TEKS: Grade 3; Systems- (9) Adaptations Increase Survival of Species
a. Observe and identify characteristics that allow survival
Nets
Garbage Bags
Aluminum Foil
Styrofoam balls
Shaving Cream
Yellow Spray Paint
Honeycomb cereal
Cardboard
Glue
Magnetic strips
Whipping cream
Quart jar
Honey with honeycomb inside
Bread
(Clover)
Salt
In a Beehive (Magic school bus video)
Going on a bee hunt
Bee costumes
Exploring bees in the discovery room
Waggle Dance
Honeycomb Frames
Share insect collections and pets
Outside reading
In a Beehive (video)
Honey butter
Baby Bumble Bee song
Journal Activity
1. Going on a bee hunt- Take the students out on a bee
hunt. Ask the student where a bee could be found. Are we going
to find them in the grass, in the woods, or near flowers? Have
the students find and collect some different types of bees that
are in the area.
2. Bee costumes- The students will be making a bee costume using garbage bags. Have the student's spray yellow stripes on the bag so they can make their costumes.
Have the students finish making their costumes and antenna.
3. Exploring bees in the discovery room- Look at the bees
that are in the discovery room. What do the students see? How
many body parts are there? What do they eat? Are there different
types of bees and do these bees have different jobs? How do you
think these bees communicate to each other?
4. Waggle Dance- Bring the students back to the classroom
and ask them some of the ways that we communicate to each other.
Some of the responses can include hand gestures, body language,
sounds, etc. Ask them to think of ways that the bees can communicate
to each other. Tell the students that bees communicate through
dance. Show them the basic dances that the bees do to communicate.
Spread shaving cream in front of each student and have him or
her show the dance pattern that the bees make. Give a couple of
examples so that the students can work on their own and describe
the dance. After cleaning up the shaving cream, have the students
get dressed up in their bee costumes. Take the students outside
and establish a "Hive".
5. Honeycomb frames- When the students come inside, construct
honeycomb picture frames. The students will use precut beehive
frames for their picture. The students will use honeycomb cereal
and glue cereal to the beehive frame. Let the frames dry, then
place picture in frame. Put magnetic strip on back where picture
can be placed on the refrigerator.
6. Share insect collections and pets- This is the time
that the teachers will share insect collections with the students.
Teachers will also bring their pet insects so the students can
see how they care for their pets.
Outside reading- Read The Honeybee and the Robber by Eric Carle
8. In a Beehive (video)- The students will watch a video
about bees and what it is like to be inside a beehive.
9. Honey butter- As a snack, the students will learn to
make homemade honey butter. They will place whipping cream and
shake the jar. After shaking, place honey and salt into the mixture
and stir. Use two different types of honey so the students can
taste a difference between the butter mixtures.
10. Baby Bumblebee song-
I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee
Won't my momma be so proud of me?
I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee
Bzzz, ouch it stung me!
I'm squishing up a baby bumblebee,
Won't my momma be so proud of me?
I'm squishing up a baby bumblebee,
Oh, my hands are sticky.
I'm wiping off my baby bumblebee,
Won't my momma be so proud of me?
I'm wiping off my baby bumblebee,
Oh, my momma's going to be mad at me.
Journal Activity- The students will write in their journals what they learned about bees. Also, have them draw and label a picture of a bee.
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