Scientists Often Make Models in the Laboratory. Models Help Scientists Understand Processes

Scientists often make models in the laboratory. Models help scientists understand processes and structures. Models are especially useful when scientists are trying to understand processes that are too small to be seen easily, such as pollination, or processes that are too large to be examined in a laboratory, such as the growth of a tree. Models also make it possible to examine the structures of objects, such as flowers.

In this activity you will use your creativity and your understanding of the structure of a flower to make a model of a flower from recycled materials and art supplies.

Procedure

1. Study the pictures of flowers that we have gone over in class. In our examples the flowers have both male and female parts. Not all flowers have this structure- many species of plants have only male parts or only female parts, not both. But for this project you will use a design that models a flower that has both male and female parts, like the examples we have viewed in class.

2. Decide what materials you will use to represent each flower part. Then, build a three-dimensional model of a flower that looks like one of the flowers in your notes. The model you build should contain each of the following parts: stem, sepals, petals, stamens (anther and filament), and pistil (stigma, style and ovary).

Analyze the Results

1. Organize Data: List the structures of your flower and explain the function of each part on a note card or separate sheet of paper.

2. Analyzing Data: How are your flower model and an actual flower alike? How are they different?

3. Justifying Materials: Select at least 2 of your materials and justify why they were used to represent that particular part of the plant.

(For example: I used a straw for the stem because straws are used to transport liquids up just like a stem is used to transport water up a plant.)

Draw Conclusions

4. How might your flower attract pollinators? What modifications could you make to your flower to attract a greater number of pollinators?

5. What is the difference between pollination and fertilization? Where does each take place on the flower?

6. Explain one way that the ovary and the stigma are similar and one way the ovary and stigma are different.

7. Give two reasons why angiosperms (flowering plants) are important to animals and humans.

Making Predictions

8. If your flower were to get pollinated, what might happen next?

This project (the model and #1-8) is due on Thursday, November 5th.

Lily Tulip Hibiscus

Some examples of flowers that have both male and female parts