Adopt-a-Hive Unit
Meeting standards through
Integrated Curriculum
MEETS
Environmental
Stewardship
Concept
Lisa Wild
8/18/07
St. Clair Shores, Michigan
lisawild@hotmail.com
Bachelors in Elementary Education
Emphasis: science and language arts
Masters: English as a Second Language
Honeybee expert/ Epi-Pen certified
Adopt-A-Hive
Overview

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Inspiration/Philosophy/Rationale
Understanding KNOW/DO/BE format
Shared Classroom Structure
7 detailed Lesson Plans
Appendix: including rubrics/supplemental materials
Bibliography
Adopt-a-Hive
Inspiration/Philosophy/Rationale
After teaching science for 10 years, I was handed a slip of paper that read “7th
grade language arts”. My dreams of teaching another year of fun-filled, hands-on
and inquiry based learning ended.
Over the next few months I sulked, complained, whined, etc… In my thoughts I
saw me, holding my forehead, face down in a pile of paperwork. I was daydreaming
about sentence diagramming, redundant worksheets and students arguing with me
about a book that had to be read so SQRP3.s could be covered. I wasn’t just
dreading the students being bored. I was dreading BOREDOM.
But like the saying goes, at the end of every tunnel is a ray of hope. I didn’t just
experience a ray of hope. I had an epiphany.
Through a professor who role modeled integrated curriculum and the text, Meeting
Standards Through Integrated Curriculum” by Susan M. Drake and Rebecca C.
Burns, I didn’t just learn but experienced integrated curriculum.
The basis of integrated curriculum is now realized: I can choose to be a language
arts/science teacher or a language arts/social studies teacher, language arts/art
teacher. I am one of the chosen, lucky ones. I get it! An integrated curriculum
enables students to see the big picture, to understand the topic’s relevance and
real-life context, and to engage in higher-order thinking skills (Drake & Burns).
Language Arts is a vehicle in which skills are learned and incorporated into higher
level concepts.
I am now confident to express my excitement in streamlining, the environmental
stewardship concept with the honeybee topic into my language arts classroom.
I don’t see myself as a language arts teacher but as a science/language arts
teacher that will create positive impact on our environmental world.
Adopt-A-Hive
Curriculum Framework
KNOW/DO/BE
The fundamental frameworks of this curriculum have been
established through the use of “Meeting Standards Through
Integrated Curriculum by Susan M. Drake and Rebecca C. Burns.
At this time, few curriculum documents clearly identify interdisciplinary concepts.
In fact, in some documents the word concept describes a skill rather than a concept.
Without a concept-based background, many teachers have been working at the
lowest levels of the structure of knowledge (Drake, Burns).
When correctly following the KNOW/DO/BE format, all of these Michigan
GLCE’s will be covered.
R.CM.07.04
apply significant knowledge from grade-level science, social studies, and
mathematics texts.
W.AT.07.01
Be enthusiastic about writing and learning to write
R.AT.07.01
Being enthusiastic about reading and do substantial reading and writing on their
own.
The future of integrated curriculum is further supported by professional
organizations such as the National Council of Teachers of English
(http://www.ncte.org), the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
(http://www.nctm.org), the National Middle School Association
(http://www.nmsa.org) and the National Science Foundation (http://nsf.org). Their
Web sites, publications, and recommendations curricula advance the case of
integration within and beyond the disciplines. Some states and provinces now
provide recommendations, lessons, and resources that assist teachers in developing
interdisciplinary approaches to standards. See for example, the Ontario
Interdisciplinary Studies program (http://www.edu.gov.on.ca) and the Michigan
Department of Education’s curriculum guides for k-12 educators
(http://www.michigan.gov/mde (Drake & Burns).
Understanding Know/Do/Be Format
Student
Participation
Portion
Teacher
Preparation
Period
PRE-INTEGRATION
Here is an model from an actual lesson
The Topic
 What ultimately do we want the child to
know?
EX. The life cycle of a worker honey bee
The Standards
 What the expectations are from individual
districts and states
EX. W.GN.07.01
Write a cohesive narrative piece such as a memoir,
drama, legend, mystery, poetry, or myth that
includes appropriate conventions to the genre
employing literary and plot devices (e.g., internal
and/or external conflicts, antagonists/protagonists,
personification).
INTEGRATION
KNOW/DO/BE Bridge
 Introductory Activities: Activities that add
enthusiasm and authenticity to the learning.
Should be introduced at the beginning of each
lesson.
 To Know:
This is where the students learns about a new topic or c
Using multi-media
BRIDGE
To
KNOW
To DO
The Content
 Preparation of materials, knowledge base for
the student
EX. Groups of students will perform a drama,
sequencing the roles of a worker honeybee’s life.
Assessments
 Create Rubrics, Allow Choice, Creativity,
and Use of Imagination, cumulating
assignments, service projects.
EX. Groups of students performing their drama
 To Do: This is where students use skills to take on
a higher level understanding of the concept or topic
they learned about.
 To Be: Higher level concepts learned by students.
These concepts coincide with the topic being
taught
Ex. A topic regarding bees could be
environmental stewardship
 Assessment
 Reflection: The teacher reflects on the
implementation of the format
Adopt-a-Hive
