Biodiversity – Bee Week 

A curriculum and activity guide for Bee Awareness 

Middle School Curriculum 

Encyclopedia of Life / BioLib.cz / © Ivo Antusek 

Mary Klass, Geological Society of America, Geocorps 

America Program; Retired Poudre School District, Fort 

Collins, CO, Science Teacher 

Sally Plumb, National Park Service, Natural Resources Stewardship 

and Science 

May 1, 2015 
Biodiversity—Bee Week 

Middle School Curriculum 

I. Introduction 

II. Curriculum Outline 

A. Day 1 Topic: External Observation of a Honey Bee 

Focus Question: What adaptations do bees have to be effective 

pollinators and to survive? 

Warm-Up: Students will watch short video “Flight of the Bumble (Honey) 

Bee” to introduce different bee adaptations. As the video is being shown, 

the instructor will point out different structures that students are going to 

see in their external observation lab of the honey bee. 

Lesson: 

External Observation of a Honey Bee: Students will follow 

detailed directions on a lab sheet to complete an external 

observation of a honey bee, observing the different adaptations that 

help the bees be effective pollinators and survive. 

Post Lesson Assessment: Think – Pair – Share: The instructor will 

pose question to whole class: “What is the most important adaptation that 

a bee has to be an effective pollinator and to survive? Students will “Think

– Pair – Share” their ideas. 

B. Day 2 Topic: Flower Dissection / Insect Pollination 

Focus Question: What adaptations do flowers have to ensure their 

pollination and survival? 

Warm-Up: Flowers for the lab should be displayed in a central area 

where students can look at them. The instructor will write this statement 

on board for students to answer: Give five examples of how the flowers 

are different and five examples of how the flowers are alike. 
Lesson: 

Flower Dissection: Through the dissection of a flower, students 

will explore the different parts of a flower and learn the functions of 

these parts that ensure the flower’s survival. Different types of

flowers need different types of pollinators. 

Post Lesson Assessment: Recall Card On a 3x5 notecard, the 

students will write down three things that they learned about the structures 

of a flower. This notecard will be the student’s ticket out the door.

C. Day 3 Topic: The Importance of Pollinators 

Focus Question: What is a pollinator? 

Warm-Up: Why do we care about entomophily? Lead a classroom 

discussion to help students break down the word into its word parts to 

discover its meaning and to answer the question. 

Lesson: 

Powerpoint—The Importance of Pollinators— Teaching portion 

of the lesson that focuses on pollinators, especially bees, and their 

importance to the pollination of food crops and wild plants. 

Activity—Field of Plants— How long does it take for humans to 

pollinate a field? In this activity, students simulate how long it takes 

to pollinate plants and how the world would be different without 

pollinators. 

Post Lesson Assessment: Tweet About the Importance of Bees –As 

their ticket out the door, students will “tweet” about the importance of

bees, using 140 characters or less. 

D. Day 4 Topic: Engineering A Bee 

Focus Question: If you were an engineer, how would you create a “bee” 

to help pollinate plants? 

Warm-Up: Robert Wood is an electrical engineer participating in National 

Geographic’s Emerging Explorers program. This short video clip (3:01) 

shows the potential of how robotics can impact our lives in the future. 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/bios/robert-wood/ 

Lesson: 

Engineering a Bee: Students will “engineer” a bee, using different 

building materials— pipe cleaners, toothpicks, etc., and reflect back 

on the adaptations bees need to be effective pollinators. 
Post Lesson Assessment: 3-2-1 Ticket: In pairs, students will 

brainstorm three things their “engineered bees” need to be effective 

pollinators; two problems with releasing engineered bees into nature; and 

one way to solve a problem that may result from releasing engineered 

bees into nature. 

E. Day 5 Topic: Pollinators in our World 

Focus Question: What can you do to help pollinators? 

Warm-Up: The instructor will show examples of different structures that 

students can build to provide habitat for different types of pollinators. The 

instructor will ask the students to discuss the purpose of the different 

structures and guess which pollinator is served by each structure. The 

instructor will also ask students to consider how the structure is designed 

to help that particular pollinator survive. 

Lesson: 

Build a “Bee Helper”: Students will learn about how they can help 

pollinators and be given the option of building a “bee house” and/or 

planting seeds of flowers that can provide habitat for bees in their 

backyard. 

Post Lesson Assessment: Postcard to Parents Students will design a 

postcard to send to their parents asking them to help pollinators using any 

of the ideas from their handout. 
Introduction 

In the mid to late 2000’s, beekeepers noticed a problem with their bees. Bees were 

leaving the hives during the day and not returning. Their hives were not thriving. 

Thousands of bees were dying, threatening the livelihood of many beekeepers and the 

pollination of thousands of plants, including crops upon which we rely for food. 

Scientists investigated the die-off of the bees, calling the problem “Colony Collapse 

Disorder” (CCD). Unsure of the cause(s), scientists collected data on the numbers of 

bees being lost each year. The numbers were staggering: 2006-07—32 percent 

decline in bee numbers, 2007-08—36 percent decline in bee numbers, and 2008-09—

29 percent decline in bee numbers. There has been an overall decline or leveling off in 

the percent of bee losses through the years, with the losses at 23.2 percent for winter 

2013-14. Beekeepers consider 18.9 percent as a level that is acceptable for bee loss 

each year in order to sustain their populations (Kaplan, 2014). 

We are dependent upon bees for our own survival. Members of the Apidae family 

(honeybees, bumblebees, carpenter bees, etc...) are the “pollinators of the agricultural 

world.” Bees are vital to the health of our food supply and also wild plant pollination. 

Their bodies are covered with hair which allows them to pick up pollen and transfer it 

from plant to plant to promote pollination. Bees are responsible for pollinating one third 

of the food that we consume on a daily basis; their loss would mean that our food 

supply would be dramatically reduced. Also, pollinators are very important for 

maintaining and creating our wild plant populations, basic habitat for wildlife, and to 

support crops that feed grazing animals, such as cows (Michigan, 2014; Tucker, 2014). 

Currently, bee decline appears to have leveled off, but the causes still remain unknown. 

There are many theories about the reasons for the decline in bee populations. Ideas 

include global warming, causing flowers to bloom at different times; loss of habitat and 

diversity in pollen sources due to development; pesticide use on farms; parasites, such 

as mites; or perhaps a combination of these factors (Sass, 2011). 

This one-week module is designed to expose middle-school students to the issue of 

Colony Collapse Disorder and to give them background knowledge to help understand 

this problem. Knowledge is the first step towards understanding and becoming an 

agent of change to help solve this problem. 

For other education resources, webcasts, and webinars, “Pollinator LIVE: a distance 

learning adventure” is a great website, and is sponsored by federal and private partners 

http://pollinatorlive.pwnet.org/index.php. 
Introduction Resources 

Kaplan, Kim. "Survey Reports Fewer Winter Honey Bee Losses." ARS : Agricultural 

Research Service. US Department of Agriculture, 15 May 2014. Web. 13 Feb. 

2015. <http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2014/140515.htm>. 

"Michigan State University Native Plants and Ecosystem Services." Pollination. 

Michigan State University, 28 May 2014. Web. 02 May 2015. 

<http://nativeplants.msu.edu/about/pollination>. 

"Pollinator Live." Pollinator Live. USDA Forest Service, n.d. Web. 02 May 2015. 

<http://pollinatorlive.pwnet.org/index.php>. 

Sass, Jennifer. Bee Facts. Washington, DC: Library of Congress, National Library 

Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1982. National Resources 

Defense Council. National Resources Defense Council, Mar. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 

2015. <http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/animals/files/bees.pdf>. 

Tucker, Jessica. "Why Bees Are Important to Our Planet." One Green Planet. One 

Green Planet, 17 June 2014. Web. 09 Jan. 2015. 

<http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/why-bees-are-important-toour-planet/#>. 
Bee Week – Day 1 

Day 1 Topic: External Observation of a Honeybee 

Focus Question: What adaptations do bees have to help them survive and 

function as pollinators? 

Summary: Students will conduct an external observation lab using dried honey bees to 

look at the different structural components that allow honey bees to be effective pollinators 

and survivors. 

Duration: 1 – 45 minute class period 

Vocabulary: structural adaptation, honey bee brood, forewings, hindwings, pollinator 

Objectives—Students will: 

 observe and dissect the external structural adaptations of honey bees 

 compare the form of the structural adaptations of honey bees to their functions 

 explain how the adaptations allow honey bees to be effective pollinators and 

survivors 

Next Generation Science Standards: 

LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems—Organisms, and populations of 

organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things 

and with nonliving factors (MS-LS2-1) 

LS4.C: Adaptation—Adaptation by natural selection acting over generations is one 

important process by which species change over time in response to changes in 

environmental conditions. Traits that support successful survival and reproduction in the 

new environment become more common; those that do not become less common. Thus, 

the distribution of traits in a population changes. (MS-LS4-6) 

Warm-Up: Students will watch short video, “Flight of the Bumble (Honey) Bee,” to

introduce different bee adaptations. As the video is being shown, the instructor will 

point out different structures that students are going to see in their external observation 

lab of the honey bee. 

Lesson: 

External Observation of a Honey Bee: Students will follow 

detailed directions on lab sheet to complete an external observation 

of a honey bee observing the different adaptations that help the bees 

be effective pollinators and survivors. 
 

 

 

Post Lesson Assessment: Think – Pair – Share The instructor will pose question to 

whole class: “What is the most important adaptation that a honeybee has to survive 

and function as pollinators? Students will “Think – Pair – Share” their ideas. 

Day 1 Lesson Plans 

Warm-Up: Show the video “Flight of the Bumble (Honey) Bee which shows pictures of 

honey bees set to Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Flight of the Bumblebee” (Length: 1:06). Video is 

one of a series by Backyard Beekeeping. 

As the video is being shown, the instructor will point out different structures that 

students will observe in their external observation lab of the honey bee 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYAJopwEYv8 

Lesson: External Bee Observation Lab Sources for dried honey bees: 

Students will become familiar with the external Carolina Biological Supply Company: structural adaptations of the honey bee that help the 

insect to be an efficient pollinator and survivor. Bees http://www.carolina.com/stcneed nectar and pollen for their survival and the science-elementary-replacementsurvival of their broods. Nectar is gathered by honey parts/honeybee-dried 

bees and deposited in honeycomb cells in the hive to pack/971919.pr?catId=&mCat=&sCat 

be used as a food source. Nectar provides energy =&ssCat=&question=dried+bees 

(carbohydrate) and pollen provides proteins and fats 

for honey bee broods. As bees collect pollen to take Dead Insects.net: 

to their hive, they are also pollinating different plants 

with pollen that has become attached to hairs on their http://deadinsects.net/Honeybeebodies. For the lab, you will need dried honey bees, Apidae01.htm 

along with the observation lab worksheet. Before 

starting the lab, the instructor should ask if any 

students are allergic to bees and take the appropriate 

cautionary measures. 

Post Lesson Assessment: Think-Pair-Share 

Think—Teacher poses question to whole class: “What is the most important

adaptation that a honeybee has to survive and function as a pollinator?”

Pair—Students discuss their opinions related to the question with a partner from 

another lab group. 

Share—Students share their opinions with the whole class. 
Day1 Resources 

Adjare, Stephen O. "Chapter 3 Anatomy of the Honeybee." Beekeeping in Africa. Rome: 

FAO Agricultural Services, 1990. N. pag. FAO Coporate Document Repository. 

Agriculture and Consumer Protection. Web. 18 Jan. 2015. 

<http://www.fao.org/docrep/t0104e/T0104E06.htm#Chapter%203%20Anatomy% 

20of%20the%20honeybee>. 

Blackiston, Howland. "How to Identify the Basic Body Parts of Honey Bees." For 

Dummies--Making Everything Easier. John Wiley & Sons, n.d. Web. 16 Jan. 

2015. <http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-identify-the-basic-bodyparts-of-honey-bees.html >. 

