It's a Tulip!

Planting and Growing Inquiry Continued

After a month of observing and wondering what was sprouting in front of our school, we learned that a rainbow of beautiful tulips were growing... not hostas.  It was so interesting to explore the different stages of tulip growth.  It was fun to guess what colour of tulips would grow in front of our school. 

While exploring the tulips this past week, some students were curious about the yellow piece inside the tulip.  Below is part of a conversation Ms. Marrella and I had with some students about what they thought it was.

Victoria – There is a yellow thing inside (the tulip).  I want to know if it’s for the bees to get the nectar.

Ms. Iagallo – Let’s ask some of our friends what they think that yellow thing is. 

Gabriel – Maybe it’s gonna be nectar because yellow is for nectar and bees use it to make honey.

Ms. Iagallo – Why would the bees want to fly to the tulip to get “nectar”?

Gabriel – Because they want to make honey for their kids and the grown-ups.

Emmett – Um, I remember when we went to the Toronto Public Library I saw a bee with black stripes and orange stripes.  It was going to a flower.

Ms. Iagallo – Did you see the bee reach the flower?  What did it do?

Emmett – Um, ya.  It, um, it gets the nectar and then goes to its honey nest and then bakes it into honey.

Ms. Iagallo – Has anyone seen what a bee does with its arms and legs when it touches a flower?

Ariyanna – Bees get the nectar by using its touch and then putting it in the beehive.

Aifie – A bee eats honey at the flower.

Alex – The bee has a jacket and a circle thing to suck up the nectar. 

All these wonders about bees, nectar and honey.  Next week we will be on the lookout for bees.  We will be taking a close look at what bees do when they buzz around the flower and learn what the "nectar" really is.