Lauren Huhta

EGI 6245: Program Planning for Gifted and Talented

Fall 2016 Semester: Assignment 3

Unit: Bee Friends with the Bees because “Bees Lives Matter” with

www.beefriendswiththebees.weebly.com

Intended Audience: Gifted 2nd Grade and Up

The overall unit rationale is to inform and inspire our future gifted global leaders about the

endangered bees as well as share their learning experiences safely online to collaborate with others.

Gifted students need be more than aware of global issues; they need to develop ownership of their

learning experiences and learn how to creatively problem solve with others – even if they are online

across the globe and communicating in different ways. Most people think bees are only important for

their honey. However, bees are much more important than just producing honey because they are our

pollinators. If we, humans, had to pollinate all of the crops ourselves, the prices of crops would

absolutely skyrocket because it would take much more time for us to do that compared to our friends,

which are the bees. Honeybees and the other pollinators help produce approximately $19 billion worth

of agricultural crops in the United States alone in 2010 (One Green Planet, 2016). As many people

know, many places in our country and the world face the issues of poverty and hunger. Moreover, bees

are one of the most important insects to humans on this planet. A few examples of the foods that

would no longer be available to us if bees stopped pollinating or completed died would include broccoli,

asparagus, cantaloupes, cucumbers, pumpkins, blueberries, watermelons, almonds, apples, cranberries,

and cherries (One Green Planet, 2016). Our future gifted global leaders need to unite and problem-

solve how to save the bees for our planet since they are dying in alarming rates. In this unit, students

will learn a lot about bees as well as themselves as future global leaders. Our country and the world

already have the issues of poverty and hunger; if the bees died out because nobody tried to save them,

this could lead to catastrophic consequences to everyone since about 75% of the world’s food crops

depend partly on pollination (National Public Radio, 2016). We need our global gifted learners more

than ever to become informed and inspired to save the bees, which ultimately saves our planet. While

there are many global issues, saving the bees might be one of the biggest global issues. Global gifted

learners will learn how to communicate across borders and boundaries in many ways. They will have to

overcome and problem solve with distance, language barriers, and other issues like facing stereotypes of

other cultures.

This whole unit revolves around the power of student choice as the gifted students create and

expand their blogs to document their learning. This whole unit also provides suggestions for special

populations of gifted like twice-exceptional (2e) students and English Language Learners (ELLs).

Moreover, this unit really moves students along with learning about media literacy and becoming

independent as well as collaborative researchers. This unit also promotes students to naturally tap into

their curiosity with different topics about the bees. Furthermore, this unit also provides opportunities

to help gifted students dealing with perfectionism as well as students struggling to work collaboratively

together in teams while giving constructive criticism/feedback with friendly tone.

References

National Public Radio. (2016). Bees added to the u.s. endangered species list for the first time. Retrieved

November 5, 2016 from http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-

way/2016/10/03/496402620/bee-species-added-to-u-s-endangered-species-list-for-1st-time

One Green Planet. (2016). Animals and nature: Why bees are important to our planet. Retrieved

November 5, 2016 from http://www.onegreenplanet.org/animalsandnature/why-bees-are-

important-to-our-planet/

Lesson 1: Introduction with Central Texts and Bee Blogs (Learning about Facts with Fiction too)

Florida’s Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners Focus:

By graduation, the student identified as gifted will be able to develop and deliver a variety of authentic products/performances that demonstrate understanding in multiple fields/disciplines.

Standards: LAFS.2.RL.1.1., LAFS.2.RL.1.2, LAFS.2.RL.1.3, LAFS.2.RL.3.7, LAFS.2.RL.4.10, LAFS.2.RI.1.1, LAFS.2.RI.2.5, LAFS.2.RI.2.6, LAFS.2.RL.3.7, LAFS.2.RI.4.10, LAFS.2.W.1.3, LAFS.2.W.2.5, LAFS.2.W.2.6, LAFS.2.SL.1.1, LAFS.2.SL.1.2, LAFS.2.L.1.1, LAFS.2.L.1.2, LAFS.2.L.3.4

Key/Essential Question(s): What is my prior knowledge about bees?

