Pre-Visit Lesson Suggestions:
The Power of Pollinators

Background Information

Here at Water Rocks! we think pollinators are the bee’s knees! Between 75-95% of plants on earth require help with pollination. Animal pollinators all over the world help plants to reproduce (producing fruits and seeds), which provides much of our food supply, supports clean air, reduces erosion, and provides habitat for wildlife.

The relationship between pollinators and plants is a mutualism – a relationship between different species where each one benefits the other. Pollinators get food (nectar) and plants get pollinated – it’s a win-win!

1 out of every 3 bites of food that we eat is made possible through the work of pollinators. Plants need pollination to reproduce, and 75-95% of plants require the help of pollinators to get the job done. Pollinators come in every shape and size, and are found all over the world. But they have one thing in common: they are all facing decline due to numerous environmental factors. Now is the time to be talking about pollinators and how to help protect them!

Videos

Music Videos:

Please the Bees
Monarch Milkweed Magic
Buzzy Bizzy Bees
WR! Unplugged: Don’t Stop BEE-lieving

Adventures of the Conservation Pack:
Episode 16 (Video and Worksheet)

Additional Activities

Elementary

Pollinator Buzzzy Activity Book/University of Illinois (Grades K-2)
Bees vs. Frogs (Grades K-5)
Pollen Relay Race (Grades K-5)

Middle School and Beyond

Plants and Animals: Partnership in Pollination Activity Guide/Smithsonian in Your Classroom (Grades 4-9)
Predators and Pollinators: Smells of Danger/University of California-San Diego