Study The Bee: Lesson 1

Africanized bees on hive.

       The  bee  is  a  rather  stoutly  built  insect,  belonging  to  the  Apiarian  family  of the  Aculeate  or  stinging  Hymenoptera.  Owing  to  the  value  man  places  on its  productions,  honey  and  wax,  it  seems  to  have  been  early  domesticated. It  is  a  blackish-brown  insect  covered  generally  with  grayish-brown  hairs,  the abdomen  showing  bands  of  a  somewhat  paler  color

• The Behavior of Bees - Unit Study at The Doll Farm Camp Here, reading level is for Grade 5 and 6
• This is lesson 1 for the study of bees, go here to see lesson 2

Required for Observation In The Classroom: Picture  of  bees  and  the  bee-hive.  Diagram showing  bees,  much  enlarged.  Specimens  of  bees  and  honey-comb.

Method of Student Observation:

• Compare  with  other  insects,  and point  out  that  this  division  of  the body  into  three  parts is  characteristic of  insects.
• Explain  the  nature  of  the  compound  eye  of  an  insect.
• Compare  with  the  corresponding  part  of  the  body  of  the  butterfly or  other  insect.
• Explain  the  nature  of  the  sting with  the  aid  of  a  drawing. 

How to Grade Study Notes For Student Journals: Every student will need a journal to write in weekly for this online nature study series. Teacher will assign the weekly content in advance.

• Make sure the facts are: written in complete sentences, the first word of each sentence capitalized, and a period should be included at the end of each sentence.
• Spell check your vocabulary and write the words correctly.
• Dress up your journal entries with student clip art, drawings of your own in color or in black and white.
• Student may also include photographs of their own taking for extra credit.

Look for the following facts about bee anatomy inside of student journals. Assign a point value to the quality of the content.

• Body - In  three  parts -  head, thorax,  and  abdomen.  Covered  with hair.
• Head - Provided  with  two  large, compound  eyes ;  a  sucking-tube;  and a  pair  of  jaws.
• Thorax - Composed  of  three ring-like  segments.  Each  segment bears  a  pair  of  legs,  and  the  second and  third  a  pair  of  wings  also.
• Legs - Composed  of  several  parts jointed  together.  Each  foot  terminates  in  a  pair  of  hooked  claws.
• Wings - Each  composed  of  a very  thin  and  transparent  membrane, supported  by  a  few  rays.  The  wings are  placed  one  beneath  the  other  on  the  back, when  not  in  use.  When spread  for  flying,  the  two  wings  of each  side  are  locked  together  at  their edges.
• Abdomen - Composed  of  several ring-like  segments.  The  last  segment provided  with  a  sting.  (The drone  bees  have  no  sting.)
• Sting - A  very  slender  tube terminating  in  a  sharp  point.  The base  of  the  sting  communicates  with a  gland  which  secretes  an  irritant poison.  When  the  sting  is  used, some  of  the  poison  passes  through  it into  the  puncture  made.

Video at Youtube for Students to Watch:

1. What do worker bees do all day? by Bee Professor
2. What do drones do exactly for queens and all hives in general? by MyBeeLine
3. All about Queen bees by Ryan Grady

The Queen Bee Life Cycle Craft.

 

teacher example of bee life-cycle

       Students can make this "life cycle of a queen bee'' using a black marker, three paper plates, yellow paper, white school glue, a stapler, and a brad.

       Look below to see how to cut the first paper plate into queen bee parts. I used glue to assemble my teacher's sample of this graphic craft, but students will find it is much simpler to use a staple gun to assemble the decorative pieces on the top plate.

       Cut the first plate into equal fourths. Use two of these cuts to shape the queen bee's wings just as seen in the photo. Then cut a heart shaped head from the third section and a daisy crown to staple behind the head before attaching the entire head section to the top plate between the two wings.

       Cut and paste yellow to cover the body and head as seen in the photo. Students could paint these areas alternatively instead.

       Cut away a pie shaped window to reveal the hand drawn ''life cycle of a bee'' on the plate attached beneath the body at it's center with a brad.

       Add a few extra trims by cutting antenna from black paper to insert between the queen bee's head and daisy crown. Give the queen rosy cheeks too if you'd prefer!

How to cut and assemble parts of queen bee from paper plate.

 

More Bee Arts/Crafts for Students:

• DIY Bee or Hornet Clothespin Dolls
• ''Bee Mine'' Valentines
• Large bee coloring page
• ''H is for honey or honeybees'' coloring page
  

Free Student Clip Art: Clip art may be printed from a home computer, a classroom computer or from a computer at a library and/or a local printing service provider. This may be done from multiple locations as needed because our education blog is online and available to the general public.

Body. Of  three  parts.  Covered  with  hair.
Head. Compound  eyes,  sucking-tube,  and  a  pair  of  jaws.
Thorax. Bears  the  legs  and  wings.
Legs. Composed  of  several  jointed  parts.
Wings. Formed  of  a  thin  membrane,  with  a  few  rays.
Abdomen. Formed  of  several  ring-like  segments.
Sting. A  fine  tube,  with  a  poison-gland  at  its  base.