Teacher content information:

Learning goals: The aim of this activity is to get children thinking about the features of bees and how bees use these features. Younger children begin by sharing what they already know about bees and then look at and discuss flashcards of bees to further their understanding of bees and their features. They can then make bee finger puppets. Older children begin by looking at flashcards of bees and then participate in a game where they take on the roles of bees collecting pollen to bring back to the hive to understand how bees work together to make honey and keep the hive healthy.

Bees first appeared on Earth at least 80 million years ago. The ancestors of modern bee species lived alongside the dinosaurs - a time when giant pines, cedars, tree ferns and cycads were the main plants and the air swarmed with primitive insects, including oversized dragonflies and giant butterflies. During this time, the first flowering plants (angiosperms) appeared and a more effective way of pollination was needed, other than simply relying on the wind. The challenge was how to increase the chances of pollination and reproduction to ensure the success of future generations. The solution was to attract insects to assist with pollination. Over time flowers evolved a range of advertisements to attract pollinators, including bright colours, strong fragrances, interesting patterns and unusual shapes. They also developed sugar-rich nectar as a reward. Thus began the mutualistic relationship between flowering plants and bees and it was to change the appearance of the Earth forever. Now there are hundreds of thousands of species of flowering plants and they are the most successful land plants on Earth. Scientists have long chalked this up to the relationship between pollinators and their assistance in reproduction.

There are thousands of bee species that live around the world. The European Honey Bee is the best known as it produces honey, beeswax, propolis and royal jelly, which are all used in a range of ways. Interestingly, bees are the only insect that produce food eaten by humans. They are also the only animal that doesn't harm what it eats but actually enhances it.

Australia has 1,600 native bee species. Most of them are solitary and don’t store honey. Only 11 species of social bees make and store small amounts of honey for their own food.

While it is well known that bees produce honey; a lesser known fact is that most of our other food sources also rely on bees, as conservative figures show that bees pollinate at least ONE mouthful in every THREE that we eat! The production of most fruit, nuts, vegetables, seeds and even livestock feed are dependent on the existence of bees, including Australian native bees.

When living things have relationships with other living things it is called 'symbiosis'. Bees and flowering plants have a mutually beneficial relationship whereby the bees assist with pollination and fertilization of the plant and in return collect nectar and pollen not only for themselves but also to feed their young. Bees have a number of specialised adaptations that make them particularly good at carrying large volumes of pollen. They can visit many flowers before returning to their hive, which increases the success rate of fertilization of the plants. Due to bees being excellent pollinators they play a pivotal role in farming, food production and the health of our ecosystems.

However, bees around the world, including in Australia, are in serious trouble. Overuse of pesticides and herbicides are causing bees to become more vulnerable to disease and pests. Modern agricultural practices and urbanisation are greatly reducing bee habitat and food sources. As a result, scientists are seeing a large decline in bee populations. This poses a threat not only for our food production but our environment as a whole, as flowering plants rely on pollinators to survive.

The good news is we can all do things to help ensure the survival of bees, such as:

Plant ‘bee friendly’ plants in clumps in your garden and let the vegetables flower. Bees love lavender, rosemary, sage, thyme, perennial basil, borage, grevilleas, bottlebrush and tea trees whilst Eucalypts provide pollen and nectar for their food.
Use no pesticides or herbicides in your garden. For ‘bee friendly’ pest management try companion planting.
Before you buy, ask if plants have been treated with pesticides toxic to bees.
Create ‘bee friendly’ garden signs for your front garden to advertise what a ‘bee friendly’ garden is.
Put stones in bird baths to stop bees drowning.
Buy fruit and vegetables that have been locally and sustainably grown.
Buy local honey.
For more information, go to: actforbees.org.

A summary of the issues faced by bees on a global scale is explored in this video:

NATURE | Silence Of The Bees | (https://youtu.be/dIUo3STj6tw?list=PL45E34E4712249C79)

Additional background information:

Ages 0 - 2

Step 1

Invite children to form a discussion circle and pose the following question:

I wonder what we already know about bees?

