Pollinator Protector

In this virtual class, students discover common pollinators and the important roles they play in our ecosystems. Students will also identify how human actions affect these pollinators and will lead an empowering discussion on how to make sure we leave a positive impact on the world. With guidance from pollination experts, learn how, through community science, anyone can become a pollinator protector!

Curriculum Standards Supported: 

Colorado Academic Science Standards  

• SC.K.3.2 Plants and animals meet their needs in their habitats and impact one another; people can prepare for severe weather. 
• SC.1.2.1 All organisms have external parts that they use to perform daily functions. 
• SC.2.2.1 Plants depend on water and light to grow and on animals for pollination or to move their seeds around. 
• SC.2.2.2 A range of different organisms lives in different places. 
• SC.3.2.3 Different organisms vary in how they look and function because they have different inherited information; the environment also affects the traits that an organism develops. 
• SC.4.2.1 Organisms have both internal and external structures that serve various functions. 
• SC.4.3.4 Energy and fuels that humans use are derived from natural sources and their use affects the environment in multiple ways 
• SC.MS.2.5 Organisms and populations of organisms are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things and with nonliving
• SC.MS.2.5 Ecosystems are dynamic in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in its populations.
• SC.MS.2.12: Biodiversity is the wide range of existing life forms that have adapted to the variety of conditions on Earth, from terrestrial to marine ecosystems.
• SC.MS.3.10: Human activities have altered the biosphere, sometimes damaging it, although changes to environments can have different impacts for different living things.
• SC.MS.3.11: Human activities affect global warming. Decisions to reduce the impact of global warming depend on understanding climate science, engineering capabilities, and social dynamics.
• SC.HS.2.4 Organisms interact with the living and nonliving components of the environment to obtain matter and energy
• SC.HS.2.6 A complex set of interactions determine how ecosystems respond to disturbances.
• SC.HS.2.7 Organisms interact in groups to benefit the species.
• SC.HS.2.9 Variation between individuals results from genetic and environmental factors
• SC.HS.2.12 The environment influences survival and reproduction of organisms over multiple generations.
• SC.HS.2.13 Humans have complex interactions with ecosystems and have the ability to influence biodiversity on the planet.
• SC.HS.3.11 Sustainability of human societies and the biodiversity that supports them requires responsible management of natural resources, including the development of technologies

Next Generation Science Standards

• 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. 
• 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. 
• 3-LS3-2 Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment. 
• 3-LS4-4 Make a claim about the merit of a solution to a problem caused when the environment changes and the types of plants and animals that live there may change 
• 4-LS1-1 Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. 
• 5-ESS3-1 Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment. 
• MS-LS1-4: Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.
• MS-ESS3-3: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.
• HS-LS2-7: Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.