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Each UNIT STUDY includes suggestions of books to READ, ideas to WRITE, crafts to CREATE, more to EXPLORE, snacks to ENJOY and other ways to LEARN about a specific topic! To read more about the concepts behind my UNIT STUDIES, read this.
If you find it handy to have a simplified printable of these suggestions, you can find one, along with several free printables, here in the FREE Honeybees Unit Study Printable Pack.
Otherwise, read on for a more detailed version with links embedded!
{Note: The links are pink! Just think, “pink link” if you are wanting to follow a link to something.}
Unit Study: HONEYBEES
Before creating this UNIT STUDY, I would not have said that HONEYBEES are cool at all but I’ve decided that they really are some of the coolest creatues ever! From their crazy organized communities to the amazing impact they have on the food chain to so much more…there is a lot to be wowed by!
Whether you have a little bug-lover or an older entomologist in training, this HONEYBEES UNIT STUDY hopefully has something to offer you and your kids!
READ
As I mentioned in both the TORNADOES and HURRICANES Unit Studies, Gail Gibbons is a great way to begin a new Unit Study. Her books are filled with well-documented factual information, presented in a kid-friendly way and accompanied by lovely illustrations. And The Honey Makers by Gail Gibbons is no exception! The book shows the process of making honey from the moment two kids put out a beehive on a hill to eating honey on toast. It also explains the lifecycle of the HONEYBEE. The FREE Honeybees Unit Study Printable Pack includes a mini book companion pack for this book, though the pages would work well with other non-fiction HONEYBEES books as well.
Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive by Joanna Cole is yet another great book to read! Done in MSB’s classic style filled with a group of fictitious kids, an extra-adventurous teacher and a magical school bus combined with loads of factual tidbits, it’s great for several ages and skill levels. Plus, there is a free one-page scavenger hunt found in the FREE Honeybees Unit Study Printable Pack. The book is NOT necessary to find the answers to all of the questions. Most non-fiction books or Internet searches on HONEYBEES would provide the info needed to complete the scavenger hunt.
Show Me the Honey by Tish Rabe is a book written in the Cat-in-the-Hat’s amusing style that tells a story about attending the Queen Bee’s celebration. And to increase the understanding of the book, there are some mini Book Companion Pack pages found in the FREE Honeybees Unit Study Printable Pack including a sequencing activity.
The Honeybee by Kirsten Hall is an absolutely delightful picture book that starts with a single HONEYBEE in a field. It then takes the reader on a lyrical journey through the process of making honey. It’s truly a lovely book that combines the feeling of fiction with the science of non-fiction. My library had it. I hope yours does too!
The Bee Tree by Patricia Polacco is another delightful picture book. It tells the story of an entire series of townspeople who follow a HONEYBEE in search of honey. It’s funny and sweet!
WRITE
In the FREE Honeybees Unit Study Printable Pack, you’ll find two different writing activities. One, which comes with both primary and secondary-styled lines, simply asks the student to write three sentences to help describe BEE.
The other activity, which has no lines to allow for kids of all ages and abilities to complete it, asks the student to describe what they both find hurtful and helpful about HONEYBEES. As you can see, the activity is designed in such a way that the hurtful part is a very minimal portion and the helpful part is huge in comparison. I think it’s important to recognize that HONEYBEES can indeed be scary {and hurtful} while also, of course, highlighting the enormous good they contribute. It’s okay to be a wee bit nervous of their stingers while also respecting what they do for the world!
LEARN
If you want an easy-to-use printable page that describes the basics of a HONEYBEE, you’ll find that in the FREE Honeybees Unit Study Printable Pack.
If you want a printable that covers more including their body parts, the life-cycle and the different roles of each HONEYBEE, check out this paid product.
CREATE
With their simple shapes and geometric color designs, HONEYBEES are pretty easy to replicate with crafts. And ya know I am all about simple when it comes to art! Here is a simple paper plate honeybee {though it’s pretty round so maybe it’s a bumblebee, ha!} Here is another paper plate version but with torn paper, which is one of my favorite forms of art! It’s great for littles because, well, NO SCISSORS! But, it’s also great for older kids because there is something more artistic about rough edges and imperfect pieces that appeals to tweens and up. And here is a unique yarn-wrapped bee craft. Again, it’s kinda bumbly-looking so I would just cut the shape not as round if you want it to look more like a HONEYBEE. These rock bees take a little more work and patience but are uber-cute and would last forever to serve as a fun keepsake! And to go with any of those crafty HONEYBEES, here is an egg carton beehive that is too cute! And, here is a not-so-simple realistic beehive craft that truly looks like the real deal!
ENJOY
Just like with crafts, when it comes to snacks to enjoy for a Unit Study, I am all about simple. Well, and they need to be yummy too! Thankfully, yummy HONEYBEE snacks are easy to come by if you just look for anything with honey! Personally, I’d make one of my all-time favorite snacks: Honey Maid Graham Crackers and peanut butter. And maybe I’d throw in some of my husband’s favorite candy, Bits-o-Honey. But if your kids expect more than my lazy ideas, but you still want to take it easy, you could quickly whip up a sweet snack mix with Teddy Grahams or whip up a plate of these honey nut apples. For some more elaborate ideas, try these soft honey cookies, this crunchy honey concoction or this honey butter which you can serve with bread or fruit! For a super cool hands-on activity that actually shows off some chemistry too, try making a batch of this honey taffy!
EXPLORE
This six-minute video does a great job of explaining how HONEYBEES make honey. And a simple, yet powerful hands-on {well, more like nose-on} experience to better understand HONEYBEES can be found here. To see {and taste} what makes the HONEYBEES’ honeycomb bubbly, try this experiment. To explore more about pollinators, but not necessarily HONEYBEES, check out this great collection of ideas of how to get kids involved or this amazing way to simulate pollination using Cheetos.
Hopefully, something in this UNIT STUDY will get your kids excited to find out what all the buzzzzzzzzzzzzz over HONEYBEES is about!
Unit Study: HONEYBEES
