Its a miracle that curiousity survives formal educaton Albert Einstein

Curiosity is a precious thing. If a child has a desire to know about a topic, think of how much easier our jobs as teachers could be! No more moaning when we ask our students to do something no more faces behind our backs when we turn around. Imagine students walking into a classroom EAGER to learn, EXCITED about what you bring to the table, and CONFIDENT that they can meet whatever challenge you throw at them. That is how I envision my classroom. Im bursting with knowledge of my subject. I have a sincere love of life and have a lot of information to offer. None of that will matter if I cant get my students to love science right along with me. I see that as my mission as a facilitator of learning. Shoving facts down my students throats is meaningless. Theyll cram before the tests, and get a passing grade, but at the end of the year theyll learn little to nothing. That is what I want to bring to the table as an educator. Passion. Not just for my subject. Im getting my degree in biology its fairly obvious that I find deep delight in learning about the subject No, I want to help teach my students become passionate about their own learning. If I can learn to do this, and do it well, then I will be one of the most successful teachers in the world.

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children to leave the world a better place to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded Ralph Waldo Emerson

Writing for Teachers

Science Unit Bee Productive

High School Biology

Boomer Fischer

Spring, 10

Rationale: Our world is precious, unique, one of a kind, and irreplaceable those are the underlying themes that I have advocated throughout this year. Learning about the world around us helps us to realize just how valuable life really is. We have investigated life from the smallest of cells to the whole of our universe. In addition to the wonders of life, there is something miraculous about the complexity of nature in our world. As humans we can sometimes overlook the intricate rules, regulations, rituals, and habits of other living creatures. Nothing is more complex than the interaction of tiny bees in their bee hive. With this final project, we will, with assistance from our shop class friends, construct and create bee hives for our native and struggling honey bees.

Summary: This project will consist of 3 main sections. Researching and learning about bees, becoming knowledgeable about how to safely keep them, and the creation of a functioning hive.

Objectives: To work together as a class to explore, create, research, and communicate something interesting in science.

WAC areas: biology, ecology, zoology, reading, writing, research, philanthropy

Materials

School

Lumber for hives

Site for hives

Flowers

Teacher

Bee keeping supplies

Bees

Power Point Lecture

Student

Journal

Book

Length of time: 2 weeks / 20 class periods

Means of Assessment : 200 pts

Class Participation : 100 pts

Journal Entry: 10 pts

Bee Drawing : 10 pts

Short Story : 30 pts

Group Project : 50 pts

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Bees Mrs. Fischer

Biology Day 1

Objectives

Know the fundamental facts and principles of science.

Instructional

Framework

Initiating Constructing Utilizing

Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Directed

Direct Instruction providing information and building skills

Presentation demonstrating, lecturing

Concept introducing a new theory, symbol, idea

Grouping

Whole Class & Individuals

Materials & Resources

Teacher PowerPoint, Handout

Student Journal, Pencil and Paper

Strategy

Journal Reflection / Wall of Words

Review Previous

Lessons

Journal Entry What do you think the waggle dance is?

Words to research and add to add to our wall of word: Beeswax, cell (for bees), drone, worker, scout, queen

New Material

Power Point Presentation The Buzz

Introduction to Bees

What comes from bees?

History of cultivation / semiotic relationship

How do we classify bees?

Taxonomy

Sensory System

Morphology

Behavior and Community

Pecking order

The Queen and her minions

Breeding

Hive structure

Guided Practice

Get into groups for a dance off. Have students reenact the waggle dance to communicate what theyre doing after their class.

Closure toLesson

Give a brief overview of hive project / construction.

Assignment for Tomorrow

Due Tomorrow: Drawing of a worker bee and a queen bee, with important parts labeled.

Due Tomorrow: Research for the wall of words: Apiary, Apiculture, Bee Bread, Bee veil, Hive Body, Hive Stand, Nucleus (in relation to bees), Queen Cage, smoker

Bee Morphology Handout

Mrs. Fischer

Biology, 2010

A Honeybee colony has:

1 reproductive, the Queen. She lays 2 types of eggs, male & female. These become 3 casts of insect, drone, worker, & queen. They have 4 wings, 5 eyes, 6 legs, & 7 sub-brains, or nerve centers, called ganglia. This wonderful insect is killed by 8 legged mites, in more than 9 out of 10 cases.

Stan Umlauft

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Bees Mrs. Fischer

Biology Day 1 & 2

Objectives

Know the fundamental facts and principles of science.

Instructional

Framework

Initiating Constructing Utilizing

Lesson Plan

Format

Teacher Directed

Direct Instruction providing information and building skills

Presentation demonstrating, lecturing

Concept introducing a new theory, symbol, idea

Grouping

Whole Class & Individuals

Materials & Resources

Teacher PowerPoint, Beekeeping handout

Student Journal, Book, Pencil and Paper

Strategy

Wall of Words / Explorers Kit

Review Previous

Lessons

Words to discuss and add to our WoW: Apiary, Apiculture, Bee Bread, Bee veil, Hive Body, Hive Stand, Nucleus (in relation to bees), Queen Cage, smoker,

New Material

Explorers Kit: Bring in beekeeping paraphernalia, and honey for students to examine during the lecture.

Power Point Presentation Beekeeping

Honey

What is it

What is it made of

Why is it sweet

The Beekeepers Hive

What makes up a hive

Where is honey produced

What sections do the bees live in / mate / eat?

