Bees are fascinating insects. It is absolutely amazing how this little insect with a stinger impacts our well-being so much. Without bees, many of our crops would not live and many plants and trees would simply disappear. Of course there is also honey to think about too. I know I couldn't live without my tea with honey almost every day in the colder months. I say bees are an excellent and most worthy thing to study in a homeschooling unit. Here are some bee unit study resources if you think so, too!
Bee Unit Study Resources
Bee Lesson Plan Ideas:
What's the Buzz on Bees lesson plan from the Florida Plant Industry is a great slideshow and lesson plan for talking about the importance of honey bees.
Bees Louise has a bunch of lesson plans with the subject of bees. I really like this one on Honey Bee Communication.
Bee Lapbooks and Printables:
Get this Honey Bees Lapbook from Currclick. This is not a free resource, but it is a low priced one that is good for older elementary kids.
This part of a Honey Bee Printable Packet of worksheets from The Homeschool Scientist will come in handy during your bee lessons.
Bee Crafts and Tutorials:
Although the name of this blog has the word preschool in it, I think this Beeswax Candles with Kids project from In Lieu of Preschool is great for any age.
Make a Paper Mache Beehive with the instructions from More For Less.
Make a Mason Bee Home with this tutorial from P&G Everyday. Mason Bees are calm, don't generally sting, and are great pollinators!
Bee Videos and Clips:
Brushy Mountain Bee Farm has some great videos on their website that talk about harvesting honey, types of bees and how to bee-keep.
Science Online has a great YouTube Video on the Life Cycle of Honey Bees.
Honey Recipes:
Honey.com has dozens of honey recipes with everything from lollipops to baked goods. They even have a special food for kids section on their site.
Additional Bee Resources:
If you are interested in beekeeping for this unit or just in general, Beginning Beekeeping is a great place for information.
Buzz About Bees has information on all kinds of bees as well as activities and how to help with bee conservation.
Books about Bees for Kids:
The Hive Detectives: Chronicles of a Honey Bee Catastrophe by Loree Griffin Burns
The Book of Bees and How to Keep Them by Sue Hubbell
Bumblebees of North America by Paul H Williams, Robbin W. Thorpe, Leif L. Richardson and Sheila R. Colla
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