, have them
try to identify a flower in a different area. After
they have identified a few flowers, have them
determine what the plants need to survive.
They should look around the habitat in which
the flower is found to answer the question.
Plant Needs Relay (20 min)
Materials: straws, cups, yellow blocks
1. Ask the students to name three things all
plants need to make food and grow. Plants
need air, sunlight, and water to make sugar.
The sugar is transported throughout the plant to
provide energy for growth. The students may
also name good soil or nutrients as one of the
things a plant needs to grow.
2. Explain to the students that they will be playing a game in which they will be split into
groups. Each group will represent one plant.
Each plant will need to obtain air (represented
by straws), water (represented by cups), and
sunlight (represented by yellow blocks). When a
plant has one sunlight, air, and water (or one
block, cup, and straw), then, the plant was able
to make one sugar. Each team will send one
person at a time to collect one item at a time.
On his or her turn, a student may collect any
one item he or she wishes. The objective of the
game is for each plant to make as much sugar,
or as many groups of three, as possible. Emphasize that the game is like a relay race and
that the students may only go one at a time and
come back with one item.
3. Have the students line up in their teams at
one end of the playing area and place the cups,
straws and blocks at the other end of the playing area in three separate piles. Play the first
round with an equal number of items
(approximately 30-35 of each item for a group
of 14). Play ends when all the pieces have been
picked up. A plant, each group of students, survives if it has at least five sugars. Each group
should be able to survive this round.
4. Play a second round, but remove about half
of the cups (water). At the end of the round, ask
the students why some plants did not survive
and ask the students to think of a situation in
which a plant may not be able to obtain enough
water. The students may name drought as a
possibility. Ask the students what they think
might happen to a plant if another plant growing
beside it needs more water from the soil.
5. Play a third round, but remove about half the
blocks for sunlight. This time some plants will
not survive because they could not obtain
enough light. At the end of the round, ask the
students which of the three items they were
short and have them describe a situation in
which a plant might not be able to receive
enough sunlight. A taller plant growing nearby
or a building might cast a shadow and block the
sunlight.
Plot Survey (30 min)
Materials: plot survey sheets, pencil
1. This is a guided exploration activity using the
plot survey sheet at the end of this lesson. Divide the students into pairs or small groups.
Distribute a Plot Survey sheet and pencil to
each group. Assign each group of students to a
small plot in an edge area or on the forest floor
(in the spring). If possible, try to assign each
group to a different type of area, sunny or
shady, at the top of a ridge in drier, sandier soil
or at the bottom of a ravine in more moist, claylike soil. Allow the students to complete the information on the worksheet.
2. When all the groups have completed their
sheets, sit the trail group in a circle and allow
each group to share the data, predictions and
inferences from their worksheet. The students
should conclude that plants growing in a sunny
area need more sunlight than plants growing in
a shady area, and that plants growing on ridge
tops probably need less water than plants growing at the bottom of a hill (as water flows downhill).
3. Give each group a copy of the Peterson’s
First Wildflower guide. Allow them to look up
the real name of the flower. Depending on what
has been found tell the students a bit of folklore
about each of the plants they have found. If
time allows, ask the students to use the wildflower guides to identify several more flowers in
the area.
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Wildflowers
Evaluation:
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Notes:
Students can name the parts of a flower.
Students can identify at least three wildflowers common to Indiana.
Name the medicinal or culinary use of a
common wildflower
Students can make inferences about soil,
light and water needs of the plants living in
a specific plot.
Keep in Mind:
As with wild edibles, it is critical for the teacher
to be familiar with at least a few of the wildflowers in bloom at Bradford Woods. Take time to
hike the route you plan to walk ahead of time
and note the location of at least three to five
species.
Back in the Classroom
Investigate the extent to which Purple Loosestrife has been found in your community. Locate guides to properly identify Purple Loosestrife and investigate local wetlands to see if
you can locate the plant. Find out what is being
done in your community or state to face the issue of the Loosestrife invasion. Find out if
there are businesses in your community that
are selling the plant and write to them, informing them about what the plant does to wetlands.
Investigate other non-native species of plants
and learn how they got to the United States.
What methods are being used to control the
spread of those plants?
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Background
Wild Flowers
Spring and summer in many forests bring an
array of wildflowers. These flowers, like other
plants in the forest, are facing a number of issues. Development of land is reducing the
amount of growing space. Many flowers are not
easily transplanted and will not survive when
moved. Another issue a wildflower faces is people picking and collecting it. The flowers are not
allowed to go to seed, so the next generation is
never planted. A third issue, and one growing in
severity, is the introduction and proliferation of
non-native, or exotic plants. These alien species frequently can out compete the native
ones. An example would be Purple Loosestrife.
