SC.4.L.16.1

Identify processes of sexual reproduction in flowering plants, including pollination, fertilization (seed production), seed dispersal, and germination.
General Information
Subject Area: Science
Grade: 4
Body of Knowledge: Life Science
Idea: Level 2: Basic Application of Skills & Concepts
Big Idea: Heredity and Reproduction - A. Offspring of plants and animals are similar to, but not exactly like, their parents or each other.

B. Life cycles vary among organisms, but reproduction is a major stage in the life cycle of all organisms.
Date Adopted or Revised: 02/08
Date of Last Rating: 05/08
Status: State Board Approved
Assessed: Yes

Related Courses

This benchmark is part of these courses.
5020050: Science - Grade Four (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2022, 2022 - 2024, 2024 and beyond (current))
7720050: Access Science Grade 4 (Specifically in versions: 2014 - 2015, 2015 - 2018, 2018 - 2023, 2023 and beyond (current))

Related Access Points

Alternate version of this benchmark for students with significant cognitive disabilities.
SC.4.L.16.In.1: Identify that insects spread pollen to help flowering plants make seeds.
SC.4.L.16.Su.1: Recognize that many flowering plants grow from their own seeds.
SC.4.L.16.Pa.1: Recognize that many plants have flowers and leaves.

Related Resources

Vetted resources educators can use to teach the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Lesson Plans

Dissect It!:

After dissecting a flower(s), the students will be able to identify the parts necessary for pollination, or reproduction of flowering plants. They will also make comparisons and find patterns in nature, leading them to the understanding of the processes of sexual reproduction in flowering plants, including pollination and fertilization (seed production).

Type: Lesson Plan

Pollinators:

In this Model Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will be gien an engineering problem in which they must work as a team to design a procedure to select the best pollinator for certain situations.


Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Pollination:

Information, pictures, videos, a song, and lesson plans all about pollination. Lesson plans cover making models of flowers and pollinators, hand pollinating real flowers, and classifying flowers by the pollinators they attract.

Type: Lesson Plan

Honey Bee Human--an Engineering Design Challenge:

This Engineering Design Challenge is intended to help students apply the concepts of pollination as they design an apparatus that will pollinate a field. It is not intended as an initial introduction to this benchmark.

In this Engineering Design Challenge, students will make a 2-dimensional model (a graphic illustration) rather than build a prototype.

Type: Lesson Plan

Exploring Plants:

Students will be introduced to the study of plants in this lesson. First they will sprout bean seeds on moistened paper towels, then make drawings and measurements of their growth. They will watch time-lapse videos that illustrate a plant's major growth stages. Another clip covers fruits and asks students to consider how their seeds are spread. They will gather seeds by walking outside with an old sock over one of their shoes, then plant their sock to observe the resulting plants.

Type: Lesson Plan

Everglades Pollination Contest:

In this Model-Eliciting Activity, students act as contest participants to determine the best flower to introduce to the Everglades for pollinators including those that are blind.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Type: Lesson Plan

Original Student Tutorial

A Plant's Life:

Follow the steps of the life cycle of flowering plants in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Teaching Idea

Seed Dispersal:

People plant some seeds, but most plants don't rely on people. Plants rely on animals and wind and water to help scatter their seeds. This site has great resources on seed dispersal.

Type: Teaching Idea

Text Resource

Biology of Plants:

Younger students can learn about plant biology. Topics include characteristics of living things, germination and growth, the basic parts of plants, photosynthesis, reproduction, and ecological adaptations of plants. The information presented can also be ordered as a video.

Type: Text Resource

Unit/Lesson Sequences

Plants Parts and Life Cycles:

In this unit, students learn about various plants, their parts, their life cycles, and the importance of bees in plant reproduction.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

Pollination:

The students will identify the plant parts involved in reproduction, identify the animal (bee) structures involved in pollination, and demonstrate how pollen moves from the male stamen to the female stigma.

Type: Unit/Lesson Sequence

Video/Audio/Animations

Plants in Motion - Sunflower germination light/dark:

This is a short time-lapse video of sunflower seeds germinating in either light or dark conditions. Different patterns of growth are observable. Includes descriptions of what is being seen.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Sock Seeds:

This video clip presents a fun experiment: wear an old sock over your shoe and then take a walk through a grassy or weedy field or forest, and finally plant the sock to see what grows from it. This experiment sheds some light on the local plant species and also helps teach the evolutionary strategies plants take advantage of to disperse seeds. A background essay provides some very helpful information about seed dispersal as well and discussion questions help sum it all up.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

STEM Lessons - Model Eliciting Activity

Everglades Pollination Contest:

In this Model-Eliciting Activity, students act as contest participants to determine the best flower to introduce to the Everglades for pollinators including those that are blind.

Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Pollinators:

In this Model Eliciting Activity (MEA), students will be gien an engineering problem in which they must work as a team to design a procedure to select the best pollinator for certain situations.


Model Eliciting Activities, MEAs, are open-ended, interdisciplinary problem-solving activities that are meant to reveal students’ thinking about the concepts embedded in realistic situations. MEAs resemble engineering problems and encourage students to create solutions in the form of mathematical and scientific models. Students work in teams to apply their knowledge of science and mathematics to solve an open-ended problem while considering constraints and tradeoffs. Students integrate their ELA skills into MEAs as they are asked to clearly document their thought processes. MEAs follow a problem-based, student-centered approach to learning, where students are encouraged to grapple with the problem while the teacher acts as a facilitator. To learn more about MEAs visit: https://www.cpalms.org/cpalms/mea.aspx

Original Student Tutorials Science - Grades K-8

A Plant's Life:

Follow the steps of the life cycle of flowering plants in this interactive tutorial.

Student Resources

Vetted resources students can use to learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.

Original Student Tutorial

A Plant's Life:

Follow the steps of the life cycle of flowering plants in this interactive tutorial.

Type: Original Student Tutorial

Video/Audio/Animation

Sock Seeds:

This video clip presents a fun experiment: wear an old sock over your shoe and then take a walk through a grassy or weedy field or forest, and finally plant the sock to see what grows from it. This experiment sheds some light on the local plant species and also helps teach the evolutionary strategies plants take advantage of to disperse seeds. A background essay provides some very helpful information about seed dispersal as well and discussion questions help sum it all up.

Type: Video/Audio/Animation

Parent Resources

Vetted resources caregivers can use to help students learn the concepts and skills in this benchmark.