GEMS Buzzing a hive Unit

2)      Scientific processes. The student develops abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in the field and the classroom. The student is expected to:
(A)  ask questions about organisms, objects, and events;
(B)  plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations;
(C)  gather information using simple equipment and tools to extend the senses;
(E)  communicate findings about simple investigations

5) Science concepts. The student knows that organisms, objects, and events have properties and patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) describe properties of objects and characteristics of organisms

6)  Science concepts. The student knows that systems have parts and are composed of organisms and objects. The student is expected to:
(B)  record observations about parts of plants including leaves, roots, stems, and flowers;
(C)  record observations about parts of animals including wings, feet, heads, and tails

9) Science concepts. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs. The student is expected to:
(A) identify basic needs of living organisms
(B) give examples of how living organisms depend on each other

CONCEPT STATEMENT:

Pollen is needed by the bee colony for the purpose of making bee bread and honey. The older members of the bee hive have stronger wings and this biology/physiology makes them best suited to leave the hive for the purposes of flying longer distances to gather pollen from flowers far away. A bee that has found suitable flowers has to communicate the location of the flowers to other bees. This is done by doing certain bee ‘dances’. The two main types of dances are the waggle dance, indicating that food is farther away, and the round dance, indicating that food is nearby. The bee can also indicate the relative position of the food source in relation to the sun, and the quality of the food, by changing the orientation and length of the dance.

http://www.beesource.com/pov/wenner/jib2002.htm and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_learning_and_communication

Buzzing a Hive Teachers Guide, LHS GEMS, Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkeley

PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:

The student will be able to make a statement about the age of a forager bee in relation to the age of the other bees in the hive.
The student will be able to explain why an older bee is suited to become a forager.
The student will be able to imitate (by dramatic acting, etc.) one method a bee uses to find its way back to the hive.
The student will be able to explain how two different dances are used by forager/scout bees to share information regarding location of pollen to the rest of the hive.
The students will be able to describe or demonstrate what a ‘bee line’ is.

RESOURCES:

9 x 6 piece of yellow construction paper
glue
demonstration bee
bunch of real flowers
newspaper
demonstration tray
murals with bees, skunk, hive, and flowers
Bee covered with pollen’ poster (p. 22)
‘Bee pollen baskets’ poster (p. 23)

SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: check for pollen allergies among students

SUPLEMENTARY MATERIALS, HANDOUTS: none

ENGAGEMENT		Time: ___5 min._____
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Tell them that when bees are watched closely, you can tell a bees age by what job it is doing.	Ask who remembers some of the jobs that young bees do inside the hive.	Make food. [Make wax. Feed baby bees.]
	Ask if anyone remembers the job that a middle age bees does near the hive entrance.	Make wax. Feed baby bees. [guard the hive]

EXPLORATION		Time: __10 min.______
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Explain that when a bee grows older that its wings get stronger and it can fly longer distances.	Ask what job these bees might do.	[Gather nectar and pollen.]
Tell class that the bees are old enough to fly out to the flowers to collect nectar and pollen. Students take paper bees and glue paper pollen to the bees’ back legs.	Why do you think bees collect pollen?
Have students fly their bees to their paper flowers and pretend bees are collecting pollen.
Tell students that before bees can collect pollen that need to learn to find their way back to the hive. Say ‘let’s go to bee school.’	How do you find your way to your bedroom at night? How did you find your way to this classroom in the morning when you come to school?	[Student describes visual cues or directions]

EXPLANATION		Time: __5-10 min.______
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Go outside. Have children face building as if that were their hive. Tell them bees fly backwards so they will remember what the hive and surroundings look like. Tell them that bees also use the sun to help them find their way back.
Tell them that when bees go out to gather pollen that they fly in a straight line called a bee line. Tell students that bees also fly home in a bee line after they are done collecting.	What is the shortest distance from the flower to the hive?	A curved line [A straight line]

ELABORATION		Time: ___10-15 min._____
What the Teacher Will Do	Probing Questions	Student Responses Potential Misconceptions
Have students walk backwards and note bushes, landmarks, etc. that they see.	Do you feel the sun on one part of your body? What does that tell you?	[Yes or no, weather depending]
Have students try walking in a straight line. If they are successful, have them try running in a straight line.	You can also use some rope to measure the distance (straight line vs. bent)
Discuss different ways people communicate nonverbally.	What does a policeman do to stop a car? What does is mean when someone shakes their head back and forth? Up and down? How do you think a bee would tell the others about the nectar and pollen? What if you couldn't use words?	[raises hand] [no] [yes] buzzing [bee dances] body language,'dances'
Explain that bees perform two dances to tell the other bees about the flowers they found. (Teach/demonstrate dances)

EVALUATION

Time: __10 min.______

What the Teacher Will Do

Probing Questions

Student Responses

Potential Misconceptions

Teacher hides flowers. Students can role-play the dancing bee. Have one student watch.

Have student communicate the direction of the flowers by doing the appropriate dance.