Important Classroom Information
 Introductory Activities: Each lesson will begin with some type of
introduction that will create passion, fun/enthusiasm or authenticity in the
concept and topic being learned.
 Bee Buzz Concept Journal
The Bee Buzz Concept Journal will be used as a scientific journal to gather bee,
bee keeping, and environmental stewardship K.W.L. strategies, notes, and
brainstorming. Language Arts Skills will be kept in a separate notebook.
However, all students will be required to write a bibliography for all notes taken in
class.
Almost all research scientists keep a lab notebook, so that their data and their
thoughts about it are available for recall and later use. Putting entries into the
notebook as an inquiry progresses is an important aid for organizing thoughts,
interpreting results, or preparing the ground for further inquiry. Although the
primary role of the science notebook is to be part of the student’s learning process,
it can also provide important feedback to a teacher who looks at it. It can be an
indicator of weather the student has in fact learned the major concepts of a unit,
as well as the art of good inquiry and thoughtful interpretation of results. From the
teacher who has read the notebooks, the student can learn to do better; and from
the student’s work the teacher can learn to do better. The notebook is thus a
powerful aid in formative assessment for improving teaching and learning in the
classroom. To play this role, teachers will need to periodically look at the notebooks
during a unit (Pine, J.)
 The Beehive:
(incorporating service learning)
The first year incorporating this unit, a beehive will not be held at the premises
of the school. However, a beehive will be placed at a local nature center.
Some of the lessons, taught through out the year will require, video taping of
the nature center (as to where the hive is), and updates on the activity at the hive.
Construction of the beehive will take place in class with the students.
At times apiary equipment, frames and bees will be brought in for student
observation.
Students will be creating brochures for the nature center, focusing on the
hive and it’s guided observational times.
Flyers will be past out and announcements will be made, by students, in regards
to observation times of the hive and about the hive in general. These guided
observational times at the nature center will give students opportunity in having a
hands-on approach, in learning (if they opt to do so).
LESSON #: 1
TITLE: “Bee” Update News Article
CONTENT STANDARD (MGLCE):
R.MT.07.02
Plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate skills, strategies, and processes for their own
reading comprehension by applying appropriate metacognitive skills such as SQP3R
and pattern guides.
R.WS.07.06
Fluently read beginning grade-level text and increasingly demanding texts as the
year proceeds.
R.WS.07.07
In context, determine the meaning of words and phrases including cross-cultural
expressions, mathematical expressions, scientific procedure, and literary terms
using strategies and authentic content-related resources.
R.CM.07.01
Connect personal knowledge, experiences, and understanding of the world to
themes and perspectives in text through oral and written responses.
R.CM.07.04
Apply significant knowledge from grade-level science, social studies, and
mathematics texts.
General Outcome: Students will gain a deeper understanding of environmental
stewardship and the importance of honeybees. Students will have a greater
flexibility in comprehending text.
GENERAL OVERVIEW: Through out the year, students will read bee and
environmental articles, answer comprehension questions, create graphic
organizers/ schematic maps and participate in SQP3R.
PRIMARY LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPTS: see above MGLCE
FUSION: Bee concepts: abundant degree of general bee, beekeeping, and
environmental knowledge.
MATERIALS:
1) 2 articles including comprehension questions (created using the Profundity
Scale) (appendix)
2) Rubric in scoring Bee Journal – Bee Article – Assignment (appendix)
3) More articles can be found at livescience.com
4) Profundity Scale (appendix) to use for creating more questions
5) SQP3R format (appendix)
PROCEDURE:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
EACH Monday students will come into the room knowing they need to
pick up their next bee or environmental update article and set of
comprehension questions or graphic organizer/schematic map
Students will head, a page of their bee journal with the title of the
article being read.
The class reads the news article together while the teacher goes
through the SQPR3 format. -ORStudents will receive comprehension questions to read silently. Before,
the class reads the article together.
Answers to article questions are done in complete sentences in the bee
journal.
ASSESSMENTS:
SQPR3 format: (see appendix)
Class discussion
Comprehension questions, bibliography, vocabulary (see appendix
for rubric)
Graphic Organizer or Schematic Map
(see appendix for sample organizer)
LESSON #: 2
TITLE: BEE Mania Research Project
CONTENT STANDARD (MGLCE):
W.GN.07.02
Write a research report using a wide variety of resources that includes
appropriate organizational patterns (e.g., position statement/supporting evidence,
problem statement/solution, or compare/contrast), descriptive language, and
informational text features.
W.GN.07.03
Formulate research questions using multiple resources, perspectives, and
arguments/counter-arguments to develop a thesis statement that culminates in a
final presented project using the writing process
