Wayne Technical and Career Center
Sue Stalls
(susan.stalls@wflboces.org)
WHY Beekeeping?
• Addresses relevant standards in science
and other subjects
• Social / community outreach
• Project based learning
• Student / school / community
engagement
• Experiential learning
• “Fits” into traditional school year
NYS P-12 Sci Learning Standards, beekeeping
provides connections to all 3 dimensions
Science & Engineering Practices:
• MS-LS2-3: Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter
and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an
ecosystem.
• MS-LS2-4: Construct an argument supported by empirical
evidence that changes to physical or biological components of
an ecosystem affect populations.)
• HS-LS2-6: Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that
the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively
consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable
conditions but changing conditions may result in a new
ecosystem.
• HS-LS2-8: Evaluate the evidence for the role of group behavior
on individual and species’ chances to survive and reproduce.
NYS P-12 Sci Learning Standards, beekeeping
provides connections to all 3 dimensions
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
• LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms. Organisms reproduce,
either sexually or asexually, and transfer their genetic information to their
offspring. (secondary to MS-LS3-2).
• Animals engage in characteristic behaviors that increase the odds of
reproduction. (MS-LS1-4). Plants reproduce in a variety of ways,
sometimes depending on animal behavior and specialized features for
reproduction. (MS-LS1-4).
• In addition to variations that arise from sexual reproduction, genetic
information can be altered because of mutations. Some changes are
beneficial, others harmful, and some neutral to the organism. (MS-LS3-1).
Mutations may result in changes to the structure and function of proteins.
(MS-LS3-1)
• Natural Selection. In artificial selection, humans have the capacity to
influence certain characteristics of organisms by selective breeding. One
can choose desired parental traits determined by genes, which are then
passed on to offspring. (MS-LS4-5)
NYS P-12 Sci Learning Standards, beekeeping
provides connections to all 3 dimensions
Disciplinary Core Ideas:
• Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems. (MS-LS2-2).
• Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience. Biodiversity describes the
variety of species found in Earth’s ecosystems. (MS-LS2-5).
• Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems. Ecosystems have carrying
capacities, which are limits to the numbers of organisms and populations they
can support. (HS-LS2 1),(HS-LS2-2).
• Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience. Extreme fluctuations in
conditions or the size of any population, however, can challenge the functioning
of ecosystems in terms of resources and habitat availability. (HS-LS2-2), (HSLS2-6).
• Social Interactions and Group Behavior. Group behavior has evolved because
membership can increase the chances of survival for individuals.
NYS P-12 Sci Learning Standards, beekeeping
provides connections to all 3 dimensions
Cross-cutting Concepts:
• Cause and Effect. (HS-LS2-7),(HS-LS2-8), (MS-LS2-1.
• Stability and Change. Much of science deals with constructing
explanations of how things change and how they remain stable. (HS-LS26),(HSLS2-7).
• Energy and Matter. Within a natural system, the transfer of energy
drives the motion and/or cycling of matter. (MS-LS1-6). The transfer of
energy can be tracked as energy flows through a natural system.
(MSLS2-3).
• Connections to Nature of Science: Scientific Knowledge Assumes an
Order and Consistency in Natural Systems. Science assumes that objects
and events in natural systems occur in consistent patterns that are
understandable through measurement and observation. (MS-LS2-3).
Social /
Community
Responsibility
• USA honey consumption =
410 million pounds
• Pollinators fertilize 1/3 of
the food we eat.
Business
Community
Contacts!
We painted 2
hives in
exchange for
equipment
donation!
WTCC Programs Involved:
Carpentry
Conservation
Auto Body
Culinary Arts
HOW?
For
better
or
worse
…how I
started
My “go to” book, class, find a mentor
• Ontario- Finger Lakes
Beekeeping Club: 6
classes, every other
week for 3 hours.
Cost: $10.
• Mentors are so
important – even if it
is just a phone call or
text!
