Background information

Learning goals: The aim of this activity is for children to become familiar with the plants and seeds in their local area. Younger children observe and touch a range of seeds (and other natural materials) found in their local area, and to use these materials in arts and craft activities. Older children will go for a walk in their local area, identifying seeds (and other natural materials) and other natural materials associated with the plants from which the seeds come from. Older children will then incorporate these seeds and natural materials into art and craft activities. Older children will also learn how to make a map of the route they walked.

Content information: Bees first appeared on Earth at least 80 million years ago. The ancestors of modern bee species lived alongside the dinosaurs - a time when giant pines, cedars, tree ferns and cycads were the main plants and the air swarmed with primitive insects, including oversized dragonflies and giant butterflies. During this time, the first flowering plants (angiosperms) appeared and a more effective way of pollination was needed, other than simply relying on the wind. The challenge was how to increase the chances of pollination and reproduction to ensure the success of future generations. The solution was to attract insects to assist with pollination. Over time flowers evolved a range of advertisements to attract pollinators, including bright colours, strong fragrances, interesting patterns and unusual shapes. They also developed sugar-rich nectar as a reward. Thus began the mutualistic relationship between flowering plants and bees and it was to change the appearance of the Earth forever. Now there are hundreds of thousands of species of flowering plants and they are the most successful land plants on Earth. Scientists have long chalked this up to the relationship between pollinators and their assistance in reproduction.

There are thousands of bee species that live around the world. The European Honey Bee is the best known as it produces honey, beeswax, propolis and royal jelly, which are all used in a range of ways. Interestingly, bees are the only insect that produces food eaten by humans. They are also the only animal that doesn't harm what it eats but actually enhances it.

Australia has 1,600 native bee species. Most of them are solitary and don’t store honey. Only 11 species of social bees make and store small amounts of honey for their own food.

While it is well known that bees produce honey; a lesser-known fact is that most of our other food sources also rely on bees, as conservative figures show that bees pollinate at least ONE mouthful in every THREE that we eat! The production of most fruit, nuts, vegetables, seeds and even livestock feed are dependent on the existence of bees, including Australian native bees.

When living things have relationships with other living things it is called 'symbiosis'. Bees and flowering plants have a mutually beneficial relationship whereby the bees assist with pollination and fertilization of the plant and in return collect nectar and pollen not only for themselves but also to feed their young. Bees have a number of specialised adaptations that make them particularly good at carrying large volumes of pollen. They can visit many flowers before returning to their hive, which increases the success rate of fertilization of the plants. Due to bees being excellent pollinators they play a pivotal role in farming, food production and the health of our ecosystems.

However, bees around the world, including in Australia, are in serious trouble. Overuse of pesticides and herbicides are causing bees to become more vulnerable to disease and pests. Modern agricultural practices and urbanisation are greatly reducing bee habitat and food sources. As a result, scientists are seeing a large decline in bee populations. This poses a threat not only for our food production but our environment as a whole, as flowering plants rely on pollinators to survive.

The good news is we can all do things to help ensure the survival of bees, such as:

Plant ‘bee friendly’ plants in clumps in your garden and let the vegetables flower. Bees love lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, perennial basil, borage, grevilleas, bottlebrush and tea trees whilst Eucalypts provide pollen and nectar for their food.
Use no pesticides or herbicides in your garden. For ‘bee friendly’ pest management try companion planting.
Before you buy, ask if plants have been treated with pesticides toxic to bees.
Create ‘bee friendly’ garden signs for your front garden to advertise what a ‘bee friendly’ garden is.
Put stones in bird baths to stop bees drowning.
Buy fruit and vegetables that have been locally and sustainably grown.
Buy local honey.
For more information, go to: actforbees.org.