General Outcomes (results): Students will have a more fluent ability in writing a
research paper. Students will recognize the their deep knowledge base, in regards
to honeybees.
GENERAL OVERVIEW: Using the cumulative data/notes/resources collected
through out the year on bees, students will formulate a persuasive or informative
research paper, regarding bees.
PRIMARY LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT: see above MGLCE
FUSION/ bee concept: Cumulative bee knowledge collected from through out the
school year
MATERIALS: computers to research information, list of websites,
PROCEDURES:
1) Pass out and explain rubric/requirements for this project and a general
overview.
2) Give students time in the computer lab to find helpful websites for their
research.
DAYS 2 - 3
3) Begin the day having students share any helpful websites they had found the
day before or that night.
4) Students will use the steps of the writing process to create this research
paper starting with:
a) PREWRITING: refers to selecting a subject, collecting details, and
any other planning that goes on during a writing project
i.
ii.
Students are required to stick within the realm of bees.
Students are required to create a the brainstormed
foundation for your home worksheet (found in the
appendix, with a definitions page)
b) WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT: refers to the actual writing, when a
writer gets all of his ideas on paper. (Writers often write more than
one draft)
i.
ii.
DAY 4
Students are required to use to follow the final
research project RUBRIC (found in the appendix).
In addition to researching independently, students
should use the cumulative data collected through
video notes, news articles, and notes from speakers
we’ve had in class.
c) REVISING: refers to the changes a writer makes to improve
his/her writing.
i.
Students will mark first drafts, along with filling out a
peer-editing sheet.
d) EDITING & PROOFREADING: refers to all of the final
changes made in the revised
writing.
DAY 5
e) PUBLISHING: Sharing your story with friends or classmates is one
form of publishing; so is sending it to the school or city newspaper.
f)
ASSESSMENTS:
Foundation for your home graphic organizer
Peer Editing Sheets
Rough Draft Present
Grade Research Paper using Research Rubric
LESSON #: 3
TITLE: “Not a Drone” Drama
CONTENT STANDARD (MGLCE):
W.GN.07.01
Write a cohesive narrative piece such as a memoir, drama, legend, mystery, poetry,
or myth that includes appropriate conventions to the genre employing literary and
plot devices (e.g., internal and/or external conflicts, antagonists/protagonists,
personification).
S.CN.07.02
Speak effectively using slang, dialect, and colloquial language suitably to create
interest and drama in narrative and informational presentations.
S.CN.07.03
Present in standard American English if it is their first language. (Students whose
first language is not English will present in their developing version of standard
American English.)
General Outcome: Students will realize, the honey bee has many roles. Students
will understand the conventions needed to create a well written drama.
General Overview: Students will write a drama about the life of a worker
honeybee.
PRIMARY LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT: see MGLCE
FUSION/ bee concept: students will learn the life of a worker honeybee
Approximate TIME: 3 days to collect data and work on dramas in class.
1 day for team presentations.
MATERIALS: index cards, video, Rite of Passage roles (appendix).
PROCEDURES:
1) Students are given a rubric and instructions on the assignment.
Overview of instructions: Students will be watching a video on
the life of a honeybee and reading some materials. They should take
individual notes in their scientific bee journals They will be working in
teams to come up with a drama that will be written on note cards.
Make sure the students know not everyone’s drama is going to be the
same. There are choices groups are going to be able to make as to
some of the roles the honeybee decides to take on.
2) Activity will first be modeled of a bee’s life. See appendix for Rite of
Passage. Cut segments apart and hand out. Card stating “beginning”,
begins. All other cards need to pay attention as to who should go next.
3) Students are asked to take notes in their scientific bee journal from the
video: entitled: Life Cycles of Insects - Metamorphosis
//video.google.com/videoplay?docid+5867193301785656504
4) Students are given a copy from Dewey M. Caron’s book, “Honey Bee
biology and beekeeping”. The information provided explains the worker
honeybee life. Students should dissect the reading.
5) Index cards are provided to the students. Each dramatized sequence of
the honeybee life should be written on each individual card.
6)
After parts are decided students should write each role on a separate
index card.
7) Students perform drama
Assessment:
Students index cards
Rubric for creating “Not a Drone” Drama
Bee Journal Notes
LESSON #: 4
TITLE: BEEyond the BROCHURE… THE REAL WORLD!!!!
CONTENT STANDARD (MGLCE):
R.IT.07.01
analyze the structure, elements, features, style, and purpose of informational
genre including persuasive essay, research report, brochure, personal
correspondence, autobiography and biography.
R.IT.07.03
explain how authors use writer’s craft and text features including metaphors,
similes, captions, diagrams, and appendices to enhance the understanding of
central, key, and supporting ideas.
GENERAL OUTCOME (results): Students will understand the basics in creating a
brochure that will clearly provide information and attract a reader. Students will
also learn more about the behavior of bees.
