Peg Bolick is a pollen specialist and Curator of Botany at the University of Nebraska State Museum. Learn more about her life and work by viewing the video and exploring the CD-ROM. Five activities in this kit include: Pollination, In Search of Pollen, Medical Mystery, Flower Engineers, and Pollen Tracks. In Pollination, students make models of bees and a flower and act out the role a bee plays in flower pollination. In Search of Pollen, students become botanists and dissect a flower to find where the pollen is. They also learn about the other flower parts. Pairs of students assume the role of a detective and main character to try to solve a mystery in the activity Medical Mystery. In Flower Engineers, students design and build models of flowers that will attract honeybees, flower beetles, hawk moths, and butterflies. Finally, in Pollen Tracks, groups of students go on a dig for imitation rock samples containing "pollen" from ancient plants. Then they extract the pollen from the rocks and determine which plants the pollen represents.

Instructional Materials

This kit includes a video, CD-ROM, and activity book. In addition a kit containing non-consumable materials to implement the five activities is available. This portion of the kit includes: (14) Dissecting needles, (14) Magnifying lenses, (28) Pipets, and (7) 8 x 8 aluminum cake pans. The kit must be returned in the condition in which it was received. If not, the replacement cost is $68.00. Special note: Imitation rocks need to be made for activity #5. The prep time needed is approximately 4 hours. Indian seed beads are needed. These can be purchased at a local craft store. One batch of the mix should provide sufficient samples for a classroom.

Illinois State Goals & Learning Standards

01A. Apply word analysis and vocabulary skills to comprehend selections.

01C. Comprehend a broad range of reading materials.

03A. Use correct grammar, spelling, puctuation, capitalization and structure.

03C. Communicate ideas in writing to accomplish a variety of purposes.

04A. Listen effectively in formal and informal situations.

04B. Speak effectively using language appropriate to the situation and audience.

05C. Apply acquired information, concepts and ideas to communicate in a variety of formats.

10A. Organize, describe and make predictions from existing data

11A. Know and apply the concepts, principles and processes of scientific inquiry

12A. Know and apply concepts that explain how living things function, adapt and change

12E. Know and apply concepts that describe the features and processes of the earth and its resources

13A. Know and apply the accepted practices of sciences

13B. Know and apply concepts that describe the interaction between science, technology, and society