Purple Loosestrife was brought to the United
States in the early 1800's in the ballast of a ship
that crossed the ocean from Europe. The perennial was used as a medicinal plant and promoted, by beekeepers, as an excellent source
of nectar. Purple Loosestrife has spread to virtually every state in the United States and into
all the Canadian provinces that border the United States. This plant has had no natural predators, allowing it to grow unhampered. It grows in
wetlands and chokes out native species. The
loss of native species to an area causes the
wetland to become unsuitable habitat for waterfowl and other aquatic species.
A mature Purple Loosestrife plant can grow to
be 6-10 feet tall and each plant may have 30-50
square stems. It is estimated that a mature
plant can produce over two million seeds annually. The seeds have the ability to remain in the
soil for a number of years. When the soil is disrupted and the seeds are brought to the surface, the plants will grow. Ditches alongside
roads often provide an attractive habitat for Purple Loosestrife. These ditches often connect
loosestrife-intensive areas with natural, undisturbed areas and continue the spread of the
plant. Seedling densities can reach 10,00020,000 plants per square meter. In irrigation
channels with a dense establishment of plants,
the flow of water can be blocked.
at Bradford Woods will have a sticky clay-like
texture. To simplify things, we recognize three
main types of soil categories. The soil found
along the tops of our deep ravines generally is
slightly dry and sandy. Soil along the steep
hillsides erodes quickly due to water erosion.
Finally, the soil in low-lying areas at the bottom
of the ravines is much more moist due to the
run-off from the hillsides. While some species
growing at Bradford Woods will grow in any of
these locations, you will find others that seem to
prefer growing in only one or two of these areas.
Early to late spring is the perfect time to view
many native forest wildflower species. These
flowers cover the forest floor where the soil is
relatively undisturbed by human activity. In the
summer to early fall, the edge areas between
the forest and the road sides or the forest and
lawn areas will be filled with many blooming
plants. In general, these areas, especially near
the roads, have experienced a great deal of human disturbance and tend to be rocky and less
nutrient rich. You will find many plants both native to Indiana and non-native growing in these
areas. Whether native or not, these plants all
have a greater tolerance for this type of soil.
Flowers and Sunlight
Plants manufacture their own food in their
leaves through the process of photosynthesis.
Sunlight is the key ingredient in this process.
Some plants prefer an abundance of sunlight.
While others are able to grow under greater or
lesser degrees of partial shade. Many forest
flowers of the early spring have a very low tolerance for shade. These plants sprout, bloom and
go to seed before the trees leaf out in late April
to early May, which dramatically reduce the
supply of sunlight to the forest floor. The wildflowers growing along the roadsides and in other edge-areas have a tolerance for shade, but
cannot grow in the dense shade created by the
forest canopy.
Flowers and Soil
The Bradford Woods property is composed of
over twenty distinct soil types. Each type of soil
will hold water differently and support a different
variety of plants. Overall, the soil in any location
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Background
Spring Edition
Toothed
Leaf
Dandelions
Pistil
Trout
Lilly
Stem
Violets
Sepal
Spring
Beauty
Anther
May
Apple
Pollen
Spring
Cress
Toothwort
Jack in
the Pulpit
Stamen
Petals
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Background
Fall Edition
Toothed
Leaf
Dandelions
Pistil
Snakeroot
Goldenrod
Ironweed
Sepal
Anther
Sun
flowers
Pollen
Mints
Petals
Asters
Joe Pye
Weed
Stamen
Stem
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Background
Wildflower Plot Survey
Date: ____________________________________________________________________________
Plot Size: ________________________________________________________________________
Location of Plot: __________________________________________________________________
Amount of Sun the Plot Receives: ___________________________________________________
Soil Type: _______________________________________________________________________
Amount of Water the Plot Receives: _________________________________________________
Total Number of Plants: ___________________________________________________________
Specific Plants Found: ____________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Any signs of animals in the plot? If yes, what kind?
________________________________________________________________________________
Comments and other Observations: _________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Illustrate any significant plants and also indicate any differences in terrain and sunlight.
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Standards
Grade 3
English/ Language Arts
3.7.3 Answer questions completely and appropriately.
3.7.15 Follow three- and four-step oral directions.
Mathematics
3.1.1 Count, read, and write whole numbers up
to 1,000.
3.6.1 Analyze problems by identifying relationships,
telling relevant from irrelevant information, sequencing and prioritizing information, and observing patterns.
Science
3.2.6 Make sketches and write descriptions to aid in
explaining procedures or ideas.
3.4.1 Demonstrate that a great variety of living
things can be sorted into groups in many
ways using various features, such as how
they look, where they live, and how they act,
to decide which things belong to which group.
3.4.8 Explain that some things people take into their
bodies from the environment can hurt them
and give examples of such things.
