Powerful Pollinators

Look beyond honeybees to investigate the diverse array of invertebrate pollinators and their importance. In this comprehensive program, participants will delve into the fascinating world of invertebrate pollinators, exploring the diverse array of species beyond the well-known honeybee. Through engaging presentations and interactive activities, learners will investigate the critical roles these pollinators play in maintaining healthy ecosystems and supporting agriculture.

By the end of the program, learners will have a comprehensive appreciation for the diversity and significance of invertebrate pollinators, as well as practical knowledge on how to support and protect these essential contributors to our environment. This enriching experience will inspire a greater awareness of the interconnectedness of ecosystems and the crucial role of pollinators in sustaining life on Earth.

Learning Objectives:

• Awareness: Learners will develop awareness that pollinators contribute to the health of our planet.  
• Compassion/Empathy: Learners will develop compassion for the less beautiful pollinators of the world.  
• Empowerment: Learners will be empowered to protect pollinators.

Addressing Misconceptions: One common misconception we will address is that bees and butterflies are the only pollinators. Learners will learn about the diverse types of pollinators, their unique roles, and how each contributes to the environment in different ways.

Curriculum Standards Supported:

Colorado Science Standards 

• SC.P.2.1: 5. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how individual organisms are configured and how these structures function to support life, growth, behavior and reproduction. GLE: 1. Recognize that living things have unique characteristics and basic needs that can be observed and studied
• SC.P.2.2: 6. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how living systems interact with the biotic and abiotic environment. GLE: 2. Recognize that living things develop in predictable patterns 
• SC.K.2.1: 5. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how individual organisms are configured and how these structures function to support life, growth, behavior and reproduction. GLE: 1. To live and grow, animals obtain food they need from plants or other animals, and plants need water and light 
• SC.1.2.1: 5. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how individual organisms are configured and how these structures function to support life, growth, behavior and reproduction. GLE: 1. All organisms have external parts that they use to perform daily functions 
• SC.2.2.1: 6. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how living systems interact with the biotic and abiotic environment. GLE: 1. Plants depend on water and light to grow and on animals for pollination or to move their seeds around
• SC.3.2.1: 5. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how individual organisms are configured and how these structures function to support life, growth, behavior and reproduction. GLE: 1. Organisms have unique and diverse life cycles  
• SC.3.2.2: 6. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how living systems interact with the biotic and abiotic environment. GLE: 2. Being part of a group helps animals obtain food, defend themselves and cope with changes
• SC.4.2.1: 5. Students can use the full range of science and engineering practices to make sense of natural phenomena and solve problems that require understanding how individual organisms are configured and how these structures function to support life, growth, behavior and reproduction. GLE: 1. Organisms have both internal and external structures that serve various functions 

Next Generation Science Standards 

• K-LS1-1: Use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive  
• K-ESS3-1: Use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and the places they live  
• 2-LS4-1: Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats  
• 3-LS2-1: Construct an argument that some animals form groups that help members survive  
• 3-LS4-3: Construct an argument with evidence that in a particular habitat some organisms can survive well, some survive less well, and some cannot survive at all  
• 3-LS3-1. Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms 
• 3-LS3-2. Use evidence to support the explanation that traits can be influenced by the environment 
• 3-LS4-2. Use evidence to construct an explanation for how the variations in characteristics among individuals of the same species may provide advantages in surviving, finding mates, and reproducing 
• 4-LS1-1. Construct an argument that plants and animals have internal and external structures that function to support survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction 
• MS-LS2-2. Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems 
• 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-LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals’ probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment