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LO: To better understand the role of bees in pollination and biodiversity.

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LO: To better understand the role of bees in pollination and biodiversity.

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First lesson: Pupils have an introduction bees and how they are important.
KWL sheet
Start A3 pupils write on sticky notes what they know about bees?
What they want to know/questions.
At the end of the lesson add sticky notes of what they have learnt or found out.

Pupils watch video about pollination. Teacher gives some insight into a web page pupils could use.
Pupils to go off and create either a mind map, booklet, poster about what bees do, what is harming the bees, what we can do to help the bees.

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Threats to bees
Links to British Values: Democracy.

Discuss online petitions with children and what kind of impact they can have.

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"We cannot afford to put our pollinator populations at risk." These were the words of Michael Gove when he introduced the ban on bee-killing pesticides in 2018.

But for the second year in a row,the government has just given the green light for bee-killing pesticides to be used in the UK. The pesticide being used has been banned for being poisonous to bees - so it is alarming to see this ban lifted once again to help grow sugar beet in the spring.

Bees need our help - and we need theirs

This is about bees, but it's also about us. If we keep harming bees, we risk our food supplies. About a third of our food is dependent on pollinators, of which bees are some of the most important.

A third of bee populations are already shrinking. We can't allow pesticides to destroy our environment and kill any more bees.

Can you quickly sign this petition urging the Environment secretary to enforce a total ban on bee-killing pesticides?
SIGN THE PETITION
So what's changed since the government banned bee-killing pesticides in 2018? Well, it's certainly not the science. Pesticides, including neonicotinoids, are still bad news for bees. Studies have shown that these pesticides can affect bees' navigational abilities and breeding success, and they are unsurprisingly ravaging other insects as well.

The government say they're allowing emergency use to protect growers of sugar beet. But this is a short-sighted and dangerous approach to take. We rely on bees to help pollinate lots of crops like apples, beans, squashes and almonds.

The Environment Minister can reverse this decision

George Eustice has the power to change all of this. As Environment Minister, he can show he's on the side of nature by enforcing a total ban on bee-harming pesticides. For the second year in a row, he's approved this emergency use of a deadly pesticide, but we need to remind him that we're in the middle of a climate and nature emergency.

If lots of people sign this petition we can pile pressure on the government to quickly reverse its decision and keep bee-killing pesticides away from our environment. Can you get the Environment Minister to act fast?
SIGN THE PETITION

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Bee-killing pesticides are making a comeback. Here's how we can stop them.

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"We cannot afford to put our pollinator populations at risk." These were the words of Michael Gove when he introduced the ban on bee-killing pesticides in 2018. But for the second year in a row,the government has just given the green light for bee-killing pesticides to be used in the UK.

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Are robotic bees going to replace real bees?
Is that desirable?

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Inspired by the biology of a bee, researchers at the Wyss Institute are developing RoboBees, manmade systems that could perform myriad roles in agriculture or disaster relief. A RoboBee measures about half the size of a paper clip, weighs less that one-tenth of a gram, and flies using "artificial muscles" compromised of materials that contract when a voltage is applied. Additional modifications allow some models of RoboBee to transition from swimming underwater to flying, as well as "perch" on surfaces using static electricity.

The masterminding of the RoboBee was motivated by the idea to develop autonomous micro-aerial vehicles capable of self-contained, self-directed flight and of achieving coordinated behavior in large groups. To that end, the RoboBee development is broadly divided into three main components: the Body, Brain, and Colony. Body development consists of constructing robotic insects able to fly on their own with the help of a compact and seamlessly integrated power source; brain development is concerned with "smart" sensors and control electronics that mimic the eyes and antennae of a bee, and can sense and respond dynamically to the environment; the Colony's focus is about coordinating the behavior of many independent robots so they act as an effective unit.

It's really only because of this lab's recent breakthroughs in manufacturing, materials, and design that we have even been able to try this. And it just worked, spectacularly well.

Robert Wood

To construct RoboBees, researchers at the Wyss Institute have developed innovative manufacturing methods, so-called Pop-Up microelectromechanical (MEMs) technologies (please also see the Pop-Up MEMS technology page) that have already greatly expanded the boundaries of current robotics design and engineering.

All areas for the use of RoboBees are available for licensing.

Inspired by the biology of a fly, with submillimeter-scale anatomy and two wafer-thin wings that flap at 120 times per second, robotic insects, or RoboBees, achieve vertical takeoff, hovering, and steering. The tiny robots flap their wings using piezoelectric actuators - strips of ceramic that expand and contract when an electric field is applied. Thin hinges of plastic embedded within a carbon fiber body frame serve as joints, and a delicately balanced control system commands the rotational motions in the flapping-wing robot, with each wing controlled independently in real-time. Applications of RoboBees could include distributed environmental monitoring, search-and-rescue operations, and assistance with crop pollination. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University.

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Inspired by the biology of a bee, researchers at the Wyss Institute are developing RoboBees, manmade systems that could perform myriad roles in agriculture or disaster relief. A RoboBee measures about half the size of a paper clip, weighs less that one-tenth of a gram, and flies using "artificial muscles" compromised of materials that contract when a voltage is applied.

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https://www.rspb.org.uk/fun-and-learning/for-teachers/school-trips/?channel=paidsearch&gclid=CjwKCAjw0ZiiBhBKEiwA4PT9zy_YAWom5qzNlCRL7bww49WAYc_0p7mTlHDtjv2ruA7-Hrbccgu94xoCPC4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

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School Trip Ideas | Visit a Nature Reserve - The RSPB

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Visit one of our stunning nature reserves and let us provide your students with unique and memorable learning experiences. Find out more

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Geography
PSHE= Wellbeing
English= creating booklets, fact files

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On a mini-beast hunt, create tally marks for mini-beasts and then collate their data to make line graphs in maths.

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Get your class to go on a minibeast hunt by using this fantastic tally sheet!This is a chance for your children to go out and explore the great outdoors to see how many minibeasts they can find.

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https://www.rhs.org.uk/wildlife/help-our-declining-bees-and-other-pollinators

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How gardeners can help our declining bees and other pollinators / RHS Gardening

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Gardens can support good numbers and a wide range of pollinators, but worryingly bees and other pollinators are in decline. Gardeners can make a difference to help reverse this trend.

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https://www.rhs.org.uk/wildlife/garden-bees

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Bees visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen, which they use as food for themselves and their larvae. By moving from flower to flower, they are vital pollinators of many garden and wild flowers. Insect pollination which can be carried out by any insect that visits flowers including many flies, social and solitary wasps, beetles, butterflies and moths, is essential for the cropping of most fruits and some vegetables.

Quick facts

Common names Honeybee; bumblebees; solitary bees
Scientific names Examples include Apis mellifera, Bombus spp, Andrena spp., Lasioglossum spp.
Suitable for Encouraging bees and other pollinating insects in gardens
Timing All year
Difficulty Easy

Which bees am I likely to see?

Bees are insects in the order Hymenoptera. There over 270 species in Britain, they feed largely on nectar and pollen and are some of the most familiar of the 1000's of pollinating insects found in Britain. British bees can generally be divided into three groups.

Bumblebees (Bombus species)

There have been about 26 species recorded in Britain, but some are now extinct or have a very restricted distribution. At peak strength in summer, a bumblebee nest will have between 50 and 400 worker bees.

There are about eight social bumblebee species and four cuckoo species that are common in gardens

In most cases only young fertile female bumblebees (queens) overwinter, unlike honeybees, which overwinter as colonies feeding on honey stores

Most species have queens that burrow into the soil to overwinter. They emerge on sunny days in spring, thoughoccasionally they can be observed foraging on warm winter days

In spring the queens search for suitable nest sites and often choose tunnels made by mice or other rodents

The queen then sets about raising her first brood of larvae in early spring

Once these become adult worker bumblebees, they take over the nectar and pollen gathering duties, allowing the queen to remain in the nest and continue laying eggs

In mid to late summer, male bumblebees and next year's queens are produced

By late summer, bumblebee nests are in decline with the old queen, workers and males all dying

Sometimes bumblebee nests are found in compost heaps or other places where they can be inconvenient. Wherever possible these nest should be left to naturally die out in the late summer or autumn

One species, the tree bumblebee, Bombus hypnorum prefers to nest in holes in trees and will often use bird boxes. This species arrived in Britain in 2001 and has since become widespread in England and Wales

Occasionally overwintering queen bumblebees are uncovered, in which case try not to cause further disturbance and cover the bee back over

In some warmer areas, particular urban areas in southern England, the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) can have active nests all year round

More information on bumblebees is available from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

Solitary bees (Andrena, Lasioglossum and other species)

There are more than 250 species of solitary bee in Britain.

Unlike the social bumblebees and honeybee, solitary bees do not have a worker caste

Each female constructs and provisions her nest on her own and dies before the next generation of bees emerges

Despite being solitary, some soil-nesting species can be gregarious and there may be many nests situated close together

Soil-nesting bees produce conical heaps of soil above the nest tunnels where excavated soil has been deposited. This can be inconvenient in lawns but is usually for only a few days or weeks each year and could be tolerated

Other solitary bees make their nests in hollow plant stems, soft rotten wood, soft sandy cliff faces or in beetle borings in dead wood

Leaf cutter bees make nests out of leaf or flower petal sections

Most solitary bees are active in spring or summer. An exception is the ivy bee (Colletes hederae) a species that has become widespread in southern England and Wales since it was found in Britain in 2001. It can nest in large aggregations in sandy soils and the adults visit ivy flowers in autumn

More information on solitary bees along with information on wasps and ants can be found from the Bees Wasps and Ants Recording Society (BWARS).

Honeybee (Apis mellifera)

This is a social bee that lives in colonies of up to 60,000. Honeybees are the only insects that produce honey. Most colonies are maintained by beekeepers, although 'feral' colonies can occur in hollow trees and cavities in buildings.

Each colony or hive has a single fertile female (queen bee) whose role is to lay eggs and maintain social cohesion within the colony

There will be several hundred male honeybees (drones), but most of the bees in a hive are infertile female worker bees

It is the workers that go out to gather nectar and pollen, as well as performing all the other duties of caring for the larvae, comb building and defending the hive

How to encourage bees and other pollinators

Thanks to the rich diversity of plants and flowers, gardens are some of the best habitats for pollinators. There is always space though for more pollinators in our gardens.

The best ways to encourage bees and other pollinators into your garden is by providing nectar- and pollen-rich flowers throughout the year. Creating suitable nest sites in your garden is another excellent way to provide for them.
Here's how you can do more to support pollinators in your garden, outside space or community:

1. Fill gardens with RHS Plants for Pollinators plants

2. Allow lawn 'weeds' to flower by cutting less often

3. Provide water for pollinators

4. Avoid using pesticides wherever possible and never spray open flowers

5. Provide nest sites for wild bees

Find out more about how gardeners can help bees and other pollinators.

Will I get stung?

Getting stung by bees in your garden is unlikely, as long as you treat bees with respect.

All female bees have stings, but solitary bees are not at all aggressive and only use their stings in self-defence if roughly handled.

Similarly bumblebees and honeybees are unlikely to sting while they are going about their business of collecting nectar and pollen if they are left alone. Avoid disturbing bumblebee nests or standing close to a bee hive.

My Garden

Your free RHS gardening coach

Keep track of your plants with reminders & care tips - all to help you grow successfully

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK's leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone's life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.

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bees: encouraging into your garden;encouraging bees into your garden;wildlife;plants for wildlife;encouraging wildlife;

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Bees visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen, which they use as food for themselves and their larvae. By moving from flower to flower, they are vital pollinators of many garden and wild flowers.

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When outside and surrounded by bugs and insects encouraging pupils to wait, watch and think what are they doing?

State expectations of being respectful, that they are entering an animals home.

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Positive Behaviours/ empathy for all living beings

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Positive Behaviours/ empathy for all living beings

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Our beautiful minibeast hunt tick sheet is perfect for exploring new and exciting creatures. We’ve created this list of minibeasts for you to look for on your next nature walk - along with a couple of top places to find them!Our resource helps bring out children’s detective skills as Minibeasts live…

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https://www.st-johns.bournemouth.sch.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Bumble-Bee-Reading-Comprehension.pdf

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How can I use this spring outdoor flower hunt checklist?

This spring outdoor checklist is a fun activity for you to do with your children in the springtime. All you need to do is print off the checklist sheets and take them on your flower hunt. You may want to do this with your children as a weekend activity, or you can do it as a class outing activity on a sunny spring day.

This spring flowers checklist features some of the common flowers that you can find in the UK during the springtime. Simply tick off the flowers as you spot them on your walk and see how many you can find! Can you spot them all?

Flowers on this spring outdoor checklist include snowdrops, bluebells and cowslips. Each flower has a clear image so you know exactly what you're looking for.

If your children enjoy searching for these springtime flowers and want to learn more about them, check out our spring flowers PowerPoint.

Where can I find outdoor nature checklists for children?

We have a whole bunch of outdoor nature checklist activities to entertain your children and encourage them to embrace the great outdoors. Outdoor nature checklists and scavenger hunts are a great way to get children outside in the fresh air whilst staying active.

Our outdoor checklists are all ready-to-use and made by teachers, so you know you're in safe hands. It will also save you a whole load of time as there's no need for you to make the checklists yourself - using our resources is a no-brainer really!