3.5.5 Explain that one way to make sense of something is to think of how it relates to something
more familiar.
Social Studies
3.3.7 Physical Systems: Describe how climate and
the physical characteristics of a region affect
the vegetation and animal life living there.
3.3.9 Human Systems: Identify factors the make the
region unique, including cultural diversity,
industry, the arts and architecture.
3.3.11 Environment and Society: Identify and describe the relationship between human systems and physical systems and the impact
they have on each other.
Grade 4
English/Language Arts
4.7.1 Ask thoughtful questions and respond orally to
relevant questions with appropriate elaboration.
Mathematics
4.1.1 Read and write whole numbers up to
1,000,000.
4.2.1 Understand and use standard algorithms* for
addition and subtraction.
4.2.2 Represent as multiplication any situation involving repeated addition.
4.2.4 Demonstrate mastery of the multiplication tables for numbers between 1 and 10 and of the
corresponding division facts.
4.2.11 Know and use strategies for estimating
results of any whole-number computations.
4.2.12 Use mental arithmetic to add or subtract numbers rounded to hundreds or thousands.
4.5.1 Measure length to the nearest quarter-inch,
eighth-inch, and millimeter.
4.5.6 Understand that rectangles with the same area can have different perimeters and that rectangles with the same perimeter can have different areas.
4.7.3 Apply strategies and results from simpler
problems to solve more complex problems.
4.7.4 Use a variety of methods, such as words,
numbers, symbols, charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, tools, and models to solve problems,
justify arguments, and make conjectures.
Science
4.2.4 Use numerical data to describe and compare
objects and events.
4.2.5 Write descriptions of investigations, using
observations and other evidence as support
for explanations.
4.2.6 Support statements with facts found in print
and electronic media, identify the sources
used, and expect others to do the same.
4.4.4 Observe and describe that some source of
energy is needed for all organisms to stay
alive and grow.
4.4.5 Observe and explain that most plants produce
far more seeds than those that actually grow
into new plants.
Grade 5
English/Language Arts
5.7.1 Ask questions that seek information not already discussed.
5.7.2 Interpret a speaker’s verbal and nonverbal
messages, purposes, and perspectives.
5.7.3 Make inferences or draw conclusions based
on an oral report.
Mathematics
5.1.4 Interpret percents as a part of a hundred. Find
decimal and percent equivalents for common
fractions and explain why they represent the
same value.
5.1.5 Explain different interpretations of fractions: as
parts of a whole, parts of a set, and division of
whole numbers by whole numbers.
5.6.1 Explain which types of displays are appropriate for various sets of data.
5.7.3 Apply strategies and results from simpler
problems to solve more complex problems.
5.7.4 Express solutions clearly and logically by using the appropriate mathematical terms and
notation. Support solutions with evidence in
both verbal and symbolic work.
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Standards
Science
5.2.1 Multiply and divide whole numbers mentally,
on paper, and with a calculator.
5.2.4 Keep a notebook to record observations and
be able to distinguish inferences from actual
observations.
5.4.4 Explain that in any particular environment,
some kinds of plants and animals survive well,
some do not survive as well, and some cannot
survive at all.
5.4.7 Explain that living things, such as plants and
animals, differ in their characteristics, and that
sometimes these differences can give
members of these groups (plants and animals)
an advantage in surviving and reproducing.
6.4.10 Describe how life on Earth depends on
energy from the sun.
Social Studies
6.1.19 Analyze cause-and-effect relationships, keeping in mind multiple causation, including the
importance of individuals, ideas, human interests, beliefs, and chance in history.
Grade 6
English/Language Arts
6.5.7 Write for different purposes and to a specific
audience or person, adjusting tone and style
as necessary.
6.7.3 Restate and carry out multiple-step oral instructions and directions.
Mathematics
6.2.6 Interpret and use ratios to show the relative
sizes of two quantities. Use the notations: a/b,
a to b, a:b.
6.5.1 Select and apply appropriate standard units
and tools to measure length, area, volume,
weight, time, temperature, and the size of angles.
6.5.3 Understand and use larger units for measuring area by comparing acres and square miles
to square yards and square kilometers to
square meters.
Science
6.2.7 Locate information in reference books, back
issues of magazines and newspapers,
compact disks, and computer databases.
6.4.1 Explain that one of the most general
distinctions among organisms is between
green plants, which use sunlight to make their
own food, and animals, which consume
energy rich foods.
6.4.3 Describe some of the great variety of body
plans and internal structures animals and
plants have that contribute to their being able
to make or find food and reproduce.
6.4.8 Explain that in all environments, such as
freshwater, marine, forest, desert, grassland,
mountain, and others, organisms with similar
needs may compete with one another for
resources, including food, space, water, air,
and shelter. In any environment, the growth
and survival of organisms depend on the
physical conditions.
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