The Abundant Garden Sample

This is an activity for children of all ages. Bee populations have been on the decline over the last years. Many reasons for this have been speculated and it seems as if it's due to a number of causes. Regardless of the reasons the question remains, what can we do about it? In this activity, children will learn what they can do in their garden to help bees thrive.

*(R) - books personally reviewed

Cross-curricular subjects addressed: Reading Comprehension, Oral Composition, Art, Science, Math, Handwriting

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• Supplies:
  • a variety of flowers that bloom from early spring to late fall
  • herbs of choice
  • gardening notebook/journal
  • paper (if using a binder) - copy paper, cardstock and/or 140 lb weight paper if using watercolors
  • pencil and eraser
  • art medium of choice (colored pencils, watercolors, crayons, or markers)
  • page protectors
• Subject addressed - Reading Comprehension: Read one or more of the following books:
  • What If There Were No Bees? by Suzanne Slade - highly recommended for children ages 6-9. (R)
  • Bee & Me by Alison Jay - highly recommended for children ages 2-8. (R)
• Subject addressed - Oral Composition: Allow your child an opportunity to share any thoughts he/she may have had while listening to the book. Narrate in turns if there are several children. Encouraging your child to share about what they learned with Dad during dinner is a great way to narrate naturally.
• There are a few things we can do to help a bee population thrive:
  • Subjects addressed - Art, Science, and Math: Plant flowers. Incorporate math for an older child by having them use a ruler to calculate planting depth and seed spacing and use a calendar to determine when to sow seeds and expect blooming, etc. Planting flowers even in containers will help to increase the bee population around your home. "Plant flowers with open petals and upright stamens for easy access by our pollen-loving friends. Cosmos, zinnias and purple coneflowers are good examples. Choose flowers that are heavy pollen producers like salvia, penstemon and goldenrod.  And pick colors that attract bees like blue salvia, yellow nasturtium, marigolds and sunflowers" (Small steps from the paleo mama).
  • Select a variety of herbs to plant in your garden or in containers.
  • Allow an area for native wild flowers/weeds (plants that grow naturally in your area) to flourish and feed the bees.
  • Fill a small dish with stones and water so the bees have somewhere to land and drink safely.
  • Make a bee hotel.
  • Use natural organic pesticides instead of toxic chemicals.
• Subjects addressed - Art, Handwriting, and Science: Have your child document (either write and/or draw) on a journal page the things they've done to become a bee guardian. Record a child's explanations/dictations as needed.
• Place the page(s) in a protector when finished and include in the garden notebook/journal.
• Of course honey bees are not the only bees that pollinate. The following video from the UK illustrates this.

• The following video expands on ways to help the bees in your garden.

Top Image by Gary Yost on Unsplash 

->Next week's lesson "Johnny Appleseed"->

Sample Week Table of Contents

Bees

• Bee Lesson
• Bee Literature
• Honey Butter
• Honey Lemon Lollipops
• Beeswax Candles
• You Are So Bee.you.tiful Cards
• Anatomy of a Bee
• Become a Bee Guardian

Next week's lesson "Johnny Appleseed"