What are my experiences with bees?

Why is learning about a specific topic like an animal or insect important?

How are bees portrayed in literature?

How are bees portrayed in non-fiction/informational texts?

What do I want to learn about bees?

How can I share my learning and reflect through my new learning experiences?

Objective(s): Gifted 2nd grade students will access and share their individual schema and prior knowledge about bees.

Gifted 2nd grade students will begin to customize their learning needs about bees for this unit by sharing what they want to

learn about bees.

Gifted 2nd grade students will examine how bees are portrayed in the central literature and informational texts for the unit.

With teacher guidance, gifted 2nd grade students will begin to make a “kid-safe” blog to share and reflect new learning experiences in their unique ways.

Materials: Computers and/or tablets with internet access

Projector

Central texts (referenced below)

Kidblog or “kid safe” blogging website

If desired, student journals or interactive notebooks

If desired, a grade-level or preferred rubric for grading responses or growth of learning during the unit; please see Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything if in need of rubrics (referenced at the end of this unit)

Kidblog. (2016). Kidblog: Safe and simple blogs for

your students. Retrieved November 5, 2016 from http://kidblog.org/home/.

Micucci, C. (1995). The life and times of the

honeybee. New York: Houghton Mifflin. PBS Studios. [The Magic School Bus]. (2016). In a

beehive. [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fo1y4rrcUog.

Polacco, P. (1993). The bee tree. New York:

Philomel Books.

Brief Outline of Teaching Methods/Steps: 1. Display images of bees using a projector and prompt a discussion asking students what they already know about bees.

2. Ask students what they would like to learn about bees. Encourage individual responses as well as group responses. Ask students why they think learning about a particular topic like an animal or insect is important? Guide students to the big picture for meaningful learning.

3. If needed, show students how to get started with Kidblog or preferred “kid safe” blogging website. Allow them to have time to play with the features and record their responses in a way they choose such as typing sentences or paragraphs, recording their voice, or making a video.

4. Read the central texts: Bee Tree and The Life and the Times of a Honeybee. This can be done in whole group, break-apart sessions with students reading to each other or watching a video of the books being read aloud, or read/presented individually.

5. Prompt discussions how bees are portrayed in fiction and informational texts. What are the purposes of each text? What did we learn in each text?

6. Encourage students to compare and contrast the texts as well as their purposes. Students can record these responses in a way they choose like when they recorded what they want to learn about bees. Prompt students to share their responses and examine how each student or groups of students recorded their information.

7. Watch The Magic School Bus episode (referenced above) and encourage students to discuss how The Magic School Bus episode “In a Beehive” blends fact with fiction. What is the purpose The Magic School Bus episode? How can students use fact with fiction as they learn about the bees?

8. Encourage students to pay close attention to the puns and word play in The Magic School Bus episode. How do the puns and words play relate to the bees?

9. Embrace individuality and group styles of responses. If needed, prompt how The Bee Tree’s lesson of self-determination, perseverance, and being adventurous relates to their learning about bees as they will develop self-determination with their own learning. Throughout each lesson in the unit, students will learn about bees in relation to other content areas as well as about themselves individually and global leaders.

Evaluation/Assessment: At the end of this first lesson, gifted 2nd grade students should be aware how they can access

their schema when being introduced new information as well as begin to make choices what they want to learn about bees to share in their individual blogs. Student choice is powerful and makes learning meaningful. By the end of this first lesson in this unit, gifted 2nd grade students will be able to compare and contrast the central texts: The Bee Tree (Polacco) and The Life and Times of a Honeybee (Micucci) in a variety of ways such as a Venn-Diagram, written response, interview, and/or collaborative discussion. Students may share their comparing and contrasting of the central texts on their Kidblog and respond to other’s blog postings.

Supporting ESE (2e) and ELLs Strategies: Twice-exceptional (2e) students with reading and writing difficulties can listen to the texts online and use speech-to-text when recording their comparing and contrasting responses. Kidblog has an option for audio and video recording. ELLs can originally write or discuss their response in their native language and then use a translator (like “Google Translate”) to record it in English to share with peers.

