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Redbud Blooms in Red Haw State Park

This video shows Red Haw State Park covered in pink blossoms from the redbud trees.

Location
Red Haw State Park, Chariton, IA

Driving Question

  • How do plants reproduce?

Probing Questions

  • Why is blooming necessary for pollination to occur?
  • How is pollen transferred from one blossom to another? 
  • What types of pollinators would be attracted to the redbud blossoms?

Classroom Suggestions

Students could:

  • Discuss as full class why trees have blossoms, ask students to recall any similar scenarios in the trees they may live by.
  • Work in pairs to draw what they think the individual blossoms of the redbud trees look like with labels. Have the pairs of students form groups of four to share and discuss their plant models.
  • Conduct a flower dissection (or virtual) to identify the parts of a flower.
  • Read an article in pairs and learn about the parts of the plant and the pollination process.
  • Modify the first model they created of the parts of a flower as their learning progresses. 
  • Use a list of pollinators and plants with descriptions and match up the flower with its appropriate pollinator.
  • Create a finalized model of a plant with its reproductive parts explaining how it is pollinated.

Resources

Iowa Core Alignment

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

Credit Info

Media produced for Iowa Outdoors by Iowa PBS.
Submitted by Dan Voss and Madison Beeler as part of their Iowa STEM Teacher Externship experience at Iowa PBS.

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