======Pollination Role Play======


<WRAP right box>
**Materials: **{{$demo.materials_description}}\\
**Difficulty: **{{$demo.difficulty_description}}\\
**Safety: **{{$demo.safety_description}}\\
\\
**Categories:** {{$demo.categories}}
\\


**Alternative titles:** Bee and Flower Role Play
</WRAP>

====Summary====                   
{{$demo.summary}}



====Procedure====  
  - Assign children roles as flower parts (sepals, petals, stamens, stigma) and one child as the bee.  
  - Use props to represent the different flower parts, such as hats, headbands, or other classroom items.  
  - Organize the children into two groups to form two flowers. Each group should include sepals, petals, stamens, and a stigma.  
  - Begin with both flowers as buds, with petals, stamens, and stigma crouched down and sepals covering them.  
  - Have the bee “visit” the first flower, buzzing and collecting pollen (represented by a small item like a pom-pom or ball).  
  - The bee then flies to the second flower, which waves its petals to attract the bee.  
  - The bee deposits the pollen onto the stigma (e.g., brushing Velcro hooks against a woolly hat to simulate pollen transfer).  
  - Repeat the process, allowing students to switch roles to experience different parts of the pollination process.



====Links==== 
Pollination Game - New Haven Spectacular Seedlings: 
{{youtube>GAOd7DUrvuI?}}\\


📄 Science- pollination and fertilisation role play - Mother Shipton: [[https://www.mothershipton.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Pollination-and-fertilisation-role-play.pdf]]\\

====Variations====
  * Add more bees to show how multiple pollinators affect fertilization chances.  
  * Use colored pom-poms to represent pollen from different flowers and demonstrate cross-pollination.  
  * Extend the activity by discussing what happens after fertilization, such as fruit and seed formation.  




====Safety Precautions====
  * Ensure students move carefully when acting as bees to avoid collisions.  
  * Use soft props (hats, pom-poms, scarves) to prevent accidental injury.  
  * Supervise role swaps to keep the activity orderly.




====Questions to Consider====
  * What is the role of petals in attracting pollinators? (They provide color and scent to draw bees and other insects.)  
  * Why does the bee carry pollen from one flower to another? (While feeding, pollen sticks to the bee and is transferred to the stigma of another flower.)  
  * What happens after pollen lands on the stigma? (A pollen tube grows down to the ovule, leading to fertilization and seed formation.)  
  * How do sepals protect a flower before it opens? (They enclose the bud and shield developing parts from damage.)  
  * Why is cross-pollination important for plants? (It increases genetic diversity, making plant populations stronger and more resilient.)