Design and Build a Bee House

Bee exiting a bee house (Bananebrei, Pixabay)

Bee exiting a bee house (Bananebrei, Pixabay)
How does this align with my curriculum?
Students will learn about the human impacts on bee populations as they design, test, build and observe a structure for solitary bees.
Overview
Activities | Timing | Student grouping | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Minds-On: Research and Understand the Problem |
20 - 30 minutes |
Large group |
Students will observe bee homes and discuss the need for solitary bee houses. |
Action: Design, Build and Test a Prototype |
40 - 60 minutes |
Small group | Students design, build and test a structure that solitary bees can nest in. |
Consolidation: Communicate the Solution |
20 - 30 minutes |
Individual | Students document and share images of their completed bee houses. |
This lesson can be done over a few days.
Materials and Preparation
Teaching and Learning Activities
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Minds-On: Research and Understand the Problem (20-30 mins)
Instructions | Teaching Tips |
---|---|
Take students to an outdoor space. |
Review instructions for participating in outdoor activities. |
Activate prior knowledge by having students share what they already know about bees and where bees live. Alternatively, do the Bee Helpers lessons before this lesson. |
DiscussionsDiscussion prompts can include:
|
As a class, look at the images of different types of homes for social and solitary bees using the Bee Homes slides [Google slides] [pptx] [PDF] or similar images. Image - Text VersionShown are two colour photographs. Image - Text VersionShown are four colour photographs of wooden structures with many small holes in their surfaces. |
Images and VideosFor students with visual impairments, use the descriptions provided in the alt text to describe the images. You can also support students using manipulatives of shapes and figures. |
Explain to students that sometimes solitary bees have trouble finding places to live. This is why students will design and build houses for solitary bees. Have students identify what the human-made solitary bee houses have in common. This will form the basis of their design criteria. |
DiscussionsDiscussion prompts can include:
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Action: Design, Build and Test a Prototype (20-30 mins)
Instructions | Teaching Tips |
---|---|
As a class, have students co-construct design criteria that their prototype bee house must meet. Note: To maximize the chances of having bees use the houses, each bee house should have
|
DiscussionsQuestion prompts can include:
Encourage supportive listening and building on the ideas of others during brainstorming. |
Have students individually visualize what the solution might look like and make labelled sketches based on their visualizations on the Build a Bee House Design Sketch and Plan reproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF]. |
LanguageStudents could copy words for various materials from the Design Plan (second page of the reproducible). The words could also be added to a Word Wall. |
Image - Text VersionShown is a colour image of a worksheet for students. At the top it says, "What is the problem?" Below is an empty box labelled "My Design Ideas". |
ConnectionsEncourage students to think about other homes they have seen, including animal homes and their own homes for inspiration. |
Have students create a Design Plan. They could do this by circling the key tools and materials on the Build a Bee House Design Sketch and Plan reproducible [Google doc] [Word doc] [PDF]. Image - Text VersionShown is an image of a worksheet for students. The document is letter-sized, with green and blue printing on a white background. Have students explain to you orally how they would go about building their bee house. Once they are ready to build, enable students to gather the materials and tools they need. |
IdeaRemove the images from the Google doc or Word doc and have students draw in their own tools and materials. For some materials and tools, it is easier if students work in small groups. |
Have students build the design idea based on the design plan. With each student, use a checklist that includes the design criteria that the class agreed to. Have each student test to see if each criteria has been met. For example:
Encourage students to modify the prototype and retest it against the design criteria as necessary until all of the boxes on the checklist are ticked. |
SafetyReview how to safely use all provided tools and materials. IdeaIf students need a more scaffolded experience, they could watch the video Build a Beehouse! from SciShow Kids that illustrates one method to build a beehouse upon which they could model their own bee houses. If using metal cans, make sure they are clean and dry and do not have sharp edges. |
Consolidation: Communicate the Solution (20-30 mins)
Instructions | Teaching Tips |
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Encourage students to bring their bee houses home and to find a sunny south-facing location on which to hang them. The houses could be hung alongside a house, on a tree in a forest or on a city street, a fence post, a mailbox, etc. Have students draw or take pictures of their bee houses once hung up and share them with the class. Image - Text VersionShown is a colour photograph of a bundle of tightly rolled materials, tied to a tree branch. |
ConnectionsSend home drawing materials with students if necessary. Students could put their bee houses up in a neighbourhood park. SafetyPutting up the bee houses should be done under adult supervision. |
Background Information for Teachers
Image - Text Version
Shown is a colour photograph of a large yellow and black insect landing on a stem of purple flowers.
In the foreground, one stem of flowers is in focus. An insect has landed on the left side. Its body is rounded into a C shape along the stem and its wings are stretched out behind it. The flowers are small, deep purple, and torpedo-shaped, closely stacked. Many other plants are out of focus in the background.
There is a need to protect solitary bee species because, like many wild animals, their natural nesting places are being replaced by human urban environments. These important pollinators are required for the production of food for humans and other domestic animals as well as for the survival of plant species.
A house for solitary bees provides nesting spaces in the form of tubes or holes in wood that bees can crawl into to stock with pollen and nectar (as food for bee larvae) and lay their eggs. These nesting spaces are usually located in a dry and secure sunny south or southwest spot that receives lots of sunshine to provide warmth over the winter. In the springtime, the new generation of mature bees exits the tubes.