University of Montevallo Science Lesson Plan Format
Name: Catherine DeWitt
Subject/Grade level: Science/3rd
Date lesson taught:
Group size: 23
School: Valley Intermediate
Goals:
•TSW understand the basic anatomy of a bee through brainstorming and exploration.
•TSW understand and discuss how bees help fertilize certain plants, such as the Brassica.
NSES: Life Science
ALCOS:
Standard 7.) Describe the life cycle of plants, including seed, seed germination, growth,
and reproduction.
•Describing the role of plants in a food chain
•Identifying plant and animal cells
•Describing how plants occupy space and use light, nutrients, water, and air
•Classifying plants according to their features
Examples: evergreen or deciduous; flowering or nonflowering
•Identifying helpful and harmful effects of plants
Examples:
-helpful: provide food, control erosion
-harmful: cause allergic reactions, produce poisons
•Identifying how bees pollinate flowers
•Identifying photosynthesis as the method used by plants to produce food
Prerequisite Skills/Concepts:
•Students should accept all ideas nonjudgmentally.
•Students should state their ideas in a positive way.
•Students should consider others’ input when developing their own ideas.
Objectives (action verb – Bloom’s)
Assessment
TSW draw and label the parts of a bee.
Labeled diagrams (see attached)
TSW write the steps in the pollination
process.
KWL chart (see attached)
“You Better Bee-lieve It!” sheet (see
attached)
Procedures
Engage (5-10 minutes)
 TTW say, “It finally feels and
looks like spring! Raise your hand
if you have noticed anything
changing outside.”

TSW respond.
 Possible responses: warmer
weather, flowers in bloom,
allergies*, bugs*

TTW say, “I agree! I have lots of
flowers around my house starting
to bloom, and for some reason, I
have noticed that bees are
everywhere too! Raise your hand
if you have seen more bees
outside.”

TSW respond and TTW ask TS
where they noticed the bees.
(TTW emphasize that the bees are
often found near flowers or other
bright plants.)

TTW say, “I have also noticed that
my allergies are getting bad. I,
like lots of other people, am
allergic to pollen. Raise your hand
if you are allergic or if you have
heard someone talk about pollen.”

TSW respond.

TTW explain, “Pollen is the
yellow powder-like “stuff” that
floats in the air and gets on cars
and is washed up on the side of the
road when it rains. It’s no
coincidence that bees and pollen
come out during the same time in
spring. We’ll talk more about that
in a little bit.”
Materials & Resources

“It’s Spring” Powerpoint slide

“Pollen” Powerpoint slide
Explore
 TTW say, “Bees are such an
important part of the spring
season, so we are going to find out
what we already know about
bees.”

TTW say, “Turn and talk with
your partner and come up with
three things you know about bees.
You may write your answers on
your desk with your Expo.”

TSW have three minutes to turn
and talk.

TTW say, “I am going to go
around the room and ask partner 2
what you both know. If your
answers are already on the chart,
just say “pass”.”

TTW write the students’ responses
on the KWL chart beneath the ‘K’
column.

TTW say, “You guys already
know a lot about bees! Now, raise
your hand and tell me what you
want to learn about bees.”

“Turn and Talk” Powerpoint slide

Expo markers (each student has
one in their desk at all times.)

KWL chart

KWL chart

TSW respond.

TTW write the students’ responses
on the KWL chart beneath the ‘W’
column.


25 sheets of white copy paper
Crayons and pencils (the students
have their own in their desks)
TTW say, “Those are great
questions! Now, I need my two
weekly helpers to pass out a piece
of white paper to each student.”

“Draw It!” Powerpoint slide
As the helpers are distributing
papers, TTW turn to the “Draw
It!” slide.

Extra crayons and pencils



TTW say, “Please quietly and
quickly get out your crayons and a
pencil from your desk. Once you
are seated and quiet, I will know
you’re ready to do the activity.”

TSW have 1-2 minutes to get
settled.

TTW refer to the slide and say, “I
need you to take 2 minutes and
draw your best bee. None of us
are expert artists, but try and
include realistic details and do as
well as you can.”