Technology Integration Matrix Level: “Active Infusion” as the teacher guides, informs, and contextualizes student choices of technology tools and is flexible and open to student ideas; lessons are structured so that student use of technology is self-directed. Multiple technology tools are available to meet the needs of students.

Lesson 2: Examining Misconceptions about Bees with Links to Psychology and Beginning-Level Media

Literacy/Challenging and Examining Credibility of Sources

Florida’s Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners Focus:

By graduation, the student identified as gifted will be able to critically examine the complexity of knowledge: the location, definition, and organization of a variety of fields of knowledge.

Standards: LAFS.2.RI.1.2, LAFS.2.RI.2.4, LAFS.2.RI.2.6, LAFS.2.RI.3.7, LAFS.2.RI.3.8, LAFS.2.RI.3.9, LAFS.2.W.1.2, LAFS.2.W.2.5, LAFS.2.W.2.6, LAFS.2.W.3.7, LAFS.2.W.3.8, LAFS.2.SL.1.2, LAFS.2.L.3.4

Key/Essential Question(s): What is the difference between fact and opinion?

What are misconceptions?

How do misconceptions develop?

What are the misconceptions most people have about bees?

Do/did you have misconceptions about bees? How did your own misconceptions develop?

Why do the misconceptions of bees exist?

How can we, as future global leaders, turn around misconceptions?

Why is examining the sources of information important when it comes to misconceptions?

Objective(s): Gifted 2nd grade students will learn what the definition(s) of misconception.

As a link to psychology with the study of behavior and mind, gifted 2nd grade students will examine how misconceptions develop in general and then apply how people develop misconceptions about bees after doing their own research.

Gifted 2nd grade students will conduct their own research exploring misconceptions about bees using the internet and other available resources.

Gifted 2nd grade students will begin to creatively problem solve as future global leaders how to turn around misconceptions about bees using their links to psychology with the study of behavior and mind.

Materials: Computers and/or tables with internet access

Kidblog or “kid safe” blogging website

If desired, student journals or interactive notebooks

If desired, a grade-level or preferred rubric for grading responses or growth of learning during the unit; please see Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything if in need of rubrics (referenced at the end of this unit)

SUGGESTED RESOURCE: Terminix. (2016). The buzz: 11 bee facts and

myths. Retrieved November 5, 2016 from https://www.terminix.com/blog/bug-facts/11-bee-facts-and-myths

This above website provides the facts and myths

about bees. This website challenges gifted 2nd grade students to think about why Terminix would write this informative article as well as examining sources when doing research opportunities.

Brief Outline of Teaching Methods/Steps: 1. Project the Terminix website article for the class. Using the Terminix website article about bee facts and myths, prompt the students in discussion about who the source of this website is? (Terminix is a pest control company. Why are they sharing facts and myths about bees?)

2. Prompt students to access the Terminix website article about bee facts and myths individually or in small groups.

3. Allow students to research about misconceptions of bees using other articles.

4. Encourage students to think and reflect about their misconceptions about bees.

5. Challenge students to think about the purpose of these websites or articles about the misconceptions of bees. Are these sources credible? Why is examining sources for credibility important when it comes to misconceptions?

6. Prompt students to reflect about misconceptions with links to psychology (study of behavior and mind) to the misconceptions about bees in their Kidblog responses. Students have a choice how they reflect and record their responses: written/typed sentences, scanned hand-drawn pictures with captions, poetry, audio recording, or video broadcast/podcast.

7. Encourage students to share their Kidblog responses and reflect on their own learning about misconceptions.

8. Prompt a discussion how this experience of learning about the misconception of bees changes their perspectives about bees. How can we change others’ misconceptions of bees?

9. As a group or prompt small group discussions to brainstorm ways to change others’ misconceptions of bees. (Creative Problem Solving can be used to keep students on track. Brainstorming with Creative Problem Solving is referenced at the end of this unit for more support in this area.)

10. Allow time for students to add to their Kidblog response about how they can possibly change others’ misconceptions about bees? (This should guide students to the big picture of this unit of becoming global leaders to save the bees.)