Huang, Zachary. "Anatomy of the Honey Bee." eXtension Research-Based Learning 

Network. eXtension, June-July 2014. Web. 18 Jan. 2015. 

<https://www.extension.org/pages/21754/anatomy-of-the-honeybee#.VLwj9cl1ySp >. 

"What Is a Bee?" What Is a Bee? Canada Agriculture and Food Museum, 2015. Web. 

20 Feb. 2015. <http://bees.techno-science.ca/english/bees/what-is-abee/default.php>. 

"Why Do Bees Need Nectar And Pollen?" BuzzAboutBees.net. N.p., 2015. Web. 03 

May 2015. <http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/why-do-bees-need-nectar-andpollen.html>. 

Wilson, Tracy V. "Bee Anatomy - HowStuffWorks." HowStuffWorks. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 

May 2015. <http://animals.howstuffworks.com/insects/bee1.htm>. 
 

External Observation of Honey Bee Name 

Date 

Background Information: Honey bees have many interesting structural adaptations to help them 

survive and function as pollinators. Today you will get an up-close look at those structures, using 

binocular / dissecting microscopes. During your observations, refer to the drawing for identification of 

the different parts. You will be using 3-4 honey bees for your observations. Refer to several specimens 

since some bees will be missing parts due to collection and shipping. You will need to compare bees in 

order to make accurate observations. 

Materials: 

Dried honey bees (3-4 per student group) 

Binocular / dissecting scope 

Forceps and probe 

Ruler 

Petri dish 

Directions for external observation: 

1. Using your forceps to hold the bee, look at the bee under the binocular microscope. Look for 

different parts as you turn your bees around and make an initial survey of your specimens. Bees are 

covered with little hairs that pick up pollen. Pollen that is not in the pollen baskets can be dropped off 

at other flowers for fertilization. 

2. Look for the two sets of wings on your bee (forewings and hindwings). Wings are important for 

flight so the bee can fly from the hive to the flowers (their food source). Bees are unique in that their 

two sets of wings “hook” together during flight to make one larger wing. Sometimes, bees “fan” the 

hive to help cool it off. Use your ruler to measure the length of several forewings and record those 

lengths for your bees. Draw a picture of a forewing as it looks under the microscope (include the veins 

and hairs on the wing). The wings are attached to which body part (head, thorax, or abdomen)? 

Length of the 

forewings: 

Draw a picture: 

Attached to 

what part: 
 

 

 

 

 

3. Observe the abdomen of your bees. Use three words to describe the abdomen. Look for the 

spiracles (holes) along the side of the abdomen. Spiracles are how bees and other insects are able to 

exchange gases (breathe). Only female bees have stingers—you will probably not see the stinger 

because it is usually pulled into the body. 

Three words to describe 

the abdomen: 

4. Find the legs on your honeybee. Bees taste with their feet to locate nectar. Using your diagram, 

look for all the legs. How many are there and what body part are they attached to (head, thorax, or 

abdomen)? 

How many legs? 

Attached to what part? 

5. Using the drawing, find where the pollen baskets are located on the leg. They are surrounded 

by several long hairs that help pack the pollen to take back to the hive. Identify that area on the leg. 

Draw a picture of the back leg and indicate where the pollen basket is located. Is there pollen in the 

basket of your bees? 

Draw a picture of 

the back leg and 

label the pollen 

basket. 

Draw the head 

6. Examine the head of the bee and locate from the front 

the compound eyes, simple eyes, antennae, and showing the 

mouthparts. Each compound eye is made of compound eyes, 

thousands of light-sensitive cells to see colors simple eyes, 

and ultraviolet light. Bees have three simple eyes antennae, 

that can only sense light and dark. Locate the mandibles, and 

two antennae on the top of the head. They are proboscis. 

used to feel or touch or smell. Mouthparts: A 

bee has two mandibles that suspend from the 

bottom of the mouth and are used for chewing. 

They also have a proboscis which is a tube for 

drinking liquids. 
 

 

 

 

Bee Week – Day 2 

Day 2 Topic: Flower Dissection / Insect Pollination 

Focus Question: What adaptations do flowers have to ensure their 

pollination and survival? 

Summary: Students will dissect a flower to learn the different flower parts and how they are 

built to ensure pollination and survival. 

Duration: 1 – 45 minute class period 

Vocabulary: dissection, sepals, petals, pistil, stigma, style, ovary, stamen, anther, filament 

Objectives—Students will: 

 Observe and dissect the parts of flowers that help them survive 

 Compare the form of the structural adaptations of a flower to their functions 

 Explain how the adaptations allow flowers to survive 

Next Generation Science Standards: 

LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms—Plants reproduce in a variety of ways, 

sometimes depending on animal behavior and specialized features for reproduction (MSLS1-4) 

Warm-Up: Flowers for the lab should be displayed in a central area where students 

can look at them. Instructors will write this statement on board for students to answer: 

Give five examples of how the flowers are different and five examples of how the 

flowers are alike. 

Lesson: 

Flower Dissection: Through the dissection of a flower, students will explore the 

different parts of a flower and learn their functions to ensure the flower’s survival. 

Different types of flowers need different types of pollinators. 

Post Lesson Assessment: Recall Card On a 3x5 note card, students will write three 

things that they learned about the structures of a flower. This note card will be a 

student’s ticket out the door. 
Day2 Lesson Plans 

Warm-Up: 

Flowers for the lab should be displayed in a central area where students can look at 

them. The instructor will write this statement on board for students to answer: Give five 

examples of how the flowers are different and five examples of how the flowers are 

alike. 

Lesson: Flower Dissection Lab 

Students will explore the parts of a flower while dissecting a real flower. For the lab, the 

instructor will need flowers. Sometimes, flower shops will donate “older” but still usable 

flowers to schools for educational use. 

As bees are collecting pollen for their hive, their body hair also picks up pollen from the 

anther of the plant. As the bee moves to another flower, the pollen from the anther is 

deposited on the sticky top of the new flower’s stigma, where it travels down to the 

ovary to fertilize the flower’s eggs. 

