Flower Dissection and Fruit Identification

It was such an exciting day in lab today! Our teaching lab topic was Angiosperms, which meant one of my favorite activities; flower dissection and fruit identification. 🌸

I’ve taught this lab several times before, and I truly enjoy it every single time. We started by introducing the different components of flowers and reviewing fruit types. Then came the fun part. The students got to dissect the flowers themselves and closely examine sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels. There is something special about watching them connect textbook diagrams to real structures in their hands.

This time, I tried something new. I sent out a quick sheet asking students to write down their favorite songs, and I played their picks while they worked on their dissections. It turned out to be such a wonderful idea! The atmosphere was relaxed, everyone was more engaged, and the lab felt both focused and joyful.

The next part of the lab involved examining different fruits. Many students were shocked (and slightly disappointed!) to learn that strawberries are classified as dry fruits. We turned it into a group quiz, which made things even more interactive and competitive in a fun way.

Days like this remind me why I love teaching! 

Science can be rigorous and fun at the same time.