A summary of the issues faced by bees on a global scale is explored in this video:

NATURE | Silence Of The Bees | (https://youtu.be/dIUo3STj6tw?list=PL45E34E4712249C79)

Additional background information:

Ages 0 - 2

Preparation:

Collect a range of fallen seeds and seed pods from your local area, such as acorns, pine cones, gum nuts etc. Where necessary, place smaller seeds in sealable plastic tubs to prevent children from putting the seeds in their mouths. You could also collect a range of other natural materials, such as interesting leaves and bark.
A natural medium such as clay or sand.
Craft materials, such as glue, paper, tape, string, paint etc.

Step 1.

Display the materials you have collected for children to see. Invite children to pick up and observe these materials, and pose the following questions:

I wonder what these things are?
I wonder what these things feel like?
I wonder if these are light or heavy?
I wonder what colours we can see in these things?

Step 2.

You could then provide children with some play dough, clay or sand. They can then use the seeds and other natural materials you have collected to manipulate and decorate the play dough, clay or sand by making imprints and patterns, squashing, moulding and rolling.

Step 3.

You could then work with children to paint, decorate or incorporate the seeds and natural materials into artworks. For example, you could:

Use the seeds and natural materials as stamps
Stick the seeds and natural materials to paper or cardboard
Paint or decorate the seeds and natural materials (you could just paint the seeds and natural materials with water)

You could also take children for a walk around the yard to identify the sources of the seeds and natural materials you collected. For example, show children the oak tree where the acorns come from or the gum tree where the gum nuts come from.

Provocations

I wonder what these things are?
I wonder what these things feel like?
I wonder if these are light or heavy?
I wonder what colours we can see in these things?
I wonder what we can create with these?
I wonder what patterns we can make?
I wonder if we can create something together?

Possible lines of development

Sort the materials you have collected based on size, weight, colour, and texture.
Sink or swim – test the seeds and natural materials you have collected to see if they sink or float in water.
Go out to some nearby nature and see if you can find other interesting seeds or natural materials.
Other types of seeds – use these flashcards to introduce children to seeds we can eat: Different types of seeds flashcards and Types of Nut Visual Explainer.
Before eating, spend a moment with children discussing where their food has come from, and in particular focus on the parts of the meal that come from seeds.
Other activities about seeds: Growing Seeds, Comparing Seeds, Where Can You Find Seeds?
Bring in a range of seeds and seed pods used in cooking to crush and smell. This could include seeds such as sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds or poppy seeds. You could also find some spices in their seed forms, such as coriander seeds, vanilla pods, caraway seeds and cumin seeds. Crush the seeds with a knife or rolling pin and invite students to smell them. Consider engaging with the community to find out what seeds and seed pods are used in their cooking. WARNING: some people have serious allergic reactions to seeds and nuts, including sesame seeds, so use caution when introducing seeds into your centre.

Ages 3 – 5

Preparation:

Craft materials such as cardboard, glue, tape, string, marker pens etc. You could package these up and do craft activities with the found natural objects in the park you are visiting, or you could bring your found natural objects back to your room and complete the craft activities there.

Step 1.

Explain to children that they will be going for a walk to a local park to look for and collect seeds and other natural material, identify some of the plants that produce these seeds, and they will work as a class to make a map of their walk.

You could share a story of a recent walk you have taken, describing the walk through your senses - what did you see, hear, smell, touch and taste? Spend some time inviting children to think about what their senses are experiencing right now, such as the carpet on the floor, the smell of food coming from the kitchen, the sound of other kids playing outside, the taste of the snacks you just ate, and the sights of the room around you.

Now explain to children that they will be creating a mud-map of their walk. A mud-map is a simple map that can be made by anyone using a pen/pencil and some paper. The idea is to show the path that you walked on and some of the key features that you see along the way. In the context of your seed walk, you will be marking some of the main seed-producing plants that you find (e.g. oak trees or pine trees).

This could be a great opportunity to discuss road safety and other aspects of personal safety in context (crossing the road safely; staying together; cars coming out of driveways; bikes, scooters and other pedestrians using the footpath/shared path). Narrate the journey for the children, explaining what to do when crossing roads and how to walk safely to your destination (holding hands, looking for traffic, listening for cars, staying on the footpath, etc.). For further tips and activities, check out:

Step 2.