Post Lesson Assessment: Recall Card 

On a 3x5 note card, the students will write down three things that they learned about the 

structures of a flower. This note card will be the student’s ticket out the door. 
Day2 Resources 

KNPC Rare Plants." KNPC Rare Plants. US Fish and Wildlife Service, 28 May 2014. 

Web. 26 Jan. 2015. http://eppcapp.ky.gov/nprareplants/glossary.aspx 

"What Is Pollination?" What Is Pollination? US Department of Agriculture, n.d. Web. 27 

Jan. 2015. 

<http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/What_is_Pollination/index.shtml>. 

Whiting, David, Michael Roll, and Larry Vickerman. "Plant Structures: Flowers." Plant 

Structures: Flowers. Colorado State University Extension, Oct. 2014. Web. 27 

Jan. 2015. <http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/gardennotes/135.html>. 
Flower Dissection Name 

Background Information: 

Flowers are the reproductive parts of many plants. It 

may surprise you to know that flowers have female 

and male parts. The female part of the plant is called 

the pistil. It includes the stigma, style, and ovary 

(which contains the eggs). The male part is called 

the stamen. It includes the anther and filament. The 

anther holds the pollen (sperm) of the plant. 

Using the flower provided by your teacher, take time 

to look for all the parts of the flower shown in the 

picture. If you are unsure of the parts, verify with 

your teacher before starting your dissection. After 

his/her approval, you may start the dissection. You 

will be color coding the flower parts with the boxes as you examine them. As you find the parts, 

carefully cut them off and set aside. OPTION: Tape either one or all parts next to the box with 

the part’s name, how many there are, and the function. Textbooks or other source of information 

(internet access) will be provided for students to look up the functions of the different flower 

parts. 

Materials: Flowers, Scissors, Magnifying Glass, Resource Materials (textbook, internet), Tape 

(optional) 

Directions for Dissection: On the back side of this sheet, fill in a box with the name, how 

many, and function of each part. Color code the box to match the flower part. 

1. Find and count the sepals at the base of your flower. Why is the sepal important to the 

development of the flower? 

2. Find and count the petals of your flower. Why are petals usually brightly colored? 

3. Find both parts of the stamen on your plant (the male part—anther and filament). Why 

is is important for the anthers to be towards the top of the flower? 

4. Find all three parts of the pistil on your plant (the female part—stigma, style, and ovary). 

Cut open the ovary. How many eggs are inside the ovary?

http://eppcapp.ky.gov/nprareplants/glossary.aspx 
Name(s) How many? 

Function 

Name(s) How many? 

Function

Name(s) How many?

Function

Name(s) How many?

Function 

Name(s) How many?

Function 

Name(s) How many? 

Function 

Name(s) How many?

Function 
Bee Week – Day 3 

Day 3 Topic: The Importance of Pollinators 

Focus Question: What is a pollinator? 

Summary: Students will learn about different pollinators and their importance to the 

survival of many other living organisms 

Duration: 1 – 45 minute class period 

Vocabulary: entomophily, pollinator 

Objectives--Students will: 

 identify different pollinators 

 explain the importance of pollinators in the environment 

 calculate the amount of time and work it takes to be a pollinator 

Next Generation Science Standards: 

LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans—Changes in biodiversity can influence humans’

resources, such as food, energy, and medicines, as well as ecosystem services that 

humans rely on (MS-LS2-5) 

LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience—Ecosystems are dynamic 

in nature; their characteristics can vary over time. Disruptions to any physical or biological 

component of an ecosystem can lead to shifts in all its populations. (MS-LS2-4) 

LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems—Organisms, and populations of 

organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things 

and with nonliving factors. (MS-LS2-1) 

Warm-Up: Why do we care about entomophily? The instructor will lead a classroom 

discussion to help students break down the word into its word parts, allowing students 

to discover its meaning and to answer the question. 

Lesson: 

Powerpoint—The Importance of Pollinators Teaching portion of the lesson 

that focuses on pollinators, especially bees, and their importance to pollination of 

food crops and wild plants. 

Activity—Field of Plants—How long does it take for humans to pollinate a field? 

In this activity, students will simulate how long it takes to pollinate plants and how 

the world would be different without pollinators. 

Post Lesson Assessment: Tweet #Importance of Bees As their ticket out the door, 

students will “tweet” about the importance of bees, using 140 characters or less. 
Day3 Lesson Plans 

Warm up: Why do we care about entomophily? 

Instructor will put this question on the board: Why do we care about entomophily? 

Instructor will lead a classroom discussion to help students break down the word into its 

word parts, allowing students to discover the word’s meaning and answer the question. 

Here is the entry from the Botany Word of the Day to help with understanding the 

meaning of entomophily: 

“Entomophily en’to-mof-il’e n. Entomophilous en’to-mof’i-lus 

(Gr. entomos: insect, philos: friend, loved) 

Pollination by insects. Including wasps, bees, ants, beetles, moths, butterflies, 

crickets and flies amongst others. An entomophilous flower has adaptions that 

encourage pollination by insects. The flowers are actinomorphic and crowded 

together. This arrangement allows insects the ability to enter the flower from any 

direction and encourages the easy spread of pollen.”

Lesson: 

1. Powerpoint—The Importance of Pollinators: This powerpoint helps 

students learn about and focus on pollinators and their importance to the 

survival of food crops and wild plants. The slide show focuses briefly on 

pollinators in general and then highlights bees. The powerpoint exposes 

students to the current problem of Colony Collapse Disorder affecting bee 

populations across the nation. 

2. Activity—Field of Plants: How long does it take humans to pollinate a 

field? Using basic math skills, this activity challenges students to calculate how 

long it would take for humans to pollinate plants (in this case, almond trees) in 

place of bees. Along with a worksheet for the students, a key is attached with 

possible answers for the activity. 

3. Follow-Up Reading to Activity: “Honey Bees Are More Effective At 

Pollinating Almonds When Other Species Of Bees Are Present”. This article 

further emphasizes that bees are more efficient at pollinating than humans. 

http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/News/Honey_Bees_Are_More_Effective_at_Pollin 

ating_Almonds_When_Other_Species_of_Bees_Are_Present/ 

Post Lesson Assessment: Tweet #Importance of Bees As their ticket out the door, 

students will “tweet” about the importance of bees using 140 characters or less.
Busy as a Bee Name 

Date 

In this activity, we are going to look at the production of just one food crop—almonds. 