Evaluation/Assessment: At the end of this lesson, gifted 2nd grade students should understand that psychology is the study of behavior and mind; this relates to misconceptions and how they are formed. At the end of this lesson, gifted 2nd grade students are still adding to their Kidblog and reflecting on their own learning about bees as well as themselves individually and as a future global leader. At the end of this lesson, gifted 2nd grade students can apply their new knowledge of misconceptions and bees to their own misconceptions of other topics. Studying misconceptions and the study of misconceptions leads to critical thinking, especially with faulty information and bias in texts they will face in their future.

Supporting ESE (2e) and ELLs Strategies: Using text-to-speech, 2e and ELL students can access the text. 2e students with reading difficulties may watch videos instead of reading texts. 2e students with writing difficulties may record themselves in audio or video format for their Kidblog responses. For ELLs, they could copy text into Google Translate into their native language. ELLs may also use Google Translate to copy text in their native language to English for their Kidblog responses.

Technology Integration Matrix Level: “Constructive Adaption” as students use technology tools to independently facilitate construction of meaning; students can explore the use of these tools as they are building knowledge with teacher guidance.

Lesson 3: Exploration of the Types/Species of Bees with Links to Geography

Lesson 3 Note: This lesson provides a suggestion for gifted students dealing with perfectionism.

Florida’s Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners Focus:

By graduation, the student identified as gifted will be able to conduct thoughtful research/exploration in multiple fields.

Standards: LAFS.2.RI.1.2, LAFS.2.RI.2.4, LAFS.2.RI.2.6, LAFS.2.RI.3.7, LAFS.2.RI.3.8, LAFS.2.RI.3.9, LAFS.2.W.1.2, LAFS.2.W.2.5, LAFS.2.W.2.6,

LAFS.2.W.3.7, LAFS.2.W.3.8, LAFS.2.SL.1.2, LAFS.2.L.3.4

Key/Essential Question(s): For links to the field of biology, what is the definition of species?

What are the species of bees?

For links to geography, where do different types of bees live?

How are the species of bees different?

What kinds of bees live in our geographical area?

What challenges does our geographical area bring to the specific species of bees?

Objective(s): Gifted 2nd grade students will learn the biological term of “species.”

Gifted 2nd grade students will learn the different species of bees.

With links to geography, gifted 2nd grade students will learn where different species of bees live.

Gifted 2nd grade students will research what species of bee(s) lives in their geographical area.

Gifted 2nd grade students will examine the challenges of geographical areas to the species of bees.

Materials: Computers and/or tables with internet access

If available, a variety of informational books across many grade-levels about bees from school media center or public library

Kidblog or “kid safe” blogging website

If desired, student journals or interactive notebooks

If desired, a grade-level or preferred rubric for grading responses or growth of learning during the unit; please see Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything if in need of rubrics (referenced at the end of this unit)

SUGGESTED RESOURCES: Buzz About Bees. (2016). Types of bees. Retrieved

November 5, 2016 from http://www.buzzaboutbees.net/types-of-bees.html

This above resource is very kid-friendly and uses

“kid” language about the different types of bees: bumble bees, carpenter bees, honeybees, killer bees. Pest World for Kids. (2016). Bees. Retrieved

November 5, 2016 from http://pestworldforkids.org/pest-guide/bees/

This above resource explains the “super-family” of Apoidea and gives a table outlining the types of bees by “taxa” in biological terms as well as their geographical locations. Gifted students may see Latin or Greek roots in some of these “taxa” words in relation to the field of biology.

Brief Outline of Teaching Methods/Steps: 1. Prompt students to access their prior knowledge and schema (from Lesson 1) about species. What does the word species mean in relation to the field of biology? Do they know about different species of a different animal? Do they already know about a different types/species of bees?

2. Remind students about the expectations of research and credibility from sources (from Lesson 2). As a “warning,” it may be beneficial to bring awareness there are over 20,000 species of bees; therefore, it is impossible for students to learn about all of the species. The expectation of the research is to discover and learn more about the major types/species of bees.

