Pollination Unit
Fly into the incredible world of honey bees, and discover the vital role they play in pollinating the food we eat!
Uncover the “Four P’s” – the deadly challenges and threats our buzzing pollinator friends face everyday!
Design & engineer your own Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system to help farmers keep our friends – and food supply – safe!
Become part of the pollution solution right now in your schoolyard or backyard on our fun outdoor “field trip”!
The unit begins with the
Teacher Resource Kit
A comprehensive suite of resources designed to enhance classroom learning about the importance of pollinators, particularly honey bees, in agricultural ecosystems. It includes engaging documentary videos, a practical outdoor lesson plan for planting a pollinator garden, and an art-based lesson plan to creatively reinforce key concepts.
Teacher Resources
The Teacher Resource Kit is a 24-page downloadable PDF designed to support educators in teaching students about the importance of honey bees for agricultural pollination, while aligning with the relevant NGSS standards. This comprehensive kit includes a summary of the NGSS standards covered in the episode, an accompanying glossary, and further reading materials to enhance teachers' understanding of the subject matter. To engage students, the kit provides thought-provoking discussion prompts and a multiple-choice quiz.
Art Lesson Plan
The art lesson plan in this unit invites students to engage in a printmaking project that illuminates the vital role of pollinators in agriculture. Through the creation of botanical prints, students explore and visually represent the diverse plants that support healthy pollinator populations. This hands-on activity not only fosters artistic skills but also deepens understanding of ecosystem interactions and the importance of biodiversity, making it a dynamic component of the broader educational narrative on environmental stewardship.
STEAM Lesson Plan
The STEAM Design Lesson Plan encourages students to explore various IPM strategies, and hypothesize how they will work together to address the problems bees face. They engage in the design process, communicate their ideas, and create prototypes to demonstrate their solutions. This hands-on lesson incorporates all elements of STEAM to help students understand the real-world applications of these disciplines while fostering a passion for solving environmental challenges.
Activity Lesson Plan
In this lesson, teachers guide students on an exciting field trip to create a pollinator-friendly garden. The goal is to promote a thriving habitat for honey bees, bumble bees, and other beneficial pollinators like butterflies. Students learn about the importance of pollinators in our ecosystem and agriculture, the challenges they face, and the need for diverse and abundant food sources. This hands-on, outdoor experience fosters a deeper understanding of pollination, environmental stewardship, and the interconnectedness of nature.
Preview the
Video Series
Meet the Boneheads!
Raiders of the Lost Hive
Raiders of the Lost Hive - Part 1
In this vibrant and engaging animated cartoon parodying the iconic Indiana Jones and The Terminator, children are introduced to the fascinating world of honey bees and the mysterious crisis of their disappearance. The cunning JP Rothbone devises an evil plan to capitalize on the bees' vanishing act by creating a pollinating robot – The Pollinator – forcing desperate farmers and gardeners to rely on his invention to pollinate the vital crops that comprise a third of our food supply.
Raiders of the Lost Hive - Part 2
The Boneheads embark on a mission to save honey bees and restore ecological balance. Despite Bonehead's distractions with dreams of grandeur, his friends T-Bone and Wishbone help keep him focused. Together, they navigate challenges to protect the bees and ensure the success of their crucial mission.
It's Your Planet Too!
Honey Bees, Pollination, and the “Four Ps”
1: How Honey Bees Power Agriculture
This segment explores the vital role of honey bees in pollinating a wide variety of foods and producing honey. It highlights the threats to bee populations, known as the Four P’s: pesticides, pests, pathogens, and poor nutrition. Students will learn about the pollination process, the dependency of many crops on bees, and the importance of protecting bee habitats to maintain our food supply and biodiversity.
2: Pesticides, Pests, and Pollinators: A Delicate Balance
This segment examines how pesticides used in agriculture to combat pests like aphids can harm honey bees, essential for pollination. It explains the dilemma farmers face: needing to protect crops while preserving beneficial insects crucial for producing many foods we eat. The video also touches on how pesticides contribute to the vulnerability of bees to other threats, such as Varroa mites, emphasizing the interconnectedness of our ecosystem. The goal is to educate students on the impact of human interventions in nature and the importance of seeking balanced solutions.