California produces 82 percent of total almonds in the world. Almond producers depend 

upon bees to pollinate their almond trees. What would happen if bees were not 

available and we had to depend on humans to pollinate the trees? 

Calculate Some Almond Pollination Numbers from California’s Central Valley:

1. There are approximately 810,000 acres of trees with 112 trees on each acre 

(810,000 acres of trees X 112 trees = 90,720,000 total trees to pollinate in California’s 

Central Valley). To make the numbers a little easier to calculate, we are going to just 

focus on just one farm. The average farm size in California is 64 acres. How many 

total almond trees are found in the average farm size? Show your work. 

2. Without bees to pollinate these trees, your class has been hired to pollinate the 

almond trees for one farm. Each tree has 28,000 flowers to pollinate, but only about 25 

percent (7,000) of the flowers actually produce almonds. We are only going to pollinate 

7,000 flowers per tree. How long would it take your class to pollinate all the trees? In 

order to solve this problem, you will be placed into groups of 4-5 “bees” to get some

average pollination times. First we will determine how long it takes each of you to 

pollinate 50 flowers on a “tree”. Within your group, each “bee” (that’s you) will touch the 

flowers on the almond tree outline, in order by number (from 1-50). The other members 

in your group will time how long it takes you to do this. You will do four separate trials 

pollinating your tree and then determine your average time to pollinate fifty flowers. 

Trial 1 (secs) Trial 2 (secs) Trial 3 (secs) Trial 4 (secs) Average Time 

“Bee” #1

“Bee” #2

“Bee” #3

“Bee” #4

3. What is the average of the times of all four of the practice “bees” in your group?

Show your work. 

4. What is the average time for all the “bee” groups in your class? Show your work.
5. We currently know that you need to pollinate 7,000 flowers on a tree and we 

have the average time it takes one person to pollinate only fifty of those flowers. How 

long would it take one person to pollinate one tree? For your answer, figure the number 

of seconds and convert to minutes. 

6. If you work an eight-hour day, how many trees can one person pollinate? Show your 

work. Let’s assume that your class has thirty students. That means your class can 

pollinate ________________ trees per day. Show your work. 

7. Your class can pollinate (answer from #8)___________ trees per day. There are 

7,168 (answer from #2) trees total per farm to pollinate. Divide that number to 

determine how long it would take your class to pollinate one farm. 

8. We need to pay your class for their work. Minimum wage is about $9.00 per hour 

in California. How much will you paid per day? Show your work. How much for 

___________ days? How much for your whole class? 

9. Compare that cost to that of renting bees to do the work. Usually two hives are 

placed on each acre at the cost of $150.00 per hive. A rental colony usually has eight 

frames with 1,500-2,000 bees per frame. Populations might triple in size depending 

upon how nutritious the crop is being pollinated. The average farm size is 640 acres. 

How much would the bees cost? 

10. What kinds of things would impact the cost of hiring your class to do the work? 

Think of the conditions—pollinating 50 flowers every _________ seconds for 8 hours a 

day. 
Busy as a Bee  Name KEY 

Date 

_________________________ 

Answers are highlighted in red to help work through this activity. 

In this activity, we are going to look at the production of just one food crop—almonds. 

California produces 82 percent of the total almonds in the world. Almond producers 

depend upon bees to pollinate their almond trees. What would happen if bees were not 

available and we had to depend on humans to pollinate the trees? 

Calculate Some Almond Pollination Numbers from California’s Central Valley:

1. There are approximately 810,000 acres of trees with 112 trees on each acre 

(810,000 acres of trees X 112 trees = 90,720,000 total trees to pollinate in California’s 

Central Valley). To make the numbers a little easier to calculate, we are going to just 

focus on just one farm. The average farm size in California is 64 acres. How many 

total almond trees are found in the average farm? Show your work. 

64 acres X 112 trees = 7,168 total trees to pollinate 

2. Without bees to pollinate these trees, your class has been hired to pollinate the 

almond trees for one farm. Each tree has 28,000 flowers to pollinate, but only about 25 

percent (7,000) of the flowers actually produce almonds. We are only going to pollinate 

7,000 flowers per tree. How long would it take your class to pollinate all the trees? In 

order to solve this problem, you will be placed into groups of 4-5 “bees” to get some

average pollination times. First we will determine how long it takes each of you to 

pollinate 50 flowers on a “tree”. Within your group, each “bee” (that’s you) will touch the

flowers on the almond tree outline, in order by number (from 1-50). The other members 

in your group will time how long it takes you to do this. You will do four separate trials 

pollinating your tree and then determine your average time to pollinate fifty flowers. 

Trial 1 

(secs) 

Trial 2 (secs) Trial 3 (secs) Trial 4 (secs) Average Time 

“Bee” #1

“Bee” #2

“Bee” #3

“Bee” #4

3. What is the average of the times of all four of the practice “bees” in your group?

Show your work. 

Averages of Bee #1 + Bee #2 + Bee #3 + Bee #4 = __________ divided by four 

4. What is the average time for all the “bee” groups in your class? Show your work.
Averages of Group #1 + Group #2 + Group #3 + Group #4 = __________divided by 

four 

Answers highlighted in green are the answers to this problem with an average of 

15 seconds for one person to pollinate 50 flowers. 

5. We currently know that you need to pollinate 7,000 flowers on a tree and we 

have the average time it takes one person to pollinate only fifty of those flowers. How 

long would it take one person to pollinate one tree? For your answer, figure the number 

of seconds and convert to minutes. 

7,000 flowers divided by 50 = 140 

15 Seconds X 140 times = 2100 seconds average time of one person to pollinate 

7000 flowers (one tree) 

____2100_____ seconds divided by 60 = ____35_____ minutes for one tree 

6. If you work an eight-hour day, how many trees can one person pollinate? Show 

your work. Let’s assume that your class has thirty students. That means your class can

pollinate ________________ trees per day. Show your work. 