3. When students are doing their research, encourage students to document their findings using a graphic organizer or note-taking strategy. They can group them by “families” or other classifications based on their learning needs.

4. Prompt students to also research the geographical locations of different types/species of bees. Encourage students to use a map or draw a general map of the geographical locations of the major bee types/species.

5. Challenge students to research the challenges each geographical location makes bees face. (This could lead some students discovering information about the Colony Collapse Disorder and the issues of Zika spraying killing

bees in many geographical locations.) 6. Allow time for students to document and

reflect their learning on their Kidblogs. As always, encourage choice for students to showcase their learning by typing paragraphs, scanning self-made art, audio recordings, video broadcast/podcast, etc.

7. Encourage students to share their learning with others in the classrooms. What was the common information most students found out during their opportunities of research?

Evaluation/Assessment: At the end of this lesson, gifted 2nd grade students should be able to define the word “species” in biological terms along with becoming more independent with researching specific topics about bees. The students have the choice about which species of bees they research about. Some gifted students struggling with perfectionism may need guidance about not researching every species of bee because there are about 20,000 different species of bees in the world, but instead selecting at least 4-5 different species. The main focus is for this lesson for gifted 2nd grade students to research the different species of bees like “bumble bees” and “honey bees.” It would be ideal if most students found out about “killer bees” and how they relate to the previous lesson of misconceptions of bees. At the end of this lesson, gifted 2nd grade students should be able to name the species of bee that lives in their geographical area and examine what challenges their geographical area brings to bees.

Supporting ESE (2e) and ELLs Strategies: Using text-to-speech, 2e and ELL students can access the text. 2e students with reading difficulties may watch videos instead of reading texts. 2e students with writing difficulties may record themselves in audio or video format for their Kidblog responses. For ELLs, they could copy text into Google Translate into their native language. ELLs may also use Google Translate to copy text in their native language to English for their Kidblog responses. Students from other countries like ELLs and other special populations can specifically research species of bees in their native areas to customize their meaningful learning needs.

Technology Integration Matrix Level: “Constructive Infusion” as students consistently have opportunities to select technology tools and

use them in the way that best facilitates their construction of understanding; the teacher provides the context and is supportive of the student autonomy in choosing the tools and when they can best be used to accomplish the desired outcomes.

Lesson 4: Exploration of the Honeybee Hive with Links to Mathematics and Architecture

Florida’s Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners Focus:

By graduation, the student identified as gifted will be able to critically examine the complexity of knowledge: the location, definition, and organization of a variety of fields of knowledge.

Standards: MAFS.2.G.1., LAFS.2.RI.1.2, LAFS.2.RI.2.4, LAFS.2.RI.2.6, LAFS.2.RI.3.7, LAFS.2.RI.3.8, LAFS.2.RI.3.9, LAFS.2.W.1.2, LAFS.2.W.2.5, LAFS.2.W.2.6, LAFS.2.W.3.7, LAFS.2.W.3.8, LAFS.2.SL.1.2, LAFS.2.L.3.4

Key/Essential Question(s): What are hives?

What types/species of bees have hives?

What is the purpose of hives?

Why are there hexagons in the hives? What is the purpose of the hexagons?

Objective(s): Gifted 2nd grade students will be able to describe the inside and outside features of the typical honeybee hive.

Materials: Computers and/or tables with internet access

Kidblog or “kid safe” blogging website

If desired, student journals or interactive notebooks

If desired, a grade-level or preferred rubric for grading responses or growth of learning during the unit; please see Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything if in need of rubrics (referenced at the end of this unit)

NEEDED RESOURCE: Patterson, Z. & Peterson, A. [TED-Ed]. (2014). Why

do honeybees love hexagons? [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEzlsjAqADA.