General Overview: Students will construct a brochure for a nature center for the
purposes of:
a) advertising hands-on bee classes
b) sell the idea of bees being safe and an important part of our society.
PRIMARY LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT: Students will be practicing
informational text through the genre of a brochure.
FUSION/ bee concept: Synthesizing information that has already been learned
about bees.
MATERIALS: Approx. 12 brochures from varies venues, large pieces of poster
paper, copies of step #4 (in the procedure section) for each student.
PROCEDURES:
Day #1
1) Pass out a few examples of brochures to groups of students
a) make especially sure students have received at least one brochure in
regards to the nature center in which we will be advertising our
adopted class beehive.
2) Give students time to look through the brochures
3) Have students choose 1 brochure they will be sharing with the class and
creating a chart for.
(STEP 4 could actually be copied and given to students as a reference)
(see next page)
4) The following should be included on each group chart:
At the top of a large piece of paper, the following:
(If there are more supporting ideas students should add more diamonds)
Central Ideas
And Supporting
IDEAS
Central/Key
Ideas
Supporting
Ideas
Supporting
Ideas
Supporting
Ideas
Writers CRAFT
At the bottom of the poster paper students should make a chart and look for
the following:
Similies
Metaphors
Captions
Diagrams
Appendices
To enhance undestranding
***The concepts asked for in these charts were taken directly from the
Michigan GLCE expectations
If the students don’t recall the concepts spend some time reviewing and
refreshing.
Day 2
5) Students need to work together in filling in a chart for creating their own
brochure focusing on our “Adopt-a-Hive” beehive. (Make a second copy of
#4 procedures to help students along.
6) After the chart has been filled in and approved, students should use the
rubric provided (see next page), to create a persuasive bee brochure.
Assessments:
Central Key/Supporting Details chart (Day 1)
Writers Craft chart (Day 1)
Central Key/Supporting Details chart (Day 2)
Writers Craft chart (Day 2)
**Student Choice:
Culminating Assessment: Grade Bee Brochure using Rubric or Power Point
Presentation, scoring by rubric
LESSON #: 5
TITLE: Experts in the HOUSE
CONTENT STANDARD (MGLCE):
L.CN.07.02
Listen to or view critically while demonstrating appropriate social skills of audience
behaviors (e.g., eye contact, attentive, supportive); critically examine the verbal
and non-verbal strategies during speeches and presentations.
L.RP.07.04
Ask probing questions of speakers, focusing on claims and conclusions presented.
RIT.07.01
Analyze the structure, elements, features, style, and purpose of informational
genre including persuasive essay, research report, brochure, personal
correspondence, autobiography and biography.
GENERAL OUTCOMES (results): Students will have viewed the verbal and nonverbal strategies used by presenters. Students will have practiced organizing
compare/contrast data, had the opportunity to formulate probing questions and
learned more inquired information about the honeybee.
General Overview: Students will meet Mark (the nature center contact) and
Roger Southerland (Southwestern Michigan Beekeeper Associations past
president). These two entities will provide information on flies and honeybees.
Students should ask questions and take notes. Information from the speakers will
be used to create first entries into compare/contrast insect booklets.
PRIMARY LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT: see above MGLCE
FUSION/ bee concept: The appropriate placement of beehives,
comparing/contrasting bees to other insects.
TIME: 2 class periods
MATERIALS: Bee journals, fly/bee comparison sheet (appendix)
PROCEDURES:
1) A week or so before the speakers come in, have students brainstorm any
questions they may have.
2) These questions will be emailed to the speaker ahead of time so they are
prepared with answer to the students questions and can more easily
incorporated it into their main focus of discussion.
3) Students should take notes while the presenter is speaking.
4) Students will be given time after the speaker has left to reflect on what
they had learned.
Assessment:
Observations in class
Fly/Bee Graphic Organizer (in appendix)
At a later date: Compare/Contrast Insect Booklet
LESSON #: 6
TITLE: Senses to create poety
CONTENT STANDARD (MGLCE):
W.GN.07.01
In the context of writing, correctly use style conventions (e.g., Modern Language
Association Handbook) and a variety of grammatical structures including participial
phrases; adverbial subordinate clauses; superlative adjectives and adverbs;
present, past, future, continuous verb tenses; parentheses; singular and plural
possessive forms; and indefinite pronoun referents.
R.NT.07.02
Analyze the structure, elements, style, and purpose of narrative genre including
mystery, poetry, memoir, drama, myths, and legends.
GENERAL OVERVIEW (results): Students will have a deeper understanding of
their environment and the structure of the bee, while also having learned how to
write a variety of poems.
Environment will be defined as:
“The air, water, minerals, organisms, and all other external factors surrounding
things, conditions, or influences, surroundings, milieu” (Random House Webster’s
College Dictionary)
PRIMARY LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT:
FUSION/ bee concept: Students will see and learn some of the basic parts of a
bee with the use of a microscope.
TIME: 1 day in class to go over rubric and examples.