If you're looking for more spring outdoor checklists, check out our signs of spring checklist. Before searching for signs of spring with your pupils you may want to teach them about what signs of spring look like with our signs of spring PowerPoint.

If your children want to search for more living creatures, try out our UK scavenger hunt nature walk activity.

Create a beautiful Spring display with this Spring Lamb Photo Pack. This resource is great to include in any lesson about Spring or baby animals.

Check out these brightly coloured Spring Pop Art Display Posters to make any display POP this Spring! There are four Spring Pop Art posters included in this pack.

What can I add to my own spring outdoor checklist?

If you enjoy using this spring outdoor checklist, why not also make your very own spring outdoor checklist? Here are some ideas for what you could add into your spring outdoor checklist:

- You may want to make a spring outdoor checklist for all the things you need to do in your garden in preparation for springtime. This could include tasks like mowing the lawn, getting rid of dead plants and leaves, and planting new bulbs.

- Alternatively, you may want to make a spring outdoor checklist of all the things you and your children may spot in the run-up to spring and during the spring. This could include things like daffodils, baby lambs, and leaves growing back on the trees.

The above video is from a third-party source. We accept no responsibility for any videos from third-party sources. Please let us know if the video is no longer working.

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This spring outdoor checklist is a fun activity for you to do with your children in the springtime. All you need to do is print off the checklist sheets and take them on your flower hunt. You may want to do this with your children as a weekend activity, or you can do it as a class outing activity on a sunny spring day.

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Read the book along with the children and lead discussion on its ideas. 

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Read the book along with the children and lead discussion on its ideas. 

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The Lorax - Read Aloud Picture Book | Brightly Storytime

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To identify the parts of a flower and explain their function

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LO: What can be done to help bees

Introduce the different people or groups of people:

You as person/family

Wider communities – villages and towns

Farming, government and international (e.g. EU)

In small teams the students are to reasearch and create a poster to promote the ways in which bees can be helped by different groups.
Info needed:
What group are you researching?
How many different ways can the help bees?
Choose a couple of the ways to write about in more details

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Understanding pollination
understanding the importance of bees
Knowing how climate change has impacted bees
Knowing what can be done to protect them
Understanding parts of a plant and life cycle of a plant

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https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0128z6q

Video: shows how pollination happens. includes parts of plants creating prior knowledge for lesson 2

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Have some bee saving kits (wild flower seeds) and allow the children to plant them. Children get to study and look after the flowers over time and take care of them. Children will be able to study the life cycle of the plants and can spend time outside studying and seeing what bugs/bees are attracted to the flowers. Children can then hypothesize what the bugs may be doing and how they are doing it from what they have already learnt.

Adaptation: if in a urban area children can look for sustainable materials or bring in things from home that they could use for plant pots (if there is limited space outside of the school building).

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https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/bees-feel-sting-climate-change

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Almost 90% of the world's wild plants depend on animal pollination, along with 75% of leading global crops. Pollinator species include wasps, ants, butterflies, beetles, moths and bees.

There are more than 250 species of bee in the UK, including the honey bee that normally lives in hives that are managed by beekeepers. Others, like many species of bumblebees and solitary bees live in the wild.

Bees in a modern, industrialised world are facing a range of complex and interacting threats, and the cumulative effect of which could affect the abundance and diversity of bee species. The IUCN list shows that as many as 24% of Europe's bumblebee species are now threatened with extinction, despite being worth a staggering £690 million per year to the UK economy.

Habitat fragmentation is generally thought to be the most important factor driving bee declines, but climate change is having an increasing role to play in their demise.

What can you do?

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Bees feel the sting of climate change in east England

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Almost 90% of the world's wild plants depend on animal pollination, along with 75% of leading global crops. Pollinator species include wasps, ants, butterflies, beetles, moths and bees. There are more than 250 species of bee in the UK, including the honey bee that normally lives in hives that are managed by beekeepers.

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https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/our-tips-how-bee-friendly

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Pollinators such as bees, bumblebees, butterflies and other insects play a critical role in a healthy ecosystem and our food production.

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When exploring outside, teach and model how to behave around bugs. If there is a bee, encourage the children to not run away and have them think that the bees will also feel the same. Encourage and discuss what the bee may have been doing or where it is going. Think about what bees do (pollenate).

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- tolerance
- respect
- responsibility
- empathy for all living things, including mini-beasts
- understanding of the wider impact and importance of smaller, living beings

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describe the differences in the life cycles of a mammal, an amphibian, an insect and a bird

describe the life process of reproduction in some plants and animals

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A group of 30 mixed ability students in a Catholic primary school. They are of mixed heritage, including a high number of EAL students who are newly arrived, a number from Hong Kong and a number from Nigeria. 