OPTIONAL, BUT SUGGESTED ADDITIONAL LESSON PLAN TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH KNOWLEDGE

OF ARCHITECTURE AND SHAPES/STRUCTURES: PBS Learning Media. (2015). Shapes that make

structures strong. Retrieved November 5, 2016 from http://florida.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/phy03.sci.phys.mfw.lp_shapes/shapes-that-make-structures-strong/

Please note this above lesson plan is designed for middle school students, but could be used with gifted 2nd grade students as it explores the various shapes engineers choose to make structure strong with connections to tension and compression. The multimedia resources used in this lesson show how the applications of these shapes are used in ancient and modern cultures. Students should also be encouraged to examine the angles within the shapes too.

Brief Outline of Teaching Methods/Steps: 1. Prompt a discussion to engage students’ prior knowledge of experiences with honeybee hives. Students may have experiences or seen a hive before this unit. Deep deeper by asking students if they know what the hive looks like inside.

2. Prompt students to activate their prior knowledge of hexagons and architecture in real life. Some students might mention the Pentagon, which happens to be a geometrical shape and the governmental building in Washington, DC. Encourage students to think about the purposes of shapes in architecture. Are some shapes stronger than others? If students are struggling to think of shapes in architecture, it might be beneficial to provide them with examples like the Pentagon in Washington, DC. The optional, but suggested lesson plan referenced above might be beneficial at this point to provide students with experiences how architects choose shapes to make structures strong with connections to tension and compression. The multimedia resources used in this lesson show how the applications of these shapes are used in ancient and modern cultures. Students should also be encouraged to examine the angles within the shapes too. Based on student needs, a mini-lesson of angles might need to be taught too.

3. For the whole class or within small groups, display the video text resource (referenced above) from Patterson and Peterson about bees and hexagons. Like the video text, encourage students to think like a bee and accept that sometimes trial and error is an effective strategy for problem solving.

4. If possible, acquire a piece or something from a beehive. Encourage students to research pictures and other video texts of beehives. (This may also lead students to the roles of bees in the hive and how honey is made, which will be covered in the next two lessons.)

5. Using their Kidblogs – of course, prompt students to reflect on their learning about the hives, hexagons, architecture, etc. Remind students to think like a bee along with accepting that sometimes trial and error is an effective strategy for problem solving. Like the central text, The Bee Tree (Polacco) in Lesson 1 of this unit, there are lessons we can learn from the bees and their hives. There is beauty of life lessons with factual information. Begin to encourage students to share more of their Kidblogs. (Beneficial Note for Upcoming Parts of the Unit: Gifted 2nd grade students should be given a social skills lesson how to critique and react when peers are evaluating/assessing another students’ work before the next lesson. The guidance counselor might be a great resource for this type of lesson, which might be needed for the social and emotional needs of the gifted.)

Evaluation/Assessment: At the end of this lesson, gifted 2nd grade students should make connections with the geometric shapes of the hexagon, beginning-level architecture purposes, and honeybee hives. This is the halfway point of the unit; therefore, gifted 2nd grade students’ Kidblogs should be showcasing their learning throughout the unit along with their own research about bees when time permits. Moreover, at this halfway point, gifted 2nd grade students should be developing as innovative thinkers blending creativity with fact and fiction (like The Magic School Bus) and researchers with examining credibility of their sources to avoid misconceptions with faulty information. Based on teacher choice and unique needs of the gifted 2nd

grade students, a rubric or perhaps even a contract should be given to students to assess/evaluate their developing Kidblog at the halfway point. The biggest area to assess should be how the students are developing at this point in the unit. In order to prepare for more collaboration in the upcoming lessons within the unit, students should be encouraged to examine other students’ Kidblogs with a rubric as a guide.

Supporting ESE (2e) and ELLs Strategies: Using text-to-speech, 2e and ELL students can access the text. 2e students with reading difficulties may watch videos instead of reading texts. 2e students with writing difficulties may record themselves in audio or video format for their Kidblog responses. For ELLs, they could copy text into Google Translate into their native language. ELLs may also use Google Translate to copy text in their native language to English for their Kidblog responses.

Technology Integration Matrix Level: “Active Adoption” as students are using the technology in conventional ways; the teacher controls the type of technology and the teacher regulates this activity (due to the higher order mathematics and architecture connections needed in this lesson).