1 day to work
1 day to present
total: 3 days (give a few days at home to work on)
MATERIALS: Poetry rubric (found in appendix)
PROCEDURES:
1) Rubric and project will be assigned to students
2) Students will watch a short video on the basic structures of a
bee
3) Students will each have an opportunity to see a bee through a
microscope
4) Students are given models of each of the different types of poems
5) Students are given time in class to create their poems and illustrations.
6) Students each choose their favorite poem to share with the class
Assessment: Rubric for assessing packet of poetry and illustration
LESSON #: 7
TITLE: The New Bee Goddess in Mythology
CONTENT STANDARD (MGLCE):
W.GN.07.01
In the context of writing, correctly use style conventions (e.g., Modern Language
Association Handbook) and a variety of grammatical structures including participial
phrases; adverbial subordinate clauses; superlative adjectives and adverbs;
present, past, future, continuous verb tenses; parentheses; singular and plural
possessive forms; and indefinite pronoun referents.
R.NT.07.02
Analyze the structure, elements, style, and purpose of narrative genre including
mystery, poetry, memoir, drama, myths, and legends.
GENERAL OVERVIEW (Results): Students will practice letter writing skills and
analyze the genre of mythology while gaining more knowledge about the queen
honeybee and worker bees.
PRIMARY LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT: See (MGLCE) above
FUSION/ bee concept: Distinguishing between some of the myths and facts
associated with bees.
TIME: 3 class periods
MATERIALS: bee journals, video on queen honey bees and worker bees,
colored pencils, rubric on Creating Mythology BEE God
PROCEDURES:
1)
As a class, students will read different mythologies and take notes on the
mythological characters.
2) Students are told their favorite mythological character has just retired.
Zeus, the father of the gods, is now accepting applications for a replacement.
Ask your students to write letters of application and a brief resume or
biographical sketch.
3) Students watch video on the Queen Honey Bee and her worker bees.
4) Rubric for assignment is explained.
5) Student is given time in class to begin writing their letters of application, and
resume and biographical sketch.
Appendix
Bee Journal - BEE Article - RUBRIC
Siting Sources:
5 points
site the source correctly
3 points
site the source correctly
Vocabulary:
3 points (for each word)
defined and highlighted in
the text
1 points (for each word)
defined, NOT highlighted
Comprehension Questions:
Answering comprehension Questions correctly and in complete sentences
COMPLETE SENTENCES WORTH 1 POINT OF EACH TOTAL
Literal Plane Questions……….2 points each
Summary Plane Questions:…...3 points each
Critical Plane Questions………3 points
Synthesis Plane Questions…… 3 points
Universal Plane Questions…….3 points
Creating Total Points: ___
Created by: Lisa Wild
*** teacher note ***
space left to create comprehension questions/ to be copied on the back of the article
Source: Live Science. 18 Aug. 2007
http://www.livescience.com
Birds and Bees Can't Keep Up
By Robert Roy Britt, LiveScience Managing Editor
posted: 17 January 2006 12:12 am ET
Plants in some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth don't have enough birds and bees to
allow them to fruit to their full potential, a new study finds.
It is not clear, however, whether the less-than-perfect pollination is new or if it's the sort of
challenge some plants have always faced.
Researchers analyzed 482 field studies that investigated 241 wild flowering plant species since
1981 on all continents except Antarctica. Many aren't getting enough pollen to reproduce. The
problem is most noticeable in regions with the highest diversity, hotspots characterized by
stronger competition among plants for pollinators, the study indicates.
"The global pattern we observed suggests that plant species in species-rich regions exhibit a
greater reduction in fruit production due to insufficient pollination than plant species in regions
of lower biodiversity," said Susan Mazer, a professor of biology at the University of California,
Santa Barbara.
"Many plants rely on insects and other pollen vectors to reproduce," said Jana Vamosi, a postdoctoral research associate in the University of Calgary's Department of Biological Sciences and
lead author of a paper on the work. "We've found that in areas where there is a lot of competition
between individuals and between species, many plants aren't getting enough pollen to
successfully reproduce. If plants can't survive, neither can animals."
It is not clear, however, whether this is a new problem related just to short-term decline in birds,
bees and other pollinators, or if it is a chronic one that's been ongoing for millions of years.
"We don't know how long this pattern has existed because the kind of field experiment needed to
detect the problem of low pollen transfer has been conducted by ecologists only for the last 2530 years or so," Mazer told LiveScience.
"The pattern raises the alarm, however, that species in species-rich regions face two challenges
that increase the risk of extinction: habitat destruction, which is occurring at alarming rates in the
tropics, and reduced pollinator activity," Mazer said.
The results are detailed in the Jan. 17 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences.
VOCABULARY:
Diversity, species, exhibit, biodiversity, vectors
Source: Live Science. 18 Aug. 2007
http://www.livescience.com
Bee Shortage Could Lead to 'Agriculture Crisis'
By Steve Hartsoe, Associated Press
posted: 28 January 2005 06:00 am ET
