The Co-operative s Green Schools Revolution. Age group No. of pupils in cohort Classroom support (to be completed by teachers)

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1 Healthy Living The Co-operative s Green Schools Revolution LESSON PLAN KS1: Just bee good to me! Encouraging our country s honey bees. SUGGESTED TIME: 45 MINS Age group No. of pupils in cohort Classroom support (to be completed by teachers) In this lesson, pupils will learn all about the honey bee and the crucial role it plays in maintaining our planet. They ll also learn that numbers of honey bees are declining and that there are things we can do to provide welcoming habitats for them. Learning objectives To learn that bees are helpful to gardeners and farmers and help to pollinate the fruits and vegetables we eat. To understand some simple facts about honey bees. To understand that bees need encouragement from us. Success criteria The children will be able to explain why bees are important to us and some of the characteristics of honey bees. Curriculum links England Science Sc2: Life processes and living things: life processes 1b that animals, including humans, move, feed, grow, use their senses and reproduce 1c relate life processes to animals and plants found in the local environment Humans and other animals 2c that taking exercise and eating the right types and amounts of food help humans to keep healthy 2e how to treat animals with care and sensitivity Wales Science Develop an understanding of the world, the environment, animals and other living things. Scotland Biodiversity and interdependence Explore the rich and changing diversity of living things and develop understanding of how organisms are interrelated at local and global levels. Explore interactions and energy flow between plants and animals (including humans) to develop an understanding of how species depend on one another and on the environment for survival.

2 Healthy Living The Co-operative s Green Schools Revolution LESSON PLAN KS1: Just bee good to me! Encouraging our country s honey bees. Curriculum links continued Northern Ireland The world around us: interdependence Explore how plants and animals rely on each other within the natural world. Interdependence of people and the environment. The effect of people on the natural environment over time. Interdependence of people, plants, animals and place. Place Explore how place influences plant and animal life. Explore ways in which living things depend on and adapt to their environment. Resources Information from The Co-operative on Plan Bee, a campaign to stop the decline of the honey bee and other pollinators, is available from: Bee fact sheet for IWB and PowerPoint (or pictures on website). Fairtrade honey. Teaching activities This lesson plan fits well as a follow-up lesson after a farm visit or as part of a walking-bus walk to school or walk to school week as a way of encouraging children to observe their immediate environment. Show the children the pictures about bees on the IWB. Ask them to name the bees. Check that they know the difference between a honey bee and a bumble bee. Some children may be afraid of bees but explain that bees are friendly and help farmers and gardeners. They rarely sting and only if they are threatened. Ask if anyone knows what bees make that we can eat (honey). Using the IWB picture, explain that worker bees collect nectar from flowers and take it back to the hive to make honey. The bees also pollinate vegetables and fruits so that they can grow properly and help to feed us and keep us healthy. Bees are very clever and tell other bees where the good nectar is by doing a waggle dance. Show this short clip (1.55) from the BBC: Get the children up on their feet doing the waggle dance!

3 Healthy Living The Co-operative s Green Schools Revolution LESSON PLAN KS1: Just bee good to me! Encouraging our country s honey bees. Development Independent, paired and group activity Bees are important and gardeners need to encourage them. Show the bee PowerPoint presentation or website pictures and explain that bees need flowers like these ones. In pairs or individually, the children should draw a design for a bee-friendly garden. It can have extra items in it such as toys for children and tables and patios, but it must encourage bees and have some healthy fruit and vegetables growing in it. Look at The Co-operative page of Plan Bee for ideas on what to include, for example wildflowers, shelter, water, a bee box. The children can also provide labels for their garden or, alternatively, they can describe their gardens in the plenary. Differentiated activities SEN/G&T Plenary The design task is differentiated by outcome. Ensure that more able children write labels on their designs and that they have access to the appropriate vocabulary. Ensure that EAL children are supported with the new vocabulary. Ask a handful of children of all abilities to show their garden drawings and explain their designs. Put the designs in a book in the book corner or on display in the school. Have some small cubes of bread ready prepared and spread with Fairtrade honey. Encourage all children to taste the honey and describe what it tastes like. AfL assessment opportunities (WILF) Check that all children have understood the need for bees and that each child can think of at least two ideas to encourage bees in their garden design. Extension/ homework Set up some bee boxes for the playground. For more information, visit: and consider class fundraising for the boxes. Perhaps you could grow some vegetable seeds in reused cups or flower pots to sell?

4 Healthy Living The Co-operative s Green Schools Revolution LESSON PLAN KS1: Just bee good to me! Encouraging our country s honey bees. Follow-up lessons Keep a class bee diary and encourage the children to spot bees around the school and in the local community. Try cooking simple recipes with honey such as honey cakes or roasted vegetables drizzled with honey. Remind the children that they should only eat a little sugar, including, honey, in their diet and they should always brush their teeth twice a day. Whole-school activity Start a save-the-bees campaign: Encourage the whole school to take an interest in the bee boxes and monitor whether bees use them. Check that the school grounds have shelter, food and water for bees. Encourage each class to consider how the school environment encourages bees and other helpful minibeasts and plan small changes, for example logs to encourage woodlice; wildflowers to attract bees and butterflies. Set up a young environmentalist club and invite representatives from local wildlife charities, the council and allotment owners to share their expertise. Interested parents and carers can support the club too. Don t forget to gather loads of evidence about how your school is becoming greener to enter your school into the Green Schools Revolution multimedia national competition at

5 Just bee good to me! The honey bee flies from flower to flower looking for nectar. The honey bee uses its tongue to suck nectar from the flower. The bees use the nectar to make honey in the honeycomb. Healthy Living: teaching sheet

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7 Friendly flowers Friendly flowers

8 Sunflowers and poppies

9 Bee boxes