Lesson 5: Job Roles of Bees with Links to Teamwork and Collaborative Learning

Florida’s Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners Focus:

By graduation, the student identified as gifted will be able to assume leadership and participatory roles in both gifted and heterogeneous group learning situations. By graduation, the student identified as gifted will be able to set and achieve personal, academic, and career goals.

Standards: LAFS.2.RI.1.2, LAFS.2.RI.2.4, LAFS.2.RI.2.6, LAFS.2.RI.3.7, LAFS.2.RI.3.8, LAFS.2.RI.3.9, LAFS.2.W.1.2, LAFS.2.W.2.5, LAFS.2.W.2.6, LAFS.2.W.3.7, LAFS.2.W.3.8, LAFS.2.SL.1.1, LAFS.2.SL.1.2, LAFS.2.L.3.4

Key/Essential Question(s): Now that we have learned about the hive, what are the honeybees’ roles or jobs inside and outside of the hive?

How do bees behave inside and outside of the hive?

Why do bees behave in certain ways inside

and outside of the hive?

Why is studying animal or insect behavior important?

What can we learn about teamwork and collaborative learning from the honeybees?

Why are teamwork and collaboration so important, especially when faced with problems?

Objective(s): Gifted 2nd grade will learn about honeybees’ major roles and job responsibilities: queen, drones, workers, undertakers, nurses, builders, guarders, foragers, etc.

Gifted 2nd grade students will learn how certain honeybees’ behaviors are and roles/job responsibilities related and question whether these behaviors are beneficial.

Gifted 2nd grade students will make connections with the importance of studying animal or insect behavior for dealing with misconceptions (Lesson 2).

Gifted 2nd grade students will learn the value of roles/job responsibilities to the honeybee hive and make connections with real life teamwork and collaboration.

Gifted 2nd grade students will begin to learn how to communicate and collaborate more effectively to creatively solve problems.

Materials: Computers and/or tables with internet access

Kidblog or “kid safe” blogging website

If desired, student journals or interactive notebooks

If desired, a grade-level or preferred rubric for grading responses or growth of learning during the unit; please see Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything if in need of rubrics (referenced at the end of this unit)

If desired, ask the guidance counselor for assistance and/or additional materials geared towards social and emotional lessons of teamwork and collaboration

NEEDED RESOURCES: AbelCline. (2013). Dance of the honey bee: A

documentary short film. [Video File].

Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://vimeo.com/60000086.

National Geographic. (2015). Amazing time-lapse:

Bees hatch before your eyes. [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6mJ7e5YmnE.

[Scinews]. (2016). Bumblebees learned to pull

strings for reward. [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSCr5OxXN1A.

[Smithsomian Channel]. (2016). What’s the waggle

dance: Why do honeybees do it? [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU_KD1enR3Q.

SUGGESTED RESOURCES: Benefits of Honey. (2015). Awesome roles of the

bees in the hive. Retrieved November 6, 2016 from http://www.benefits-of-honey.com/roles-of-bees-in-a-hive.html.

The above website is geared towards how beneficial honey is for human health, but also the amazing roles of bees in the hives. This above website uses advanced vocabulary for gifted students such as “pheromones” and scientific words: arrhenotokous and parthenogenesis. Romano, L., Papa, L. & Saulle, E. (2014). Six

awesome cooperative classroom games. Teach Hub. Retrieved November 6, 2016 from http://www.teachhub.com/6-awesome-cooperative-classroom-games

This above website provides teachers of all grade-levels with engaging activities to promote teamwork and collaboration. Young gifted students may need more mini-lessons and engaging opportunities to learn about becoming better teammates and collaborative learners in the classroom due to their unique social and emotional needs.

Brief Outline of Teaching Methods/Steps: 1. Now that students have learned about the hive,

(Flexible Based on Student Needs): they need to know about the roles and job responsibilities each honeybee has in the hive. Guide students to the unit’s resource website (www.beefriendswiththebees.weebly.com) to view the video texts about the bee life cycle, waggle dancing, and behavior (referenced above). Encourage the students to watch these video texts in small groups or individually.