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- North Carolina is trying to boost the buzz surrounding the state's crops.
As farmers leave tobacco and move into new crops like cucumbers, melons, and berries, the state
is confronting a crisis: it simply doesn't have enough honeybees to pollinate all those flowering
plants.
"I feel that if we don't do something now about (this) we may be heading toward an agriculture
crisis in the state,'' said David Tarpy, the state's cooperative extension apiculturist and assistant
professor at North Carolina State University.
In the late 1980s, the state had some 180,000 managed bee colonies, each of which contained at
least 30,000 bees. Now, there are about 100,000 such colonies, and the state's beekeepers last
year had to turn down requests for some 10,000 new colonies.
The bees are needed because without their flower-to-flower flights, farmers can't get the
maximum yield from crops like cucumbers, apples, blueberries and melons, which now account
for $100 million every year, according to state agriculture officials.
As bees visit flowers to collect nectar and pollen, they transfer pollen grains from one flower to
another, fertilizing them and boosting seed and fruit production.
Wilson County farmer Bill Harrell is gradually moving out of tobacco, which doesn't need
pollination to produce, and into cucumbers, melons and other crops.
At one time, the farm that his grandfather bought during the Depression had roughly 85 acres of
leaf under cultivation. Last year, Harrell grew just 38 acres of tobacco. And this year, he's
planting 100 acres of cucumbers and some 60 acres of melons.
Six years ago, he said, he could find plenty of bees to pollinate his flowering crops. These days,
though, there's a bee shortage.
"Now there just ain't enough to go around,'' Harrell said. "(Without) the bees to help us pollinate
you're up against the wall.''
Twenty years ago the state had a healthy population of wild bees, but they have been ravaged by
mites. Farmers now rely on a dozen or so commercial beekeepers to pollinate their crops.
But most of those beekeepers are at least 60 years old and, like Chapel Hill's Jack Tapp, got into
the business as a second career.
Tapp, a retired sheriff's detective and Army veteran, has run Busy Bee Apiaries since 1998. That
was 12 years after he started keeping bees for a hobby.
Tapp warns that startup costs are high and the payoff delayed in the bee business.
"You'll spend $200,000 with no forecast of making any profit for the next two or three years, so
you're not going to get many people jumping into it,'' he said.
North Carolina State University hopes that a cost-share program it is starting will lure more
people into the hobby, laying the groundwork for an eventual increase in commercial
beekeeping.
The school is providing 250 qualified applicants with two hives of Russian honey bees and bee
hives. Participants will have to invest $50 to $150 for beekeeper protective clothing, smokers,
and additional hive equipment. The program will help put the newcomer in touch with nearby
mentors.
The one-year program is being funded with a $164,000 grant from the Golden LEAF
Foundation, which administers money received by North Carolina from its settlement with
cigarette manufacturers.
Tarpy said applicants from traditional tobacco-growing areas will get priority for funding.
The application deadline isn't until Feb. 11, but Tarpy says he's already received about 600
applications. And organizers of annual introductory classes on beekeeping are reporting that their
enrollment has doubled and tripled since the N.C. State program was announced.
Tapp believes the money being spent to boost the hobby would be better spent funding
newcomers who want to pursue commercial beekeeping from the start.
As currently structured, Tapp said, the program "will support more interest in beekeeping,
getting bees out there for gardens and stuff. As for farmers switching to produce crops from the
tobacco industry, it's not going to help them.''
Tarpy said Golden LEAF did not feel underwriting commercial operations fit its mission.
Instead, the organization hopes to bring new people into the hobby and that they decide to master
other aspects of bee cultivation, including breeding and production of honey, pollen and
beeswax. All together, those activites generate $10 million annually for the state's economy.
And it's possible that some hobbyists could decide to take the plunge and join the bee business
full time.
"We hope that of these 250 new beekeepers, some will take it seriously and expand to the point
where they may start doing it commercially,'' Tarpy said.
VOCABULARY
nectar, pollen, cultivation, smoker, administers
Comprehension Questions:
Birds and Bees Can’t Keep Up
Literal Plane:
1) Who are the two scientists quoted in the article?
2) What Universities are these scientists involved with?
Universal Plane:
3) How could scientists test, do plant species in a rich-species region
receive less pollination than species in a region of lower diversity?
4) How do you respond to the suggestions of this article?
--------------------------------------Comprehension Questions:
Bee Shortage Could Lead to ‘Agriculture Crisis
Literal Plane:
1) What new crops are North Carolina farmers producing?
2) How many fewer beehives does North Carolina have compared
to the 1980’s?
Critical Plane:
3) What has a happened to all the wild bees in North Carolina?
(three reasons needed)
Universal Plane:
4) Why are bees important to North Carolina?
5) What’s your respond to the article?
SQ3R (Survey, Question, Read, Recite, Review)
1. Survey what you are about to read

