Integrating Lessons on Honeybees and Beekeeping

 

Mike Wallace, St. Charles Community Schools
with Beth Moeller

Since the fall of 2006, St. Charles Community Schools has been integrating lessons on honeybees and beekeeping into the 8th grade science curriculum. At the beginning of the school year, students are given a diagnostic test to identify science concepts not mastered in past science classes. Once identified, lessons related to beekeeping are used to address these weaknesses. This novel approach engages students to connections between science content and their lives. In addition to classroom activities, students take a field trip to a professional beekeeping business. Here they see honey processing and talk to the owners and workers about related careers and employability skills. After this field trip, students extract honey from the school’s own beehives. Each student has the opportunity to uncap, extract, and bottle the honey. In the spring, students have an opportunity to take part in a field trip to Hartley’s Murphy Farm. While at the Farm, students construct hive materials, learn about surrounding plants and their relationship with the honeybees, and open and observe an active beehive. This project has also been supported by students and teachers in the elementary and high school. Shop students have constructed hive materials and art students at all levels decorated the hives.

Through this hands-on experience, students gain a better understanding of science concepts. For three years, results from the 8th grade Explore test show our students are performing above the national average in science. Students taking the test during the 2008-2009 school year earned an average science score of 17.2 compared to the national average of 16.4. Eighth graders at Thurston Middle School have consistently scored high on the science portion of the Explore test over these past three years. Our average has ranged from 16.9 to 17.7. Thurston Middle School’s 8th grade science MEAP results have been above state average for the past three years as well. The percent of 8th grade TMS science students meeting or exceeding state requirements from 2006-2008 ranged from 82.2% to 94%, while state average during this timeframe ranged from 75% to 79%.

For more information regarding this program, please contact Mike Wallace at (989) 865-9961 or wallacem@stccs.org.