In this four-week unit, young students are introduced to the concept of biodiversity and how honeybees play an essential role globally in maintaining and preserving it. To introduce this complex topic to Kindergarteners, the unit begins with a read-aloud, Please Please the Bees by Gerald Kelley. Discussions center on challenges bees encounter, including their recent problems with varroa mites. Students understand the structure of the bee’s body, create honeycomb models, learn bee dances, and design and construct bee boxes, along with joining in to help save the bees by planting nectar-producing plants.

(Developed for Science, grade K; recommended for Science, grades K-2)