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Wildflower and Pollinator Lesson Plan

"Educators, artists, and lovers of nature alike, I would like to invite you to partake in this lesson plan as a fun activity that brings awareness to our biodiversity and the presence of native species in Southern Ohio. Together we can make a difference." Kelli Scarpa

Art-integrated lesson created by Kelli Scarpa, art education major (class of 2018), as part of coursework in ART 395: Art Across the Curriculum, Stephanie Danker, instructor

Theme: Preservation of the Environment, Contributing to a Community

Integrated subject: Science

Intended audience: Parents and kids, although it can be adapted to a classroom setting for any age group.

Projected time for lesson: Print out before you go, attend wildflower walk/tour (2 or 3 days)

Lesson overview

Participants compare the flowers in their garden or shared natural space with those of Silvoor Biological Sanctuary, looking specifically for wildflowers native to Ohio. They make note of the different pollinators they see and then make a conscious change to their environment to promote wildflowers and native pollinators. They then make a sign to inform others of the change they have made.

I chose to focus on the declining population of natural pollinators and plants because they are so essential to our ecosystems. If more people took simple steps to promote native pollinators our wildlife, and even our lives, will be improved.

Essential Questions

  • Why are our wildflowers in decline?
    • irresponsible gardening
    • invasive species
  • How can I promote our wildflowers?
    • responsible gardening
    • promoting native pollinators
  • What are the consequences of our loss of wildflowers?
    • loss of native pollinators
    • loss of diversity in our woods and fields

Visual Culture Component

The Bee Movie is a Pixar film released in 2007. It is rated PG, for mild suggestive humor and a brief depiction of smoking. As the film is rated such, use caution in showing this clip to your child. This clip was chosen because it demonstrates the negative effects of losing our pollinators on a large scale. Barry and Vannessa’s conversation spell out how something so small can affect the whole rest of the community, and even the world.

The Bee Movie, 1:01-2:04

But it’s not just bees that we need to pollinate our plants, it’s all of the native pollinators! A pollinator is anything that moves pollen from one flower to the next. Pollinators can include wind, bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, bats, moths, and many other creatures, depending on where you live. A pollinator that belongs in your area is called a native pollinator. Native pollinators help to keep the environment and the natural world healthy. Some threats to native pollinators include invasive species and loss of habitat. An invasive species is one that does not belong there and that takes over the area, killing all the other plants or animals.

Why are bees, and pollinators in general, important to us?

Why is it important to treat all parts of nature with respect?

Does knowing that bees are so important to the natural world affect how you feel about them? Explain.

Vocabulary

  • Pollinator - an organism that carries pollen from plant to plant, fertilizing them and allowing them to make seeds.
  • Native - something that belongs in an area and started out there.
  • Invasive Species - a type of plant that does not belong in an area and takes more and more space without sharing.
  • Habitat - the place where an animal or plant lives.
  • Observation - being focused on what is in your surroundings. Observation can be done with your eyes and ears, listening and looking at what is around you.
  • Subject - In art, the subject is what is being depicted or shown. It is what is in the painting, drawing, or any other media.
  • Illustrate - to draw something that partners with words.

Objectives

Participants will:

  1. Match flowers in their garden or on the trail to the illustrated bingo card.
  2. Compare their bingo card from home and their card from the trail.
  3. Observe the different pollinators on their hike and in their garden.
  4. Propose one change to their garden at home to make it more friendly to native plants and pollinators.
  5. Create an illustrative sign to showcase their change in their garden.

Standards

This lesson is intended for a community setting, so no standards are specified. However, depending upon the age of the participants, they could be applied as is appropriate.

