Pollinator’s Paradise

Summary

While participating in the Climate Kids activities of art, science, and storytelling, students will gain an understanding of who pollinators are, their important role in our lives, how they will be affected by a changing climate and increased human activity, and what we can do to help them.

Vocabulary

Climate, Weather, Precipitation, Climate Change, Fossil Fuels, Greenhouse Gases, Carbon Dioxide, Ecosystem, Food Web, Pollinators, Nectar, Pollen, Phenology, Phenological Mismatch (defined at end of module)

Objectives

Students will:

• Learn about pollinators and their important biological role
• Make observations of pollinator specimens (preserved or live) and their environment in class and/or outdoors
• Explore the impacts of climate change and increased human activities on pollinators
• Develop solutions to help pollinators to adapt to increased human activities
• Create and design artwork to portray impacts on or solutions for pollinator resilience to climate change and human activities

Science Standards

Grades K-2

K-LS1-1: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive

K-ESS2-1: Use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.

K-ESS2-2: Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs

K-ESS3-1: Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live.

K-ESS3-3: Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.

1-LS1-2: Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.

2-LS2-2: Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.

2-LS4-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.