TSW have ~2 minutes to draw
what they think a real bee looks
like.

TTW walk around the room to
observe student progress.

TTW say, “These look awesome!
I love how creative your bees are.
Do three volunteers want to share
their drawings on the ELMO?”

TSW volunteer.
*If there are no volunteers, TTW
share a prepared drawing.

TTW say, “As awesome as these
are, I think it might be a good idea
to see a realistic picture of a bee.
(TTW display the picture on the
ELMO.)
Explain
 TTW refer to the “Bee Anatomy”
slide and say, “Since bees are so
small, it’s hard for us to see how
they really look. Even though
their small size makes them seem
simple, they have several body

“Draw It!” Powerpoint slide

ELMO

*Prepared bee drawing (see
attached)


Realistic bee picture (see attached)
ELMO

“Bee Anatomy” Powerpoint slide
parts that help them survive and do
their jobs, just like humans do.”

TTW explain and define the
following parts:
-Bees and all other insects have
three major parts: the head, the
thorax, and the abdomen.
 Head- front
 Thorax- middle
 Abdomen- end (body
systems inside, like a
human abdomen)
-Two antennae are top of the bee’s
head. These help the bee
communicate with other bees.
-While a bee’s huge eyes cannot
see as human eyes do, they can
sense light and dark. The eyes are
located on the head.

how bees eat:
Link on “Bee Anatomy” slide

“Draw it Again!” Powerpoint slide
-Instead of teeth, bees have long
mandibles (jaws) which help them
eat pollen and drink nectar.
-The bee’s wings allow it to fly up
to 15 mph from plant-to-plant and
are attached at the thorax.
-All bees (and other insects) have
six legs which help them move
and feel. The legs are also attached
at the thorax.
-The pollen sac is very important.
It attaches on one of the bee’s back
legs and falls when the be lands.
-The stinger is located at the end of
the abdomen. Female worker bees
have stingers, but not all bees do.
Stingers help protect bees from
small enemies, but the stinger will
come off and kill the bee if it stings
a large predator.

TTW turn to the “Draw it Again!”
slide and ask the helpers to pass
out white construction paper.
(1/student)

TTW say, “Now that we know the
individual parts of the bee, let’s
take five minutes to draw an
accurate picture of a bee. Do your
best, please!”

TTW walk around the room and
observe TS drawing.

After about five minutes, TTW
say, “These look like they could be
in our textbook! Now that they are
accurate, let’s label them with the
body parts we learned about
earlier.”

TTW say, “I need everyone to
please clear their desks of
everything except your second
drawing and a pencil. Once your
eyes are up front, we can label the
drawings together.”

On the ELMO, TTW label the
following parts on the “Bee
Diagram” sheet: head, abdomen,
thorax, antennae, eyes, mandible,
legs, pollen basket, wings, and
stinger.

TSW label their drawings.

TTW say, “Your diagrams are
awesome! Please put those to the
side, and let’s think back to when
we said that bees are often found
near flowers—especially during
this season. Raise your hand if

25 sheets of white construction
paper


Crayons
Pencils

“Bee Diagram” sheet (see
attached)
you have a guess as to why that
might be.”



TSW respond.
 Best answer: Bees help the
flowers bloom.
 Bees help us grow plants.
TTW refer to the ‘Pollination
Sensation’ slide and say, “Exactly!
When a bee lands on a flower or
plant to drink nectar (a sweet
liquid), a pollen sac from the plant
can get stuck on the bee’s back
legs. When the bee lands on
another plant, the pollen sac from
the first plant falls off and
fertilizes the second plant. This
helps them bloom. That’s why
there is so much pollen outside
during this time of year. This
video will show how bees get
pollen on their feet.”

“Pollination Sensation”
Powerpoint slide

Pollination: link on “Pollination
Sensation” slide

25 copies of the “You Better Beelieve It!” sheet (see attached)
TTW turn back to the “Pollination
Sensation” slide and ask TS if they
have any specific questions before
the last activity.
Evaluate
 TTW say, “Now, I need you to
clear everything off of your desk
except for your second bee
diagram, and a pencil.”

