Have you ever had a bee fly into your classroom during the middle of a lesson? I have… chaos ensued. Some kids were terrified and hiding, while others were chasing the bee trying to kill it with their notebooks. Bees often have a bad rap in middle school, but these pollinators play an important role in our ecosystem because they help plants reproduce. Without them, we wouldn’t have many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices, and flowers. Use these pollinator lesson plans to teach your students why we need to “save the bees” and help them develop a sense of appreciation and understanding for these keystone species.
3 Pollinator Lesson Plans for your Classroom
Ecology and Bees Research Project
In this research project, students will watch a video and read a text about the role of bees in an ecosystem and the growing concern in the scientific and agricultural communities about declining bee populations. Students will learn about plant reproduction and discover that bees are essential to our food supply. Then students will write an essay describing the potential effects of disappearing bees.
Bee Habitat STEM Challenge
In this STEM challenge, students will learn about the importance of native pollinators and build habitats to support them. Native pollinators, called mason bees, are found throughout the United States and many other countries. In the springtime, females lay eggs in empty stems and other hollow tubes. The bee larvae grow and develop inside the tubes until the following spring when the new generation of bees emerge from their shelter. In this project, students will design and build a home for mason bees using household materials. They’ll love taking an active role in helping pollinators in their own communities!
“The Pollinators” Movie Day
This 2019 film explores the commercial honey bee industry, the connection between pollinators and our food supply, and the many threats facing honeybees and native pollinators throughout the country. Then they’ll discover steps to take at home and in their communities to protect vulnerable pollinators. Inspire yoru students to do their part and “save the bees!” Grab this no-prep movie guide to accompany the film, including before, during, and after activities to keep your students on-task and extend their STEM learning.
Each of these pollinator activities includes:
- Printable, Google, and Easel versions of the student activities and worksheets that guide students through the engineering design process
- Detailed teacher notes for easy lesson facilitation
- Easy-to-use grading rubrics and answer keys
- Suggestions for differentiation, distance or hybrid learning, and teaching tips
How can these pollinator lesson plans be used in your classroom?
- Improve your students’ understanding of the bees and other pollinators and their role in the ecosystem
- Inspire students to care for their environment
- Support outdoor learning goals
- Keep students engaged leading up to Spring Break
- Connect the lessons to your school garden program
- Celebrate Earth Day by learning about the importance of bees and why we need to save them
- Leave the lessons for 2 weeks of low-prep, engaging STEM sub plans
- Use the environmental science resource for extra credit, a holiday break packet, home learning, or an extension activity
Looking to save?
You can save 20% when you buy all three pollinator lesson plans together. Then you’ll have an awesome 2-3 week low-prep STEM unit ready to go!
