- Materials
- A large mature lily (or similar flower)
- A large ripe apple
- Toothpicks
- Knife (to be used by an adult helper)
- Black paper
- White paper
- Magnifying glass
- Procedure
- Begin with the flower. Locate the parts of the flower:
petals, sepals, pistil, stamen, and ovary.
- Carefully remove the sepals and place them on the white paper.
- Remove the petals and place them on the white paper.
- Remove the stamen and lightly wipe the tip of the stamen
against the black paper. Some of the powdery pollen should
stick to the paper.
- Rub the stamen against the sticky pistil. Some of the
pollen should stick to the pistil.
- Use the edge of a toothpick to slice open the ovary.
- Examine all of the parts with the magnifying lens.
- Have an adult helper slice the apples in half from top
to bottom. Each student or group should have a cross section.
- Consider the apple. Locate the stem. Consider where the
stem was attached to the tree. Look at the other end of the
apple and you should see the sepals. Compare the structure
of the apple to the lily.
- Conclusions
- The fruit of the apple that we eat is actually the
ovary. It protects the seeds inside.
- Extension Ideas
- Consider other flowers and fruits. Which are similar?
Which are different?
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