Ohio Learning Standards

Procedure

Before the hike:

  1. Print two bingo cards for each participant. (Bingo card should be printed front and back.)
    3 by 3 Bingo card. From left to right, top to bottom: May Apple, White Trillium, Phlox, Blue-eyed Mary, bee, Wild Geranium, Bluebells, Hepatica, Bloodrootback of card. explained below.
    (right click the Bingo card images to save and print for use)
  2. On a sunny day, take your bingo card with you into your back or front yard, or a park nearby. Take a few minutes to observe your surroundings and read the instructions on the back of the card.
    1. You will need a coloring utensil in each color:
      1. yellow
      2. blue
      3. orange
      4. purple
      5. green (optional)
  3. If one of the flowers in your garden matches one on the bingo card, color it in using the color guides within the square.
    Also observe any pollinators you see. If you see any of the following, make a note on the back of your card:
    1. bees
    2. wasps
    3. bats
    4. moths
    5. butterflies
    6. caterpillars
    7. beetles
    8. flies
    9. hummingbirds
  4. Now you are ready to go on the hike. You can take a wildflower tour at the Silvoor Biological Sanctuary or simply hike the trails yourself.
    1. Be sure to bring along your second bingo card, as well as crayons, markers, or colored pencils to mark it with.
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4, just like you did in your garden and remember to tally up your pollinator points.
  6. When you get home, compare your bingo card from home and your card from the hike. Do you notice a difference? Most people do. Now, what can you do about it?
    1. Make a plan together to improve your garden or park.
      1. If it is your own garden, here are a few options:
        1. Plant more native plants. Most nurseries carry plugs of native plants for about $6.00 apiece (on average). Prices may vary by species and nursery.
          1. For a local nursery, visit
            Shademakers Nursery-Landscape
            7525 Fairfield Road, Oxford, OH 45056
          2. Or visit a nursery near you!
        2. Encourage pollinators by providing a habitat
          1. Leave bare ground for burrowing pollinators
          2. Leave old wood for wood-burrowing pollinators
          3. Make a “No Chemicals” Promise–avoid using fertilizers or pesticides
          4. Be a little messy- avoid using ground cloth or heavy mulch which can keep pollinators from nesting in your garden.
          5. Make a “No-Kill” Promise–avoid killing pollinators in your garden.
      2. If you are working with a public space, here are a few options:
        1. Encourage pollinators by providing a habitat
          1. Leave old wood for wood-burrowing pollinators
          2. Make a “No-Kill” Promise–avoid killing pollinators.
    2. Make a sign to inform other people of the change you are making.
      1. This can be as simple as a popsicle stick, clear packing tape, white glue and some construction paper

Instructions on how to make the sign

Contemporary Artist Connections

Precise Breathing or Why I Call My Baby Honey
Jenny Lynn McNutt
NeoRio 2016: Pollinators, Plants + People

Jenny Lynn McNutt is a practicing artist and teacher at the Pratt Institute, New York Studio School, and Pace University. Growing up in Tennessee, she developed a strong sense of connection with nature. Most of her work is in either painting or sculpture, although Precise Breathing is a curation of oddities associated with her subject matter. Her first encounter working with bees was in 1999 with a bee-keeping family. This fascination first manifested itself in “Sewing Songs”(1999-2004) and now has translated further into this installation.

Abstract artwork. Organic, translucent, honey-colored lines resemble an interweaving of microscopic organisms. A sculpture resembling a beehive People viewing two drawings framed in two beekeeping frames. One drawing is partially covered with a wire mesh honeycomb pattern overlay

What do you see?

How does the artist portray pollinators?

Do you think seeing this art would make you think twice about killing a bee?

Evaluation / Assessment

Participants will be evaluated on their commitment to and upkeep of their conscious decision to make their environment more native-species friendly.

Did you:

  • Continue keeping your promise to promote native pollinators?
  • Maintain a nicely crafted sign?
  • Share your change with others?

Materials

(per participant)

  • Printed Bingo Cards (x2)
  • Coloring utensils (crayons, colored pencils, or markers)
  • Construction Paper- any size will do.
    • For children with less experience writing, a larger sign will be beneficial.
  • White Glue
  • Popsicle Stick
  • Clear Packing Tape
  • Optional:
    • Old wood
    • Plant plug (from nursery)

Resources

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May Apple
Blue Eyed Mary
Bloodroot
Phlox
Bluebells
Hepatica
White Trillium
Wild Geranium