My “Start” Checklist
• September/October:
– Approval for funding / coordinate support
from teachers
– Ordered supplies (learned a lot)
• December
– Started beekeeping class (this went until
Feb / March)
– Introduced importance of bees in
Conservation lesson to spark interest
– Student “guided research” = Project Based
Learning…what type of hive would we get?
My “Start” Checklist
• January
– Got hives built & painted
– Started PBL with Conservation Class and Carpentry
(paint designs/colors?)
– Teach some vocabulary of beekeeping
• February
– Ordered bees / students made PPT for Open
House & display
• March
– Prepped site
• April
– Installed bees and began!
Project Based Learning: What type of
hive should we get?
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC
What’s required by NYS Agriculture laws?
Apiary Site on WTCC
Campus - Conservation
Components of the hive.
Building the hives
Paint
(Hives painted by Conservation and Carpentry students)
• All parts of the hive
exposed to weather
are painted
• Light colors help to
prevent
overheating in the
summer
• Colors and designs
can help reduce
drift between
colonies
Painting the Hives
Painting Hives – bees can recognize
patterns
Open House (BOE) & optimistic!
Ready!
Prepare students for…!
This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed
under CC BY
• Bee CALM but FUN
• “Lecture-ish” to start
• Get just the really
important “stuff”
covered first
• Friendly competitions
– PPE
– Smokers
– Hive parts
Do NOT be THIS guy…
Allergy vs. NORMAL Response to sting
• Approximately 5 % of our population is allergic
to honeybee venom. However, how YOU
respond to stings varies. (1st aid supplies in shed)
• Serious allergic response is called anaphylaxis,
leading to inability to breathe and possible
death. One percent of children and 3
percent of adults have anaphylaxis reactions.
• #1
Allergy vs. NORMAL Response to sting
#2
Hive inspection -We are looking for the
Queen or eggs & “normal”!
One of our Queens!
Brood = baby bees; capped vs. uncapped, male vs. female
Honey
Capped Brood
Pollen
Uncapped Brood
Eggs! How many can you see??
• Bees are only
eggs for 3 days
so if you don’t
spot the
Queen, the
presence of
eggs will let
you know she
was recently
laying! Eggs
stand on end
for 24 hours.
Honey! – How sweet it is!
“cred” first!!
“Content”… is taught/reviewed when
snow flies
• New York State
Agriculture Laws
• Importance of
pollinators
• Vocabulary of bees
and beekeeping
• Research projects
• Life cycles: eggs,
larva, pupa (Why do
we care???)
• Roles of bees in hive
• Honey production
• Hive inspection
review
• Plan for marketing
supplies
Bees returning to hive with pollen –
2/2018
Bees carry pollen in baskets on back
legs – arrows are pointing to
“baskets”
“Hands on!” for Students
Spring
• Setting up / opening
hives
• Unpacking bees
• Feeding bees
• Inspecting bees so
learn “normal”
• PREVENT swarming in
second year!
Fall
• Inspecting bees –
LOTS MORE BEES!
• Harvesting honey
• Selling honey
• Feeding bees
• Closing hives
Summer
Its OK to make mistakes!
Honey Harvesting - With help from
Culinary Arts
Honey! – How sweet it is!
Our first Winter! Hives all wrapped and
ready for snow and ice!
Did they make it through their first
winter? YES!!
Some designs of our hives
Cost for 2 hive set up (with back up
hive)
Item
Nucleus - 2
Jackets (6) ($60/ea)
leather gloves (6prs)
honey extractor
sieve
5 gal bucket with seive
3 hives ($250 assembled)
total:
Cost
$300
$360
$90
$250
$38
$37
$750
$1,825
Resources
• https://www.honey.com/newsroom/presskit/hon
ey-industry-facts
• https://www.epa.gov/pollinatorprotection/colony-collapse-disorder
• Brushy Mountain Bee Farm
• Mann Lake Ltd.
• Hungry Bear Farms – Canandaigua, NY
• Ontario-Finger Lakes Beekeeping Association
• Wayne County NY Bee Club
• Queen Spotting … by Hilary Kearney
Wayne Technical and Career Center
Sue Stalls
(susan.stalls@wflboces.org)