8 hours x 60 = 480 minutes of work per day 

480 minutes divided by ___35____ minutes per tree = ___13.71__ trees per day 

per student 

_____13.71___ trees per day X 30 students = ___411.30__ trees per day per class 

7. Your class can pollinate (answer from #8)___411.30_ trees per day. There are 

7,168 (answer from #2) trees total per farm to pollinate. Divide that number to 

determine how long it would take your class to pollinate one farm. 

7,168 divided by __411.30_ trees per day = 17.42 number of days for your class to 

pollinate all the trees. 

8. We need to pay your class for their work. Minimum wage is about $9.00 per hour 

in California. How much will you paid per day? Show your work. How much for 

__17.42___ days? How much for your whole class? 

$9.00 per hour X 8 hours = $72.00 per day 

$72.00 x ____17.42____ days = ___$1254.24____ per student 

____1254.24_____ x 30 students = ____$37,627.20____ pay for the whole class 
9. Compare that cost to that of renting bees to do the work. Usually two hives are 

placed on each acre at the cost of $150.00 per hive. A rental colony usually has eight 

frames with 1,500-2,000 bees per frame. Populations might triple in size depending 

upon how nutritious the crop is being pollinated. The average farm size is 640 acres. 

How much would the bees cost? 

64 acres x 2 bee hives/per acre = 128 

128 x 150.00 = $19,200 total 

10. What kinds of things would impact the cost of hiring your class to do the work? 

Think of the conditions—pollinating 50 flowers every __15____ seconds for 8 hours a 

day. 
Day3 Resources 

Colopy, Michele. "80,000+ Beehives Damaged or Dead; Congressional Briefing; 

Bumble Bees, and More." Pollinator Stewardship Council RSS. Pollinator 

Stewardship Council, 03 Apr. 2014. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. 

<http://pollinatorstewardship.org/?p=2192>. 

Foster, Tony. "Botany Word of the Day : Entomophily: Pollination by Insects." Botany 

Word of the Day : Entomophily: Pollination by Insects. N.p., 29 Aug. 2013. Web. 

09 Jan. 2015. <http://plantphytography.blogspot.com/2010/10/entomophily.html>. 

Garvey, Kathy. "Honey Bees Are More Effective at Pollinating Almonds When Other 

Species of Bees Are Present." - UC Davis Department of Entomology and 

Nematology. University of California, Davis, 10 Jan. 2013. Web. 02 May 2015. 

<http://entomology.ucdavis.edu/News/Honey_Bees_Are_More_Effective_at_Polli 

nating_Almonds_When_Other_Species_of_Bees_Are_Present/>. 

Kaplan, Kim. "Survey Reports Fewer Winter Honey Bee Losses." ARS : Agricultural 

Research Service. US Department of Agriculture, 15 May 2014. Web. 13 Feb. 

2015. <http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2014/140515.htm>. 

McCoy, Terrence. "A Reason Millions of Bees Are Dying." Washington Post. The 

Washington Post, 10 July 2014. Web. 18 Feb. 2015. 

<http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2014/07/10/thesurprisingly-simple-reason-millions-of-bees-are-dying/>. 

"POLLINATION BY HONEY BEES." Chapter 8. University of Illinois--Urbana 

Champaign, n.d. Web. 20 Feb. 2015. 

<http://www.aces.uiuc.edu/vista/html_pubs/BEEKEEP/CHAPT8/chapt8.html>. 

Sass, Jennifer. Bee Facts. Washington, DC: Library of Congress, National Library 

Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1982. National Resources 

Defense Council. National Resources Defense Council, Mar. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 

2015. <http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/animals/files/bees.pdf>. 

Tucker, Jessica. "Why Bees Are Important to Our Planet." One Green Planet. One 

Green Planet, 17 June 2014. Web. 09 Jan. 2015. 

<http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/why-bees-are-important-toour-planet/#>. 
Resources for “Busy as a Bee”

Jabr, Ferris. "The Mind-Boggling Math of Migratory Beekeeping." Scientific American 

Global RSS. Scientific American, 20 Aug. 2013. Web. 02 Mar. 2015. 

<http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/migratory-beekeeping-mind-bogglingmath/>. 

Leibenluft, Jacob. "How Much Does It Cost to Borrow a Colony of Honeybees?" Slate. 

The Slate Group, 27 June 2008. Web. 30 Apr. 2015. 

<http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2008/06/rentahive.ht 

ml>. 

"Minimum Wage." Minimum Wage. State of California, 2015. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. 

<http://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_minimumwage.htm>. 

Pierson, David. "California Farms Lead the Way in Almond Production." Los Angeles 

Times. Los Angeles Times, 12 Jan. 2014. Web. 02 Mar. 2015. 

<http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-california-almonds-20140112-story.html>. 
Biodiversity – Bee Week | Day 3 – Busy as a Bee | Almond Tree Exercise 
Bee Week – Day 4 

Day 4 Topic: Engineering A Bee 

Focus Question: If you were an engineer, how would you create a “bee” 

to help pollinate plants? 

Summary: Students will design a robotic “bee” that would have the potential to pollinate our

crops in place of a native bee 

Duration: 1 – 45 minute class period 

Vocabulary: engineer, pollinate 

Objectives—Students will: 

 analyze parts needed by a robotic bee to operate efficiently 

 describe different structures and functions of their robotic bee 

 create a robotic bee that would be able to accomplish pollination 

Next Generation Science Standards: 

ETS1.B: Developing Possible Solutions: Models of all kinds are important for testing 

solutions. (MS-ETS1-4) 

ETS1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution: Although one design may not perform the best 

across all tests, identifying the characteristics of the design that performed the best in each 

test can provide useful information for the redesign process—that is, some of those 

characteristics may be incorporated into the new design. (MS-ETS1-3) 

ETSC1.C: Optimizing the Design Solution: The iterative process of testing the most 

promising solutions and modifying what is proposed on the basis of the test results leads to 

greater refinement and ultimately to an optimal solution. (MS-ETS1-4) 

Warm-Up: Robert Wood is an electrical engineer participating in National Geographic’s 

Emerging Explorers program. This short video clip (3:01) shows the potential of how 

robotics can impact our lives in the future: 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/bios/robert-wood/ 

Lesson: 

Engineering a Bee: Students will “engineer” a bee using different building 

materials— pipe cleaners, toothpicks, etc., and reflect on the adaptations honey 

bees have in order to accomplish pollination and survive. 

