Conduct a flower dissection investigation identifying the petal, sepal, stamen, and pistil, and describe each part's role in reproduction.
You may have taken apart a flower before, but this week you look closer and learn the real names of its reproductive parts. Petals are the often colorful outer parts that attract pollinators. Sepals are the smaller, leaf-like parts that protected the flower bud before it opened.
Inside the petals are the parts that actually matter for making seeds. The stamen is the thin stalk topped with pollen, the flower's pollen-producing structure. The pistil is the central structure that receives pollen and, once pollinated, develops into the part of the plant that holds the seeds.
Mastery looks like: They can dissect a flower and correctly identify and describe the function of the sepal, petal, stamen, and pistil.
Common stumbles: Confusing the stamen's and pistil's roles; assuming all flower parts serve the same purpose instead of distinct reproductive functions.