TTW distribute the “You Better
Bee-lieve It!” worksheet. As TS
complete the task above.

TTW say, “Complete the front
page of your worksheet
independently. Once everyone is
finished, we will do the bottom
part together. You may use your
diagram, but not your neighbor.
There should be absolutely no
talking. If you have a question,
please raise your hand and Ms.
Bailey or I will come to your desk.
When you finish the front, turn
your paper over and touch-up your
second drawings. I’m going to
come around and put an index card
on your desk. Please do not touch
it until I give you more directions.”

TSW have 5-7 minutes to
complete the front page of their
worksheet.

TTW give each student one blank
index card as they are working.

TTW say, “Raise your hand if you
need one more minute.”

TSW respond.

Once TS finish, TTW use the
ELMO to help the students with
the back page.

TTW say, “The directions tell us to
list the steps of the pollination
process. Raise your hand if you
can tell me what happens first.”

TTW use the students’ input to list
the steps in the pollination process.
 Possible response:
1. Bee drinks nectar
2. Bee gets pollen on feet
3. Bee flies to 2nd plant
4. Bee drops pollen
5. Plant is fertilized
*Extend
 TTW say, “Bees are pretty
interesting for such little insects,
aren’t they? Since you guys have
been so fantastic during the lesson,
I’m going to read you some crazy

25 blank index cards


ELMO
Copy of “You Better Bee-lieve
It!” sheet

“Fun Facts about Honey Bees”
sheet (see attached)
facts about honey bees that will
shock and amaze your friends.”

After reading from the “Fun
Facts…” sheet, TTW ask TS to
raise their hands if any of the facts
were surprising to them.

TTW show a YouTube video
about the life cycle of a honey bee.

Life Cycle of a Honey Bee: link
on last slide
Closure
 TTW refer to the KWL chart and
say, “Raise your hand if you can
tell me one thing you learned
about bees.”

TSW respond and TTW write
responses under the “L” column.

TTW say, “I am so impressed with
how much you all know about
bees! If you still have a question or
want to learn something else about
bees or pollination, write it on the
index card on your desk. I will
take them home to find some
answers for you by the next time
we meet. You do not have to write
your name on it.”

TTW say, “Please quietly turn in
your worksheet and your index
card (if you wrote a question) in
the science folder and return to
your desks.”
Accommodations (e.g. alternate explanation of material, struggling readers, ESL,
special needs, enrichment for gifted students)
 Gifted: Students who need more enrichment will be provided with a short
creative writing assignment titled, “A World Without Bees”. (see attached)
Modifications (IEP)
 N/A
*Extensions (additional activity to reinforce lesson objective(s))
 See above in 5E procedures.
References
Alabama Department of Education (2007). Alabama learning exchange 3rd grade courses of
study for science. Retrieved March 11, 2013, from the ALEX website:
http://alex.state.al.us/standardAll.php?grade=3&subject=S1&summary=2
National Science Education Standards (1996). Chapter 6: Science content standards.
Retrieved March 17, 2013, from the NAP website:
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=4962&page=103
http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/honey_bee.htm
http://www.utahcountybeekeepers.org/fun_facts.html
KWL: Bees
What I Already
Know
What I Want to
Know
What I Learned
Name:_______________________________________
You Better Bee-lieve It!
(front page)
Directions: Circle ‘true’ if the sentence is correct or ‘false’ if it is wrong.
1. Bees have eight legs.
True
False
2. The bee’s wings are attached at the thorax. True False
3. Bees make pollen.
True
4. Bees help fertilize plants.
False
True
5. Bees are not important to people.
False
True
False
Directions: Use the word bank to label the bee.
Thorax
Head
Eyes
Abdomen
Wings
Antennae
Legs
Pollen sac
Mandable Stinger (draw it)
You Better Bee-lieve It!
(back page)
***We are going to do this side together!***
Pollination Steps:
Name:__________________
Enrichment
Write a creative, detailed paragraph describing what life would be like if bees did
not exist. Be sure to include at least three facts to support your points. 
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