Covering sexual and asexual reproduction always has very funny outcomes. Today was such a day.
Throughout the day students had fun having the opportunity to yell out SPERM! When well-timed this lead to many laughs. Kids will never get over the idea that plant "have sex" or rather reproduce sexually with two half cells combining.
One of the funniest things I tell kids is that pollen is a plant's version of sperm: a half-cell or gamete. I told one class today that they are often breathing in plant's gametes or sex cells. Then in one corner I had a student breathing out heavily repeatedly (as if that would rid his body of these innapropriate objects in the air) and another student yelled out "So when you breathe in pollen could you make a baby plant grow in your stomach?" [this is ridiculous because of course there is not a human half-cell in your stomach and you breathe into your lungs, not your stomach] Then another girl, looking horrified, asks "What would a plant-human look like?" When I explain that no, it was impossible, yet another girl said, "But cats and dogs can have babies, like CatDog!" Everyone laughed as I explained that only happened in the cartoon!
And, of course, their favorite example of weird mutants is the liger, with all the Neopolian quotes that go with it.
Throughout the day students had fun having the opportunity to yell out SPERM! When well-timed this lead to many laughs. Kids will never get over the idea that plant "have sex" or rather reproduce sexually with two half cells combining.
One of the funniest things I tell kids is that pollen is a plant's version of sperm: a half-cell or gamete. I told one class today that they are often breathing in plant's gametes or sex cells. Then in one corner I had a student breathing out heavily repeatedly (as if that would rid his body of these innapropriate objects in the air) and another student yelled out "So when you breathe in pollen could you make a baby plant grow in your stomach?" [this is ridiculous because of course there is not a human half-cell in your stomach and you breathe into your lungs, not your stomach] Then another girl, looking horrified, asks "What would a plant-human look like?" When I explain that no, it was impossible, yet another girl said, "But cats and dogs can have babies, like CatDog!" Everyone laughed as I explained that only happened in the cartoon!
And, of course, their favorite example of weird mutants is the liger, with all the Neopolian quotes that go with it.