Using Ant and Butterfly Pollination to Involve Students in Scientific Exploration

 

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2004, Volume 25

Abstract

Students explore pollination using two exercises: an ant- and a butterfly-activity. In the ant-exercise, students generate hypotheses for why reports of ant pollination are rare, test one or more hypothesis, and present their findings. In addition to this open-ended inquiry investigation, instructions are also provided for a structured activity in which students germinate pollen and test whether ant-secretions inhibit pollen growth as has been proposed in the scientific literature. In the butterfly-exercise, students test whether butterflies can learn to associate certain color cues with a sugar reward.

Keywords:  ants, pollination, mutualism, vascular plants, butterfly, pollen

University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2003)