3: How Pathogens & Poor Nutrition Affect Honey Bees
This segment delves into how pathogens, particularly the Deformed Wing Virus transmitted by Varroa mites, detrimentally affect honey bee health and their critical role in ecosystems. It illustrates the compounded risks bees face from both chemical exposure and malnutrition, highlighting the vulnerability of bees to diseases when their natural resilience is compromised. By exploring the interconnectedness of these threats, the video aims to educate students on the multifaceted challenges bees endure and the importance of holistic approaches to preserving bee populations and, by extension, our food supply.
Think Like Engineers!
How Engineers Use Nature Itself to Help Honey Bees!
1: IPM: Helping Honey Bees Overcome Pests and Pesticides
This segment introduces Integrated Pest Management (IPM), a holistic strategy combatting the multiple threats to honey bees, including pesticide exposure, pests, pathogens, and poor nutrition. It highlights IPM techniques like timing pesticide application to avoid harming bees, using beneficial insects for natural pest control, and intercropping to protect bee populations. Additionally, practical beekeeper interventions, such as screened hive bottoms and powdered sugar applications, are showcased as methods to combat Varroa mite infestations. The video underscores IPM as a comprehensive approach, demonstrating how thoughtful, integrated strategies can safeguard our crucial pollinators and support sustainable agriculture.
2: IPM: Combating Pathogens and Improving Bee Nutrition
This final segment of the Integrated Pest Management (IPM) series showcases how IPM effectively addresses not just pest control and pesticide reduction but also crucial challenges like the Deformed Wing Virus and nutritional deficits in honey bee populations. It illustrates how managing Varroa mite populations through IPM can curb the spread of harmful viruses and enhance bee immune responses, aiding in disease resistance and recovery. The video also demonstrates how IPM promotes agricultural diversity, providing bees with a varied diet that bolsters their health and colony strength. Highlighting the harmony between engineering and nature, this segment reinforces that IPM can create thriving environments for bees, crucial for their survival and their pivotal role in our ecosystems and food systems.
You Have the Power!
How to Attract Natural Pollinators to Your Yard
"Plant a Garden!" Music Video
The "Plant a Garden" song motivates children to support honey bees by cultivating diverse flower gardens. It teaches that such gardens offer vital sustenance for bees, promoting a pesticide-free approach to protect these essential pollinators. Through engaging music, the song encourages kids to take practical, positive steps toward environmental stewardship, demonstrating the impact they can have right in their own outdoor spaces. This uplifting tune is a call to action for young learners to contribute to a healthier planet and a thriving bee population.
NGSS Alignment
Grade 3
For third graders, the fascinating world of honey bees is unveiled. Students learn about bee life cycles and their significant roles in agriculture, emphasizing the diverse life stages of organisms. Furthermore, the cooperative nature of bee colonies is explored, highlighting the importance of group dynamics in survival. Discussions also touch on how organisms adapt and thrive in varied habitats.
Grade 4
For fourth graders, the series dives into the intricacies of honey bee anatomy and behavior. Their pivotal role in agriculture is outlined, with an emphasis on their essential structures for survival and reproduction. Furthermore, students discover the intriguing communication methods of bees and their interactions with the environment. The overarching impact of bees on food production and the environment is also discussed, drawing attention to our dependence on these essential pollinators.
Grade 5
The fifth-grade segment underscores the ecosystemic role of honey bees, especially as pollinators. Their contribution to the matter transfer across various ecological components is spotlighted. Additionally, the series addresses the impacts of pesticides on bee health and presents potential mitigation techniques, highlighting the balance between human actions and their ecological consequences.
Engineering & Design Grades 3-5
Throughout the series, the engineering aspects related to bees in agriculture come to the forefront. Students engage with challenges honey bees face, exploring design solutions like IPM systems to protect bees from harmful pesticides. The series also prompts a critical examination of various strategies, striking a balance between protecting pollinators and meeting agricultural needs.
