The Bee Book (Conservation for Kids)



Last updated Sunday, July 2, 2023

Author: Charlotte Milner
Date of Publication: 2018
ISBN: 1465465537
Grade Level: 3rd    (GLCs: Click here for grade level guidelines.)
Date(s) Used: Jul. 2023

Synopsis: From School Library Journal:
"How many honey bees does it take to make just one teaspoon of honey? How many eyes does a honeybee have? Why do we need bees to pollinate flowers? And, most importantly, what would we do without the honeybees? Milner easily answers these questions and many more in this fabulous title about nature's hardest worker—the honeybee. She seamlessly weaves amazing facts about bees into a discussion on their significance to our everyday lives and what we can do to help save them from disappearing. This is perfect for adults and children to read together, especially to ignite conversations about the role bees play in food production and how we can help these incredible creatures."

Discussion topics for before reading:
•  What do you know about honeybees?
•  What do honeybees do?
•  Why are honeybees so important to the world?

Vocabulary:

•  Insect (noun p. 6); any class of arthropods with six legs and generally one or two pairs of wings
•  Spiracles (noun p. 9); tiny holes all over a bee’s body that the be uses to breathe through
•  Pollination (noun p. 18); important part of plant life cycle. Insects, birds, bats, and the wind carry pollen to other plants that helps make seeds for reproduction
•  Swarm (noun) a large or dense group of insects, especially flying ones. (verb) move together in large numbers

Discussion topics for during/after reading:
•  What are three different types of honeybees?
•  How do honeybees help put food on the table?
•  What would happen if honeybees disappeared?

Craft ideas:
•  Check our craft ideas on Pinterest!
https://www.pinterest.com/readingtokids/july-2023-amazing-animals/
•  Create a Book about Bees! Fold some construction paper in half to create a book. Decorate the open sides (“book cover”) with wording, bee drawings, or flower drawings. Use additional construction or tissue paper to make flowers. Use additional construction paper as inserts to the “book about bees” and draw the bees and/or plants mentioned in the book. Materials: construction paper, tissue paper, colored pencils, markers, glue, scissors

*Note: These craft ideas are just suggestions. You can use them, but you don't have to use them. You can expand upon them, or add your own twist. Remember, though, that the focus of your time should not be on the development and execution of a craft; the focus should be on the read-aloud and the enjoyment of the book!