Allow time for children to respond to your question, and invite further responses from children using the following questions:

I wonder if bees can fly?
I wonder if bees visit our garden?
I wonder what bees might be doing in our garden?
How do bees help our garden?

Now share the Parts Of A Bee Flashcards with children, using the prompts on the flashcards to guide the discussion.

Step 2

You could now invite children to create their own bee finger puppet using this template: Bee Finger Puppet Template. Children can decorate their finger puppets using paint, marker pens, pencils, crayons or by sticking materials to the puppet.

Provocations

I wonder what we already know about bees?
I wonder if bees can fly?
I wonder where bees live?
I wonder if bees visit our garden?
I wonder what bees might be doing in our garden?
I wonder why we need bees?
I wonder what bees eat?
I wonder what bees make?

Possible lines of development

Find out more about bees with this activity: Bees In The Yard.

Ages 3 - 5

Preparation

Step 1

Begin by inviting children to suggest answers to the following question:

I wonder what we already know about bees?

Allow time for children to respond to your question before sharing the Parts Of A Bee Flashcards, using the prompts on the flashcards to guide the discussion.

Step 2

Now, explain to children that they will be playing a game where they get to be bees searching for pollen. Remind children that bees like to eat nectar that flowers produce and they like to collect pollen also produced by flowers.

Begin by spending spend some time teaching children the following poem (suggested actions included):

Here is the beehive,
Where are the bees? (Hold your fist up in the air)
Hidden away where nobody sees. (Move the other hand around your fist)
Watch and you’ll see them come out of the hive. (Bend your head close to the fist, and “look” inside it!)
One...two...three...four...five! (Count on your fingers)
Buzz...buzz...buzz...buzz...buzz. (Wave with your fingers!)

Step 3.

Once children are familiar with the poem you can begin your game.

Divide the children into three groups and explain that one group are the bees and the other two groups are the flowers. You may need an adult to lead the bees,
depending on age or ability.

Explain that you will be doing the game three times so that each child will get the chance to be a bee and a flower.

Also explain that the bees will need to tickle the flowers. Demonstrate to children what this tickling will look like by inviting a child to hold out their palm and gently tickling their palm. Tickling should be kept to palms and not over whole bodies as bees only ever really visit the flowers of a plant and not the rest of the plant.

Step 4.

The story of the bees is as follows. Read out each point and invite the bees to follow these points in the day of a bee:

Night - flowers resting in garden and bees resting in the hive
Morning - All awake and bees approach the seated flowers
- Each flower holds flat hands together for a closed flower
- They open by keep wrists together with hands spread apart
- The bees tickle the palms of the children's hands. This does tickle gently.
- Flowers who don’t want to be tickled stay closed or can close up.
Evening - the bees return to the hive and flowers close.

Step 5

Once complete, you can rotate roles. In the next tellings of the story, introduce the following variables and invite children to think about what the bees might do:

Heavy fog - I wonder how the bees will find the flowers?
Rain - I wonder what the bees will do in the rain?
Thunderstorm - I wonder if the bees like thunder and lightning?
Wind - I wonder if the bees will get blown around?

Provocations

I wonder what we already know about bees?
I wonder if bees can fly?
I wonder where bees live?
I wonder if bees visit our garden?
I wonder what bees might be doing in our garden?
I wonder why we need bees?
I wonder what bees eat?
I wonder what bees make?
I wonder why bees are important for our environment?

Possible lines of development

Find out more about bees with this activity: Bees In The Yard.

Evaluation

Complete an analysis of learning listing evidence about:

Belonging	Finding something of interest
Communication	Expressing an idea or feeling
Exploration	Engaging with challenges and persisting when difficulties arise
Wellbeing	Being involved

Embedding into daily practice

Provide families with tips or suggestions on ways to help bees at home through using fewer pesticides, buying local honey or planting for bees and other pollinators.
Place a tub of water for bees to drink from in your yard - place it up high so children can't get their fingers into it and add some stones into the tub to prevent bees from drowning.

Up Close with Bees

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