Give Thanks to our Bees

The main discussion point: Bees are responsible for approximately 80% of pollination world-wide.  Without bees, we would have a lot less food to eat!

 

To begin the exercise, read a story about bees and how important they are.  A good example is “Save the Bees” by Bethany Stahl.  Then re-introduce the class to “Bizzy Bee” by playing the Jeremy and Jazzy short.

 

To demonstrate how pollination works, pass out the flower printout (download by clicking the image).  Children can decorate the petals and stem of the flower however they want – with crayons, markers, collage materials, etc.  The centre of the flower should be coloured in with coloured chalk.

 

Take a cotton ball and tell children you are a bee collecting pollen!  Then walk around the classroom rubbing the cotton ball across the chalked-in centre of each flower.

 

When you’re finished, show the cotton ball to the children and ask what they notice and how it relates to bees.  They should be able to connect the coloured chalk that has rubbed off on the cotton ball to the way pollen is collected on a bee’s body.

 

Learning Outcomes:

Social Studies

Ecology: Children understand the importance of caring for nature and begin to understand the impacts that human decisions have on the ecosystem.

 

Science and Technology:

Natural science: Children make connections to their knowledge about the natural and physical world.

 

Creative Arts

Visual Art: Children engage in artistic expression to formulate their feelings, emotions, and their version of the world around them using two- and three-dimensional art.