Recommended Website: The Great Sunflower Project
Age Range: 5-18 (Grades K-12, with parental supervision) This website, sponsored by San Francisco State University, wants you to become part of their scientific research team by growing sunflowers, observing and counting the bees that visit them, and reporting the data back to The Great Sunflower Project.
To aid you in this endeavor, they will send you a free PDF file of Bee Identification Cards! Just create an account with a user name and password and you’ll be able to download and/or print them out. (Note: You MUST click on the link that comes by email to confirm your account and get your cards.)
When you get to the site, there’s a short introduction that explains the program. Basically, they want you to plant Lemon Queen sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) that can be grown in a pot on a deck or patio or in a garden to help identify the effects of pesticides on pollinators and report your findings.
But that’s not all! Learn all about sunflowers, gardening, and bees through the free guides, lessons and activities that integrate a variety of subjects (meeting California state curriculum standards) and are designed for students in grades K-12. Access them by clicking on “Explore” and then “Teaching Resources” on the menu at the top of the home page.
Be sure to spend some time at this site clicking the various links – they all lead to amazing content and resources that can be utilized to suit whatever style of un/homeschooling you use.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