Think about the title: What do I know about this subject? What do I want to know?

Glance over headings and/or skim the first sentences of paragraphs.

Look at illustrations and graphic aids.

Read the first paragraph.

Read the last paragraph or summary
2. Questions.

Turn the title into a question. This becomes the major purpose for your reading.

Write down any questions that come to mind during the survey.

Turn headings into questions

Turn subheadings, illustrations, and graphic aids into questions.

Write down unfamiliar vocabulary and determine the meaning.
3. Read actively.

Read to search for answers to questions.

Respond to questions and use context clues for unfamiliar words.

React to unclear passages, confusing terms, and questionable statements by generating
additional questions.
4. Recite.

Look away from the answers and the book to recall what was read.

Recite answers to questions aloud or in writing.

Reread text for unanswered questions.
5. Review

Answer the major purpose questions.

Look over answers and all parts of the chapter to organize information.
Summarize the information learned by creating a graphic organizer that depicts the main
ideas, by drawing a flow chart, by writing a summary, by participating in a group discussion,
or by writing an explanation of how this material has changed your perceptions or applies to
your life.
Source: Billmeyer, Rachel, Mary Lee Barton. Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not
Me, Then Who? 2nd ed. Colorado: McREL, 1998.

Question Stems Related to the Profundity Scale
(expository text)
Literal Plane




What…..?
Where…..?
When……?
Who…..?
Summary Plane




What was the most important thing you learned?
Who was most important in accomplishing the goals?
When did the tide turn for…..?
Where was the pivotal…..?
Critical Plane

Which attributes can be identified as most…..?

What are the critical attributes of…..?
Synthesis Plane



Another use for…..?
How would you personally respond to the statements…..?
If you could change one thing what would it be and why?
Universal Plane