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A group of 30 mixed ability students in a Catholic primary school. They are of mixed heritage, including a high number of EAL students who are newly arrived, a number from Hong Kong and a number from Nigeria. 

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These students have been learning about life cycles of plants and will have been made familiar with seed dispersal, parts of plants, and will have seen the school's garden. They have planted and cared for their own plants in previous years in school, and are broadly aware of what are the best conditions for plants and flowers to grow and thrive.

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- peer talk
- whole class discussion
- exploratory talk
- embodied learning- how does it feel? sticky- pollen on bees attach to flower etc
- multimodal learning- diagrams/ videos/ going outdoors multi- sensory
- empowering learners- pupil voice- lead their own research and think about what they can do at an individual level

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Children to create a poster that focuses on bees and why they are important and how to help protect them.
Post them up around school so they can educate others on how they can support the climate.

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https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-make-a-bumblebee-pot/

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Bumblebees are important pollinators of early flowering plants and can 'disengage' their wings in cold weather, vibrating wing muscles to warm their bodies. In autumn and early winter, queen bumblebees look for a warm, dry home. This simple bumblebee pot could offer them the perfect spot.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Kate Bradbury says

Queen bumblebees hibernate in a variety of locations, including holes in the ground. If you dig up a bumblebee in winter, don't re-bury her - simply transfer her to a sheltered, dry spot such as a pile of dry leaves. She'll quickly settle down again.

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Bumblebees are important pollinators of early flowering plants and can 'disengage' their wings in cold weather, vibrating wing muscles to warm their bodies. In autumn and early winter, queen bumblebees look for a warm, dry home. This simple bumblebee pot could offer them the perfect spot.

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Inspiration: The forget-me-not flower as a reminder to think of the bees

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Names: Katie Covill, Guy Upstone, Allannah Griffin, Alice Fitter, Niall Curran

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Names: Katie Covill, Guy Upstone, Allannah Griffin, Alice Fitter, Niall Curran

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Focus Group: Year 5
LO: To explore flowers in our local area.
To investigate the life cycle of flowers.
To better understand the role of bees in pollination and biodiversity.
To discuss ways in which we can help.

Overall idea: Pupils explore an outdoor area and identify common British flowers in spring. Then they will be led on a dissection exercise in which they'll identify different parts of the plant/ flowers and discuss their roles in plant reproduction. In the following lessons, students will investigate the role of bees in pollination, then about the reasons why bees are dying. Finally, they will discuss some responses that governments can make and whether or not they think it's a good idea.

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Going outside planting wildflowers, creating a bee garden.
Making bug hotels.
https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/activities/nature-on-your-doorstep/garden-activities/build-a-bug-hotel/

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It needs to be level and the ground firm.

You'll get different residents depending on where you place your hotel, as some like cool, damp conditions and others (such as solitary bees) prefer the sun. If you have vegetable beds, keep it a good distance away from them.

The basic structure. You will need a strong, stable framework that's no more than a metre high!

Old wooden pallets are perfect for a large hotel as they're sturdy and come with ready-made gaps. Start by laying some bricks on the ground as sturdy corners. Leave some spaces in between the bricks for critters to move in. Add three or four layers of wooden pallets on top of your bricks. If you leave larger ends, you're more likely to attract hedgehogs.

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Building a bug hotel (also known as a wildlife hotel or stack) in your garden can provide a safe hideaway for wildlife and help make use of your garden waste.

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Flower Structures and Functions | Insect Pollinated Flowers

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Initial AFL

On tables: image of plant with male and female parts
See what children already know, write on sticky notes the
parts of a flower e.g. root, stem, leaves (activate prior knowledge)
Peer then class discussion about the function of them.

Intro
Then introduce flowers in more detail- explain how there are
male and female parts- this is vital in pollination process (and outline bees
role in this).

Main activity 1

children watch video and fill in sheet regarding male and female parts of plant and their function.

Main activity 2
Children go outdoors, find plants with male and female parts-take pictures of them- go back to class and label them

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When heading outside first start by setting the boundaries by showing pupils where they can go. Then play a game of 1,2,3 where are you? 1, 2, 3 here I am. This allows pupils to explore and understand the boundaries themselves.

Pupils spend the start of the lesson recapping how bee's are a key part of the ecosystem.

Head outside to look at the school grounds.

Looking for places where bees could live? the different plants on offer for the bees.

Having a look and taking pictures of different types of flowers and the parts of the flower.

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Discuss at the end climate change and sustainability in terms of the bees.