Take the children on the walk. Look for trees such as oaks, pines and gum trees where you will be more likely to find fallen seeds. You could also look for grass seeds or other seeds and seed pods on smaller bushes. However, try to only collect seeds that have fallen on the ground, explaining to children that growing plants still need their seeds.

In bush settings collecting any native seeds is not permitted; fallen seeds may germinate and grow, playing an important part of the health of the bush. However, in a park where the under-storey is lawn or wood chips, collecting seeds and seed pods is fine.

When you find some seeds or seed pods, gather children together to observe and talk about what you have found. Invite children to think about which plant the seeds or seed pods you have found might have come from and look for clues to support their answers (e.g. are there any seed pods still on the plant?). Invite children to use their senses when observing seeds, for example, what does the seed look, feel, smell and sound like (when shaken)? Remind children NOT to taste seeds or put seeds in their mouths.

Mark the plant on the map. Where possible, invite children to input into the creation of the map by adding details to the map or suggesting what could be added.

As you walk, you could also encourage children to collect other natural objects related to the plants you are observing, such as interesting leaves, sticks and bark.

Step 3.

Either back in your room or still in the park, invite children to use their found objects in a craft project. Examples of craft activities could include:

Seed (or other natural materials) people – turn acorns, gum nuts, and pebbles into little people.
A seed town for your people.
Stick your seeds (and other natural materials) to cardboard or paper to make shapes, patterns or pictures.
Make a mandala of the materials you found by arranging your materials in patterns on the floor. Take a photo of your mandala before taking it apart.
Seed jewellery.
Use the seeds and other objects you have collected as stamps.
Use a stick with several prongs and weave coloured wool through the prongs to create a woven artwork.

Take children on another walk along the same route at several different times over the year. Use the map you created to identify the plants you looked at last time and to see how these plants change at different times of the year (e.g. have leaves grown or fallen or changed colours, are there fruit or flowers etc.). It might be useful to take photos of the plants you visit regularly so you can compare these changes visually. You cold then work with children to create a book about the seasons using these photos.

Provocations

I wonder what seeds are?
I wonder where we can find seeds?
I wonder what a seed pod is?
I wonder what types of seeds we could find on our walk?
I wonder what a map is?
I wonder how we can make a map?
I wonder what other natural materials we can find on our walk?
I wonder what we can create with the things we have found?
I wonder if we can create something together?
I wonder who else eats seeds? - looking at the animals that eat seeds

Possible lines of development

Identify plants and their different parts (flowers, seed pods, leaves, bark). Which go together? What time of year do they appear? Do juveniles look like adult plants?
Investigate other types of maps, including world maps, local maps, picture maps etc.
Take photos of the landmarks/clues and ask the children to put them in the order you see them on your walk.
Before eating, spend a moment with children discussing where their food has come from, and in particular focus on the parts of the meal that come from seeds.
Other types of seeds – use these flashcards to introduce children to seeds we can eat: Different types of seeds flashcards and Nut Flashcards.
Share the following book with students: Pick, Pull, Snap! : Where Once a Flower Bloomed by Lola M. Schaefer and Lindsay Barrett George.
Other activities about seeds: Growing Seeds, Comparing Seeds, Where Can You Find Seeds?

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with challenges and persisting when difficulties arise
Wellbeing	Being involved

Embedding into daily practice

Where possible, buy heirloom seed varieties for your veggie beds - these can taste better than hybrid varieties but you can also collect the seeds from heirloom veggies to use in your garden the next year. Many hybrid varieties don't develop seeds that can be grown into productive plants.
Indoor plants improve indoor air quality but can also help to reduce stress and improve mental health by making us feel more secure and relaxed. You could involve children in the tending and watering of indoor plants by creating a watering roster.
Birds love seeds but artificial feeding stations for birds can transmit diseases. So instead, consider planting bushes and grasses with seeds that will appeal to your local bird species.

Seed Walk

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