What is the abstract truth that can be derived from this text?
What did you learn that you can generalize to other text or your life?
What is the big idea that you can use to help yourself?
STEPS in the WRITING PROCESS
PREWRITING: refers to selecting a subject, collecting details, and any
other planning that goes on during a writing project
WRITING THE FIRST DRAFT: refers to the actual writing, when a
writer gets all of his ideas on paper. (Writers often write more than one
draft)
REVISING: refers to the changes a writer makes to improve his/her
writing.
EDITING & PROOFREADING: refers to all of the final changes made in
the revised writing.
PUBLISHING: Sharing your story with friends or classmates is one form
of publishing; so is sending it to the school or city newspaper.
Mind Map
Thinking Skills:
Brainstorming
Attention Getter:
Foundation for your home
Created by: Lisa Wild
Do not move on to
next stage of the
writing process
until this is O.K.ed
General Info.
Thesis Statement:
Restate Thesis Statement
Foundation for Your Home
Lisa Wild
Attention Getting Sentence:
Purpose is to get people to
want to read your
document
NOT a boring sentence
Thesis Statement:
Tells what the whole
paper is going to be
about.
Ex. Through out this paper you will
learn the history of computers, how
computers work and the price ranges of
computers.
TOPIC SENTENCES: First sentence of each paragraph, after
the introduction paragraph. Tells what the paragraph is about.
Ex. Computers have a long history.
Worker Honey Bees
First and for most, a baby honeybee doesn’t exist. Bees emerge from their brood cell and
begin their lives as young bees. The short days ahead, the young bees don’t go far from where
they emerged. They clean up the direct area around their brood cell and will eventually move
further and further away. She cleans beeswax cells and helps in any other way she can. During
these first few days, young bees must beg for food and slowly learn to find her way about.
As the worker bee ages they are required to do more complex tasks. Around the 6 th day of a
bee’s life, her hypopharyngeal glands (which produce royal jelly) are fully matured. This means this
bee would be ready to function as a nurse. The nurse bees feed older larvae a mixture of pollen
and nectar.
After nursing, Nectar ripening is usually performed by a worker bee. To take part in nectar
ripening, the worker bee makes her way towards the entrance of the hive. Here, a field bee gives
a nectar-stomach liquid mixture to the bee working in the hive.
This mixture is carried away from the brood area, where evaporation and active mixing occurs.
Mixing consists of the constant regurgitating of the nectar/stomach enzyme mixture. This
mixture, along with the bee blowing a series of bubbles to cause evaporation is what is actually
creating the honey.
The honey is put into cells and capped with wax by more mature bees. Other bees at this
same age may help to store pollen. The field bees collect the pollen by placing it, in their pollen
baskets, located on their hind leg region. When the field bees return with the pollen they place it
on open cells around the brood chamber area. Working hive bees can now pack the pollen into the
cells and place a glaze of honey over it to help preserve the pollen.
When worker bees are around 12 days of age they develop their ability to produce wax. This
wax secretion is produced under the abdomen and allows the bee to move onto capping brood cells.
Honeybees actually use their back legs to pass the wax to their mouthparts for manipulation of the
wax. They use this wax to freshly cap the honey. Brood cells are however, capped with recycled
wax from brood cells where bees have already emerged. This recycled wax is mixed with a
mixture of the new wax. This is why a capped honeycomb has a lighter, white color compared to
the darker stained covering over the brood cells.
By 18 days adult worker bees begin to orientate themselves with the area outside and around
the hive. As the bee has more successful flights, the bee will use these familiar landmarks to
remember where home is. This along with the bee’s ability to use the direction of the sun helps
them navigate.
Occasionally, a worker bee will drift into another hive. This can be dangerous due to the fact
that some bees take on the role of guard bee. This happens usually between the ages of 18 – 21
days. These guard bees smells each individual that enters the colony. If the individual entering
doesn’t have the same smell as the rest of the colony, they will be killed. However, some bees do
make it, in and out safely.
By 21 days of age, bees have graduated from the hive and are ready to begin foraging. Bees
look for three main materials when foraging, pollen, nectar, water and propolis. Foraging can be
dangerous. Bees can run into the problem of rain, getting lost, being eaten by a predator. Most
field bees only live from 10 – 21 days and then die of old age. Most worker bees die while
foraging. For those bees that do die in the hive, the undertaker bee will fly off with the dead
bodies. Bee colonies don’t want dead bees in their hive or even around their hive.
Adapted from: Dewey, Caron M. Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping. Connecticut: Wicwas Press,
1999.
Biography
Beal, Jeff, Elaine Weber. Narrative and Expository Profundity Scales: The Rhyme and Reason of
Comprehension. Higgins Lake: Macomb Literacy Center, 2001.
Billmeyer, Rachel, Mary Lee Barton. Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If
Source: (Strange & Grainke)
The Rites of Passage
Scripts
#1 Hello, Can anyone hear me? Hello! I need food! It’s so dark in
here. Jeez’ I guess I won’t go far from my cone. It seems everyone’s
cleaning. I’ll stick around here and clean. But please! Someone feed
me. I’m hungry. Oh honey! This is delicious.
#2 Yumm! Oh my gosh! It can’t be! Let me take another taste! I’m so
excited, I’ve graduated to nurse status. My nurse use to tell me about
this when she fed me in my cone. I’ve finally formed my
hypopharyngeal gland which means I can secrete “bee milk”, known to
humans as “Royal Jelly” to help take care of the brood.
#3 Being a nurse has taught me LOTS, but it was time for me to move
on to make room for the younger bees. I’m 7 days. The older bees
have told me I have 2 options here. I can either help the field bees with
nectar ripening or help store pollen. Storing pollen seems pretty easy to
understand so I’ll go for something more adventurous.
#4 Here I go with this Nectar Ripening Role: It’s pretty exciting! I get
to meet up with the bees that get to go out of the hive. They are called
field bees. We all want to graduate to that level (one day). Well, my
first taste of Nectar right from outside the hive. It’s now my job to turn
this stuff into HONEY! I do this by mixing it like a blender with the
enzymes in my system. We bees do our mixing the old fashion way. We
throw up the enzyme and nectar mixture and eat it back up, doing this
for about 20 minutes. YUMMY! I know you humans enjoy this
mixture also.
#5 It’s my 12th birthday – which means time to do real women work.
It’s time to put my muscles into building our home (hive) and capping
our winter reserves.
#6 Where does time go! I’m 18 days! It’s fliers training time. I guess
you humans would compare this to drivers training. I have to stick
close to home to figure out where I’m at and where everything else is.
#7 If I decide I’m not too interested in this air carrier position I’ve been
training for, I could always opt to becoming an entry guard?
#8 It’s official! I made it through orientation/fliers training and I have
my gleaming moment in gathering pollen, nectar, and water for my
community. It took me the average 3 days to graduate so I’m now at
the perfect age of 21.
#9 It’s been 20 days and it’s been fun. I’ve really started to realize I’ve
had a full life. I especially enjoyed the tulip popular when that huge
hairy thing with four legs wasn’t around. My wings are really tattered.
Well, let’s see if I make this trip home.
Adopt-a-Hive
Bibliography

Beal, Jeff, Elaine Weber. Narrative and Expository Profundity Scales: The Rhyme and Reason
of Comprehension. Higgins Lake: Macomb Literacy Center, 2001.

Billmeyer, Rachel, Mary Lee Barton. Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not Me, Then
Who? 2nd ed. Colorado: McREL, 1998.

Dewey, Caron M. Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping. Connecticut: Wicwas Press, 1999.

Discovery Education. 2007. Discovery Communications Inc. August 19 2007
<www.unitedstreaming.com>

Strange, Johanna, Tom Grainka. Integrating Science and Literacy. Atlanta: Delta Education,
2004.


Life Cycles of Insects – Metamorphosis. 12 Nov. 2007
<http://www.hilaroad.com>

LiveScience. 2004 – 2007. Imaginova Corp. Aug 18 2007.
<http://www.livescience.com>

MythWeb. 10, June 2006. Fleet Gazelle. Aug 18 2007.
<http://www.mythweb.com/index.html>

Pine, Jerry (work on science notebooks)
Caltech Precollege Science Initiative (CAPSI) California Institute of Technology
1201 E. California St., Mail Stop I-98 Pasadena, CA 91125

ReadingQuest.org. 9 Dec 2006. Raymond C. Jones. Aug 18 2007.
<readingquest.org>