Post Lesson Assessment: 3-2-1 Ticket In pairs, students will brainstorm three 

things their “engineered bees” need to be effective pollinators; two problems with 

releasing engineered bees into nature; and one way to solve a problem that may result 

from releasing engineered bees into nature. 
Day 4 Lesson Plans 

Warm-Up: Robert Wood is an electrical engineer participating in National Geographic’s 

Emerging Explorers program. This short video clip (3:01) shows the potential of how 

robotics can impact our lives in the future. 

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/bios/robert-wood/ 

Lesson: 

Engineering a Bee: Students will “engineer” a bee using different building 

materials— pipe cleaners, toothpicks, etc... and reflect back on the adaptations 

honey bees have in order to survive and accomplish pollination. 

Post Lesson Assessment: 3-2-1 Ticket In pairs, students will brainstorm three 

things their “engineered bees” need to be effective pollinators; two problems with 

releasing engineered bees into nature; and one way to solve a problem that may result 

from releasing engineered bees into nature. 
Day 4 Resources 

"Explorers Bio." National Geographic - Explorers. National Geographic Society, n.d. 

Web. 28 Jan. 2015. 

<http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.com%2Fexplorers%2Fbios%2Frober 

t-wood%2F>. 

Singh, Timon. "Scientists Develop Flying Robobees to Pollinate Flowers as Bee 

Populations Decline." Inhabitat Sustainable Design Innovation Eco Architecture 

Green Building Scientists Develop Flying Robobees to Pollinate Flowers as Bee 

Populations Decline Comments. Inhabitat.com, 11 Mar. 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 

2015. <http://inhabitat.com/scientists-develop-flying-robobees-to-pollinateflowers-as-bee-populations-decline/>. 

Spector, Dina. "Tiny Flying Robots Are Being Built To Pollinate Crops Instead Of Real 

Bees." Business Insider. Business Insider, Inc, 07 July 2014. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. 

<http://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-robobees-closer-to-pollinating-crops2014-6>. 
 Engineering a Bee Name 

Date 

When thinking about engineering a bee, you must consider the phrase “form follows 

function.” What adaptations (form) do bees have to move from plant to plant gathering 

nectar and in the process pollinating plants (function)? In order to pollinate plants, bees 

need (1) a power source to provide energy for movement, (2) the ability to move from 

plant to plant (wings, legs, etc...), (3) ability to see a flower in ultraviolet light to see the

flowers, (4) ability to land on that flower, and (5) the ability to collect the pollen to carry 

from plant to plant for pollination. In the space below, sketch out how an engineered 

bee will look and label all the parts they will need to accomplish the functions listed 

above. 
After sketching, you will be building your own engineered bee using materials provided by your teacher 

so that it looks as close to your sketch as possible. Turn in your completed project along with this paper 

to your teacher. 

4 3 2 1 

Scientific The drawing The drawing The drawing The drawing 

Knowledge: shows an 

understanding of 

the adaptations of 

bees with all parts 

included. 

shows an 

understanding of 

the adaptations of 

bees but missing 

1-2 parts. 

shows an 

understanding of 

the adaptations of 

bees but missing 

more than 2 parts. 

shows a lack of 

understanding of 

the adaptations of 

bees and is 

incomplete. 

Drawing— The drawing is The drawing is The drawing is The drawing is not 

Attention to neatly drawn with complete with all incomplete neatly drawn and 

Detail: all the parts 

labeled and easy 

to understand. 

the parts labeled 

and easy to 

understand. 

missing some 

parts and labels. 

missing many 

parts and labels. 

Construction Construction Construction Construction Inappropriate 

Materials: materials chosen 

for model are 

realistic looking 

and appropriate. 

materials are 

mostly realistic 

looking and 

appropriate. 

materials were 

chosen with 

limited thought to 

the end product. 

construction 

materials. Little 

thought given to 

construction. 

Quality of End While building While building Building that was Little effort was 

Product: made an effort to 

get all parts built, 

using appropriate 

materials. 

made an effort to 

get all parts built, 

but inappropriate 

choice of 

materials. 

completed was 

appropriate but 

lacking some 

parts. 

made to build 

lacking parts and 

appropriate 

materials. 

TOTAL POINTS: 

Teacher Comments: 
 

 

Bee Week – Day 5 

Day 5 Topic: Pollinators in our World 

Focus Question: What can you do to help pollinators? 

Summary: Students will be given information on how they can help pollinators and will 

build and/or plant a “bee helper” for their backyards

Duration: 1 – 45 minute class period 

Vocabulary: pollinator 

Objectives—Students will: 

 explain different threats to pollinators in the world 

 describe one or two actions they can take to help pollinators 

 build and/or plant a “bee helper” for their backyards

Next Generation Science Standards: 

LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems—Organisms, and populations of 

organisms, are dependent on their environmental interactions both with other living things 

and with nonliving factors. (MS-LS2-1) 

Warm-Up: The instructor will show examples of different types of structures that 

students can build for different pollinators. The instructor will ask the students what they 

think is the purpose of the different structures. As the students guess which pollinators 

the different structures serve, the instructor will ask students how the structure is 

designed to help that particular pollinator survive. 

Lesson: 

Build a “Bee Helper”: Students will learn about how they can help 

pollinators and be given the option of building a “bee house” and/or 

planting seeds of flowers that can provide habitat for bees in their 

backyard. 

Post Lesson Assessment: Postcard to Parents Students will design a postcard to 

send to their parents asking them to help pollinators using any of the ideas from their 

handout. 
 