Beekeeping Equipment

Safety Equipment

Bee calming equipment

Maintaining the hives

Collecting honey

Beekeeping Equipment

How much honey can one hive provide?

Guided Practice

Q&A Session: Initiate conversation on the lecture.

Closure toLesson

Q & A Session: Continued

Assignment

1 - 2 page creative story : Write a short story depicting yourself as a beginner beekeeper. Use terminology from our wall of words. Be as creative as you like!

Bee Keeping Handout

Mrs. Fischer

Biology, 2010

Apiculture:

Apiculture is the maintenance of bee colonies, mostly in hives, by humans. Honeybees are one of the most well known and economically beneficial insects. For as long as there has been civilization, there have been people working to colonize bees. Pictures of beekeepers first started emerging in ancient Egyptian civilization! In addition to providing us with a sweet treat, bees are also responsible for pollinating the food that we eat.

A stinging question you may have:

Can I get stung? Sure! Bees have a stinger that contains venom. A sting from a bee can be mildly painful and cause swelling. Some people, in rare cases, can have a dangerous reaction to bee sting. Italian honeybees, which we will be working with, are a mild mannered species and cause few stings if handled properly.

Where does one keep a beehive?:

Bees can be kept virtually anywhere there is food to feed them. They eat from plants that produce nectar and pollen, and can travel many many miles to acquire their food. An immediate source of food is not needed, and many beehives are successfully kept in subdivisions, on rooftops, and in cities.

Benefits of keeping bees:

Oh, honey. The sweet reward that comes from bees most defiantly ranks up there as a benefit of keeping bees. But, that is just one reason to keep bees. Bees are invaluable to our environment. A bees number one job is to find pollen to convert to food, and during this process they pollinate plants. Bees are losing their natural environment, and it boils down to this. No bees. No plants. Think about it.

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Bees Mrs. Fischer

Biology Day 4 - 20

Objectives

Know the fundamental facts and principles of science.

Instructional

Framework

Initiating Constructing Utilizing

Lesson Plan

Format

Student Directed

Grouping

Whole Class, Individuals, Small Groups

Materials & Resources

Teacher PowerPoint, Bee Happy Handout and Hive Plans Handout

Student Journal, Book, Pencil and Paper

Strategy

Journal Entry

Review Previous

Lessons

Journal Entry : How do I feel about being a beekeeper?

New Material

Planning our Beehive

Project Overview

Where will our hive bee?

Who will build it?

Who will maintain it?

Grading

How my grade will be assessed

Guided Practice

Q&A Session: Project questions

Closure toLesson

Q & A Session: Continued

Assignment

Brainstorm group ideas. Rough draft due 2 class periods.

Dont Worry Bee Happy

Mrs. Fischer

Biology, 2010

For so work the honey-bees, creatures that by a rule in nature teach the act of order to a peopled kingdom. William Shakespeare

Why are we doing this:

Bees work so very hard every day. They buzz buzz buzz all over the place in search of food, and end up helping us at the same time! Without bees, the worlds agriculture would cease to exist as we know it. Thats a big burden for such a little creature. Many people are unaware of the impact bees have on our world, but after our lectures you now know better. You also know that bees are dying. Many colonies are losing their natural habitat, some are dying of disease, and other are losing access to the natural resources that they require for survival. Since bees do so much for us, its time that we gave back to them.

Your Mission:

We will be teaming up with the shop class and creating a beehive. We will be providing the blueprints, and materials, and they will be providing the labor. This will be an ongoing project requiring a whole class worth of effort. We will have to prep the area where the school has graciously allowed us to set up a hive, and prepare it for 15,000 new residences. We will also have to educate the student body on what were doing. Each of us will play an intricate role in the construction, and start-up of the hive. Maintenance of the hive after the initial set up will be purely voluntary.

Wait just one second Im allergic to bees!:

Thats okay! The bees are being housed in a secluded part of the school grounds, and you will not be at any higher risk of a bee sting than you are every other day. We will keep you far away from the stinging end, but there will still be lots for you to do: we will need handouts to present to the student body to help educate them on the bees, help painting the hive after it is constructed, and general managers of the project to ensure that were on time and on task.

How we will go about this:

I have already done the grunt work, and the shop class has agreed to create our hives. Now we just need to start! Beginning next class period we will meet with the shop teacher and present him with our plans for a hive. The whole class will work to assemble the hive, and prepare it for the bees which are scheduled to arrive on xx/xx. From there the class will split into 3 groups.

Group A will create an informative handout to present to the school and parents.

Group B will work to plant the flowers we have been growing all year, to help our bees eat. They will also set up watering stations so they can have access to clean water.

Group C will work to provide a care manual for future classes on how to handle and maintain the bee hive you have worked to create

How will I be Graded?

Class Participation

100pts

This project is hands on! We will be working together as a class to create something lasting, sustainable, and unique. Points will be giving on a all or nothing scale: 5 pts awarded for participation per day, and 0 pts awarded for unexcused absences and disruptive / unproductive behavior.

Journal Entry

10pts

Student worked on the journal entry for the full amount of time required, and had a unique and original entry. 5 pts per journal entry.

Bee Drawing

10pts

An original drawing of a bee was procured by the student, with a good effort to label important structure of the bee. Work was clear and easy to read.

Short Story

30pts

A creative and thoughtful story was submitted on time.

Group Project

50pts

Please see me regarding grading scale.