INTRODUCTION TO THE POLLINATOR HOTSPOT PROGRAM

Teacher: GradeLevel(s):K-6th

Time:1hour;optionsforcontinuousdatacollection Author:MichelleCoe

NextGenerationScienceStandards:

3-LS3-1.Analyzeandinterpretdatatoprovideevidencethatplantsandanimalshavetraitsinheritedfromparentsandthatvariationofthesetraitsexistsinagroupofsimilarorganisms.3-LS3-2.Useevidencetosupporttheexplanationthattraitscanbeinfluencedbytheenvironment.4-LS1-1.Constructanargumentthatplantsandanimalshaveinternalandexternalstructuresthatfunctiontosupportsurvival,growth,behavior,andreproduction.MS-LS1-5.Constructascientificexplanationbasedonevidenceforhowenvironmentalandgeneticfactorsinfluencethegrowthoforganisms.

EnduringUnderstandings:

LS3.BDifferentorganismsvaryinhowtheylookandfunctionbecausetheyhavedifferentinheritedinformation;theenvironmentalsoaffectsthetraitsthatanorganismdevelops.Similaritiesanddifferencesinpatternscanbeusedtosortandclassifynaturalphenomena.

ContentObjective: StudentswilllearnhowtoparticipateintheArizonaSonoraDesertMuseum’s(www.desertmuseum.org)PollinatorHotspotProgram.Studentswillidentifybarrelcactus,collectbarrelcactusfruit,recordspecificpropertiesoftheplant,andenterinformationinanonlinedatabase.

Vocabulary MaterialsBarrelCactus

SeedsSpines

CitizenScience

DataSheets,PlasticKnives,Plates,BarrelCactusFruits,ScientificJournals,MeterSticks

OptionalMaterials:Computersorprojectorshowingdata-entryprocess,spraybottle,GPS

units,stickynotes,gloves

Seasonality:BarrelcactusproducefruitinearlyJulyandOctober(Autumn);thispresentationwillworkbestinAutumnsothatstudentscancollectthefruitandthecactusinformationneeded.

MonsoonJuly-Sept.

AutumnOct.-Nov.

WinterDec.-Feb.

SpringMar.-Apr.

DrySummerMay-June

Engage:Giveeachstudentortablegroupahandfulofbarrelcactusseeds.Allowstudentstoexplorethe

anatomyofthebarrelcactusseeds.Askstudentstolookatcolor,structure,textureandother

differencesbothwithinandbetweentheseeds.GuidingQuestions:Whataretheseseeds?Whatisone

uniquethingyouobservedabouttheseseeds?

Explore:Today,studentswilllearnaboutacitizenscienceopportunityfromtheArizonaSonoraDesert

Museum(ASDM).GuidingQuestion:Whatdoesitmeantobeacitizenscientist?Thinkabouteachword

separatelyanddiscusswithyourneighbor.Citizenscienceisthecollectionandanalysisofdatarelating

INTRODUCTION TO THE POLLINATOR HOTSPOT PROGRAM

tothenaturalworldbymembersofthegeneralpublic,typicallyaspartofacollaborativeprojectwith

professionalscientists(WebsterDictionary).Thecitizenscienceprojectwewilllearnabouttoday,called

“PollinatorHotspot”asksparticipantsto:

1. Findabarrelcactus2. Measuretheplant(height)3. Pickafruitfromthecenterofthefruitcrown4. Counttheseedsinonebarrelcactusfruit5. SendASDMtheseedcount,plantlocation,andtheplant

height.

Takestudentsoutsidetoexploreanybarrelcactusthatmightbelocatedattheschool.Askstudentsto

usetheirbodytoexploretheheightofthebarrelcactus(doesitcomeuptoyourknee,yourhipyou’re

yourbelly?)Explorethevarietyoffruitsonthetopofthecactus.Askstudentstofindexamplesoffruits

thatareripeandunripe—whatisthedifference?

Explain:GuidingQuestions:Thinkabouttheinformationthatthe“PollinatorHotspot”programwantsits

citizenscientiststocollect.Whymightscientistsfeelthisinformationisimportanttocollect?Give

studentstimetobrainstormideas.Writeideasontheboard.

