One of this year's insects of focus were bees! We hope you enjoy buzzing along with us through this unit of study 🐝
Young learners were eager to explore our busy bee book display. In addition to showcasing literature about bees, the table contained an acrylic encased bioblast life cycle of a honeybee. Students used magnifying glasses to closely examine the egg to adult transformation.
SMART START friends swarmed together in our outdoor classroom for an interactive storytime. Miss Francesca read books that contained numerous facts about bees. All were given a flower to hold while each classmate took turns using a bee puppet to "pollinate" the flowers.
Here is some of what the class learned:
- Honeybees help plants grow through pollination
- A hive is where honey bees live
- The queen bee runs the hive and lays eggs
- Honey is made by worker bees
The class was all abuzz over a new game called "Honeycomb Tree". The object of this activity is to remove every tree leaf before all the bees fall out of the hive. This cooperative game promotes good sportsmanship, hand eye coordination, cognitive development, fine motor skills and more!
Future beekeepers worked diligently on constructing a three dimensional model of a honeycomb. Materials used for this project included: a large box, paper towel roles, bubble wrap, yellow paint and glue. Once complete, pupils compared their finished work to a real piece of honeycomb.
SMART START's colony excitedly welcomed a professional beekeeper to our hive for an on-site field trip! After an informative presentaton, the beekeeper passed around a jar of live honey bees, honeycombs, a bee smoker used to calm the hive and her beekeeping hat. All were fascinated to experience the subject matter up close. The group participated in a dramtic play activity that consisted of acting as various types of bees such as, workers (gather pollen nectar and make honey), drones (male bees) and the queen (lays eggs). Lastly, the children savored a taste of honey made by the beekeeper's very own honeybees!
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