Bees, Blueberries, and Climate Change
Provided by: Gulf of Maine Research Institute|Published on: August 15, 2023
Grades: 5, 6, 7, 8
Type: Lesson Plans
Subjects: Biology, Earth and Space Sciences, English Language Arts, Mathematics
Authors: Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Region: North America, USA - Northeast, United States, Maine
Languages: English
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
This resource has been reviewed by SubjectToClimate's climate scientists and verified for scientific accuracy and up-to-date information. Learn about our review process →
Synopsis
- In this five-lesson unit, students will learn the role bees play in pollinating blueberries in Maine and the effects that climate change is having on the bee population, pollination, and blueberry plants.
- With hands-on activities every day, a focus on data interpretation, student note-taking, and an assessment at the end of each lesson, students will be able to stay engaged and demonstrate their learning.
Teaching Materials
Positives
- The game modeling blueberry pollination is a great way to keep students engaged in this unit!
- This unit offers many additional resources for the teacher to read and really become a resident expert in the subject matter.
Additional Prerequisites
- The resource on blueberry plant development on page 5 of the teacher guide is a broken link and the first video in the slides does not play, but it is not required for the lesson.
- The additional resources on the topic, located in the background information sections of the teacher guide, are excellent for the teacher to use to build their own background knowledge.
- You will need to print out the blueberry and bee cards and sheets prior to the lessons.
- Some students may need the terms dispersal, pollen, nectar, fertilize, protein, foliage, genetic, and others defined prior to starting this unit.
- In the data stations for lesson 4, the video for station 2 can be made more accessible to students by generating a QR code for them to scan when they reach that station.
Differentiation
- This module would be an excellent follow-up to a lesson or unit on plant adaptations, evolutionary history, and symbiotic relationships.
- Students in math classes who want even more practice with graphs can look at and answer questions about the graphs used in Dr. Drummond's presentation, which is found on page three of the teacher guide.
- Strategic grouping can be used for the data exploration portions of this lesson if there are students who struggle with reading or interpreting graphs.
- Students in language arts classes can write a short persuasive speech about why their adaptation to the model is the best. Students can also create an infographic, informing people about the role bees play in low bush blueberry pollination.
- Students who want to learn more or want a sense of agency in this phenomenon can research ways that people can help slow the decline of local bee populations. The additional resources for teachers give some great information about this.
This resource is a learning module from the Gulf of Maine Research Institute that tasks students with understanding the importance of bees in wild blueberry growth, seeing how climate change is impacting these crucial pollinators, and learning about the economical and cultural importance of wild blueberry harvests. This resource features five lessons that engage students in collaborating to understand the science and then finally to develop a model for how climate change affects bees and blueberries. This resource includes a thorough teacher guide, class slides, student pages for each lesson and additional classroom resources. The teacher guide also includes a link to an introduction to climate trends to help familiarize teachers and students before beginning this module, and clear rubrics are provided for assessment in each lesson. This resource features clear text and graphics, engaging collaborative lessons, and is recommended for teaching.
Teaching Tips
Standards
Resource Type and Format
Scientist Reviewed
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