 

 

 

Day 5 Lesson Plans 

Warm-Up: The instructor will show examples of different types of structures that 

students can build for bees, birds, butterflies**, or bats. The instructors will ask the 

students to consider which pollinators would be served by each of the different 

structures. The instructor will also ask students to speculate on how the house is 

designed to help a particular pollinator. 

**Most research has shown that butterfly houses don’t actually work, so instructors may 

not want to use them as an example. Robert Snetsinger, an entomologist who 

conducted research on butterfly houses, suggests “if you want to do something useful 

for butterflies, build them a mud puddle.” http://www.georgiawildlife.com/node/3461 

Lesson: Help A Pollinator 

Part 1: The instructor will hand out papers: Sources for bee houses: “Spread the Word.” While reading through the 

suggestions, the instructor will ask students to http://www.nwf.org/How-to- checkmark things they feel they can personally do Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/Gardening- to help pollinators. The instructor will guide the Tips/Build-a-Bee-House.aspxDead classroom discussion to show that everyone can 

Insects.net: help pollinators. 

Part 2: Students will choose a particular project to 

build or plant flowers to help pollinators. Websites 

are included with plans on how to build different 

structures for pollinators or learn about growing plants to attract different types of 

pollinators. The “bee house” plans are designed to attract mason bees. Mason bees 

are less likely to sting than honey bees and live a more solitary life. 

Project 1—Build a “Bee House”: 

By web searching “mason bee houses”, the instructor will see many ideas and images 

to help provide students with ideas on how they can build their bee houses. After 

completion, the students should be directed to attach their bee houses to the south side 

of a building, fence post, or tree in their yards or communities. Here are two simple 

ideas: 

Bee House #1: This bee house consists of a block of wood in which students will drill 

holes into, but not through, the wood. Supplies needed: scrap pieces of lumber, drill 

and drill bits, hammer and nails for attaching roof http://www.nwf.org/How-toHelp/Garden-for-Wildlife/Gardening-Tips/Build-a-Bee-House.aspx 

Bee House #2: This bee house consists of a can filled with bamboo shoots cut to 

length. Supplies needed: can, bamboo shoots, and a hand saw. 
http://tallcloverfarm.com/224/baked-beans-bamboo-beesrecipe-for-a-mason-orchardbee-home 

Project 2—Plant Flowers for Pollinators: 

Planting seeds is an easy and fun way for kids to help pollinators. The instructor may 

want to keep the plants in the classroom for a while and collect data on different 

variables, such as days to germination, height, number of leaves, etc. Local 

greenhouses or gardening clubs are a good resource for information about plants that 

are bee friendly, and possibly, supplies. 

Pollinator friendly plants #1: The Center for Food Safety website includes plants that 

are pollinator friendly, based upon the season: 

http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/304/pollinators-and-pesticides/pollinatorfriendly-plants 

Pollinator friendly plants #2: “The North American Pollinator Protection Campaign

(NAPPC) has planting guides for pollinator friendly trees, shrubs, and flowers specific to 

different regions. Students will need to submit their five-digit zip code to get a free 

guide to pollinator friendly plants for their areas: http://www.pollinator.org/guides.htm 

Pollinator friendly plants #3: “Buzz About Bees” is a website with lots of information 

about bees. This particular page is devoted to plants for bees: 

http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/bee-plants.html 

Post Lesson Assessment: Postcard to Parents: Students will design a postcard to 

send to their parents asking them to help pollinators, using any of the ideas from their 

handout. 
Day 5 Resources 

"Best Bee Plants." BuzzAboutBees.net. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. 

<http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/bee-plants.html>. 

"Center for Food Safety | Issues | Pollinators & Pesticides | Pollinator-Friendly Plants." 

Center for Food Safety. Center for Food Safety, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. 

<http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/issues/304/pollinators-andpesticides/pollinator-friendly-plants>. 

Conway, Tom. "Baked Beans, Bamboo & Bees: Recipe for a Mason Orchard Bee Home 

- Tall Clover Farm." Tall Clover Farm. N.p., 08 Apr. 2009. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. 

<http://tallcloverfarm.com/224/baked-beans-bamboo-beesrecipe-for-a-masonorchard-bee-home>. 

"How Gardeners Can Help Pollinators." USDA Natural Resources Conservation 

Service. US Department of Agriculture, n.d. Web. 19 Feb. 2015. 

<http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/national/plantsanimals/pollinate/ 

gardeners/>. 

"How to Build a Bee House - National Wildlife Federation." How to Build a Bee House -

National Wildlife Federation. National Wildlife Federation, n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 

2015. <http://www.nwf.org/How-to-Help/Garden-for-Wildlife/GardeningTips/Build-a-Bee-House.aspx>. 

Kaplan, Kim. "Survey Reports Fewer Winter Honey Bee Losses." ARS : Agricultural 

Research Service. US Department of Agriculture, 15 May 2014. Web. 13 

Feb. 2015. <http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2014/140515.htm>. 

"Pollinators: How You Can Help." Pollinators: How You Can Help. US Fish and Wildlife 

Service, 10 Feb. 2015. Web. 17 Feb. 2015. 

<http://www.fws.gov/pollinators/pollinatorpages/yourhelp.html#bee>. 

Sass, Jennifer. Bee Facts. Washington, DC: Library of Congress, National Library 

Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, 1982. National Resources 

Defense Council. National Resources Defense Council, Mar. 2011. Web. 16 Feb. 

2015. <http://www.nrdc.org/wildlife/animals/files/bees.pdf>. 

Tucker, Jessica. "Why Bees Are Important to Our Planet." One Green Planet. One 

Green Planet, 17 June 2014. Web. 09 Jan. 2015. 

<http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/why-bees-are-important-toour-planet/#>. 
 

SPREAD THE WORD 

1. Provide Food and Water 

 choose plants that flower at different times 

 plant In clumps rather than single plants 

 provide a variety of colors and shapes 

 choose plants that pollinators are attracted to 

 choose native plants 

 provide a source of clean water In your garden or backyard 

2. Provide Shelter 

 build bee nesting boxes 

 build butterfly houses 

 leave dead llmbs on trees (If not safety hazard) 

 leave natural habitat In your yard