This annotated slideshow adapted from KET's Electronic Field Trip to the Forest illustrates how blight decimated the American chestnut tree and the methods scientists use to identify and pollinate the remaining trees to create blight-resistant trees.

The study of biomimicry and sustainable design promises great benefits in design applications, offering cost-effective, resourceful, non-polluting avenues for new enterprise. An important final caveat for students to understand is that once copied, species are not expendable. Biomimicry is intended to help people by identifying natural functions from which to pattern human-driven services. Biomimicry was never intended to replace species. Ecosystems remain in critical need of ongoing protection and biodiversity must be preserved for the overall health of the planet. This activity addresses the negative ramifications of species decline. For example, pollinators such as bees are a vital work force in agriculture. They perform an irreplaceable task in ensuring the harvest of most fruit and vegetable crops. In the face of the unexplained colony collapse disorder, we are only now beginning to understand how invaluable these insects are in keeping food costs down and even making the existence of these foods possible for humans.

Biology 2e is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester biology course for science majors. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology includes rich features that engage students in scientific inquiry, highlight careers in the biological sciences, and offer everyday applications. The book also includes various types of practice and homework questions that help students understand—and apply—key concepts. The 2nd edition has been revised to incorporate clearer, more current, and more dynamic explanations, while maintaining the same organization as the first edition. Art and illustrations have been substantially improved, and the textbook features additional assessments and related resources.

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Explain how angiosperm diversity is due, in part, to multiple complex interactions with animals
Describe ways in which pollination occurs
Discuss the roles that plants play in ecosystems and how deforestation threatens plant biodiversity

By the end of this section, you will be able to do the following:

Describe what must occur for plant fertilization
Explain cross-pollination and the ways in which it takes place
Describe the process that leads to the development of a seed
Define double fertilization

Paul Andersen explains how the behavior of various organisms is shaped by natural selection. The action of phototropism and the timing of photoperiodism have both been shaped by the relative availability of light. Courtship in the bower bird determines the success of offspring. [9:02]

Investigate plant pollen dispersal methods through a forensic science investigation. In addition, students learn to communicate their investigation results to non-scientific audiences. [28:01]

Explore a few of the ways plants pollinate each other in this video segment from Sexual Encounters of a Floral Kind.

This article highlights hands-on or multimedia lesson plans about plant structures, growth and development, seed production, and dispersal. Science lessons are paired with suggested literacy lesson plans. All lessons are aligned to national standards.

A lesson unit on pollination. Includes background information, lessons and activity pages. One handout is in Spanish.

Smithsonian Education presents a series of three lesson plans whose focus is plants and animals in their role as partners in pollination. Each lesson comes complete with clear learning objectives, materials list, subjects covered, detailed procedures, and downloadable accompanying activity sheets. A list of additional resources is also provided.

This article assembles free resources from the Polar Plants issue of the Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears cyberzine into a unit outline based on the 5E learning cycle framework. Outlines are provided for Grades K-2 and 3-5.

This video segment from Kentucky Life describes how scientists control pollination of one of the few remaining American chestnut trees to develop blight resistant trees. [4:47]

This video segment from Kentucky Life describes how scientists control pollination of one of the few remaining American chestnut trees to develop blight resistant trees.

All about plants has information on plant parts--seeds, flowers, fruits, roots, and spores--and plant processes--seed dispersal, germination, pollination, and photosynthesis. You can also take a tour of this Los Angeles-based conservatory, access a database of its plants, and add a plant to its digital garden.

This resource provides detailed information on the hummingbird, as well as several vivid photos and a video.