BackgroundinformationfromtheASDMsite:Humanactivitieshavechangedtheavailabilityand

distributionofmanydesertresources,includingwater.Askstudentstodiscussintheirtablegroups

differentwaysthatthismaybetrue.GuidingQuestion:Howdonativespeciessuchaspollinators

respondtothesehuman-inducedchanges(water,agriculture,buildings,andmore)?Doyouthinkthere

isarelationshipbetweenthenumberofseedsinafruitandsomeotherresourceinthatplant’s

environment?Morepollinators=moreseeds!Bycountingseeds,wemaybeabletotellwherethereare

moreorfewerpollinators.ManyofthepollinatorsinourSonoranDesertaresolitary(livingalong;notin

ahiveorbiggroup).Thismakesitdifficulttocountpollinatorslikecarpenterbees.Fruitsandseedsget

producedwiththehelpofinsectpollination;bylookingatfruitandseedproductionwemaybeableto

alsotellhowmanypollinatorsarenearby.

Elaborate:Let’sexploreexactlyhowtocollectourdata!Thefollowinginstructionsarelistedonthe

ASDM’sinformationalbrochure.

HowdoImeasuretheplant?Ayardstickworkswell.Trytomeasurefromthebase(wheresoil

meetstheplant)tothecrown(theverytopoftheyellowfruits).Measuretheplant’stotal

height,evenifitmeansyouhavetoholdtheyardstickataslant.

INTRODUCTION TO THE POLLINATOR HOTSPOT PROGRAM

HowdoIpickafruit?Luckily,barrelcactusfruitsdon’thavespines,buttherearespinesaround

them.Waituntilthefruitsarebrightyellow,whentheycomeoffmosteasily.Trynottopicka

fruitrightatthecenteroredgeofthecrown—aimforinbetweentogetanaveragesize.

HowdoIcounttheseeds?Theseedsareeasiesttocountwhentheyaredry.Cutthefruitopen

andleaveitsomewheretodry,likeonawindowsill.Onceit’sdry,shaketheseedsoutintoa

bowlorcup.Countasmallpileatatimesoyoucankeeptrack.

Submittingyourdata:Dataentryiseasy!Findthedatasheetat

www.desertmuseum.org/hotspots.Typethelocationofthebarrelcactus(eithertheGPS

locationorasmuchdetailasyoucan),itsapproximateheight,andthenumberofseeds.Finally,

checktheboxforwhethertheplantiswatered(ifyoudon’tknowtheanswer).

Evaluate:Splittheclassroomintosmallteamsandgivethemadatasheet.Eachteamshouldfindone

barrelcactusattheschool(noduplicates)andgothrougheachdatacollectionsteptosubmit

informationtotheASDMsite.Therecanbealotofseedsinonefruit;eachteammembermaywantto

countasubsetofseedsandaddthetotalupwiththeirteammatesattheend.Thisdatacollection

processcanberepeatedforasmanyfruitingseasonsandcactiasavailable.

Studentsmayusetheirnewtrainingandknowledgetofindbarrelcactusintheirneighborhoodand

recordthisinformation.Themoreinformationfromadiversenumberofplaces,thebetter!

Shortontime?Giventimeconstraints,studentscancutthefruitopenoveraplateusingplasticknivesandbegincountingtheseeds,ratherthanlettingthefruitsdryfor1week.First,cutthetopoffofthefruit,thenusetheplasticknifetoscrapetheinteriorofthefruitandgetallseedsoutontotheplate.Ifyourfruitandseedsprovetobesticky,useaspraybottletoslightlydampentheplate.Seedswillslideeasilyoutofthefruitandalongtheplate,makingitstressandsticky-freetousetheknifetomoveandcounttheseeds.

Images:Kindergartencitizenscientistscountingbarrelcactusseeds.Photocredit:MichelleCoe.

Methods: Measure the height of a fruiting fishhook barrel cactus. Pick one fruit from the cactus. Try not to take fruit from the very center or very edge of the fruit patch – aim for somewhere in between.

Cut the fruit open and leave it to dry (about a week).

Once the seeds are dry, scrape them out into a bowl.

There can be a lot of seeds, so it may be easiest to divide them into several bowls and count each bowl separately. Add those numbers together and report the total number of seeds.

Report your data online: www.desertmuseum.org/hotspots

Datasheet

Date Your Name Plant height(centimeters)

Number of seeds in one fruit

Precise plant location (street address, GPS coordinates, or detailed description)