2. Prompt the students to document their learning about honeybees’ roles and job responsibilities along with behavior in their Kidblogs. As always, they have the choice how to document their learning to fit their unique learning needs.

3. Encourage the students to share their learnings with their Kidblogs.

4. Share the class expectations for assessing/evaluating peers’ work with constructive criticism, friendly tone, and questioning. (If needed, ask the guidance counselor for assistance or materials/resources.) If the students need more assistance with teamwork and collaboration, this might be the time to intertwine some teamwork activities (referenced in Materials for this lesson).

5. Prompt students in a discussion about the honeybees’ roles/job responsibilities and how this relates to their teamwork. What are they trying to accomplish? Why is their teamwork so important?

6. Encourage the students to take on the bees’ perspective with some of the honeybees’ roles and job responsibilities. If desired, the classroom could become a beehive and the students would be honeybees with job responsibilities. Students could record this experience and make their own broadcasts or documentaries. They could reflect on these experiences in their Kidblogs with taking the bees’ perspective(s) with job roles for teamwork and collaboration.

7. Then, prompt students to make connections with the honeybees’ teamwork with real teamwork and collaboration in the classroom and beyond. How are we similar and different to the bees when we work in teams and collaborate? If needed, prompt students to define the word "collaboration.”

8. Allow time for students to research and add to

their Kidblog about their learning of honeybee job roles with teamwork to real life connections.

9. If needed, allow more time for students to evaluate/assess other Kidblogs keeping the expectations and friendly tone in mind.

Evaluation/Assessment: At the end of this lesson, students have now completed a little more than half of this unit. Gifted 2nd grade students should be able to make connections with the honeybees’ roles/job responsibilities with themselves individually as well as a collaborative peer in the classroom (and beyond). Observations (or checklists) for growth of social and emotional behavior for teamwork and collaboration may be beneficial from this point on within the unit. This lesson leads up to the production of honey, which is in the next lesson. Gifted 2nd grade students should be developing socially and emotionally as well as learning factual information about bees to then make connections how credible information with the beauty of life can be intertwined. At this point, some gifted 2nd grade students might even be reading information about the alarming rates of dying bees and wanting to use their connections of teamwork from this lesson to save the bees, which will be in the last lesson of this unit.

Supporting ESE (2e) and ELLs Strategies: Using text-to-speech, 2e and ELL students can access the text. 2e students with reading difficulties may watch videos instead of reading texts. 2e students with writing difficulties may record themselves in audio or video format for their Kidblog responses. For ELLs, they could copy text into Google Translate into their native language. ELLs may also use Google Translate to copy text in their native language to English for their Kidblog responses. Special populations of gifted from other countries or backgrounds may be able to share experiences of their culture’s expectations of teamwork and collaboration when relating to the honeybees.

Technology Integration Matrix Level: “Constructive Infusion” as students consistently have opportunities to select technology tools and use them in the way that best facilitates their construction of understanding; the teacher provides the context and is supportive of the student autonomy in choosing the tools and when they can best be used to accomplish the desired outcomes. Students are also moving towards “Collaborative

Adaption” with students beginning to work collaboratively as teams online with their research and applying bees’ teamwork to real life.

Lesson 6: Pollination with Biodiversity

Florida’s Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners Focus:

By graduation, the student identified as gifted will be able to conduct thoughtful research/exploration in multiple fields. By graduation, the student identified as gifted will be able to create, adapt, and assess multifaceted questions in a variety of fields/disciplines.

Standards: LAFS.2.RI.1.2, LAFS.2.RI.2.4, LAFS.2.RI.2.6, LAFS.2.RI.3.7, LAFS.2.RI.3.8, LAFS.2.RI.3.9, LAFS.2.W.1.2, LAFS.2.W.2.5, LAFS.2.W.2.6, LAFS.2.W.3.7, LAFS.2.W.3.8, LAFS.2.SL.1.1, LAFS.2.SL.1.2, LAFS.2.L.3.4

Key/Essential Question(s): What is pollination?

Why are bees important for pollination?

What is biodiversity and how is it related to pollination?

Why is biodiversity important?

Why am I learning about pollination and biodiversity before learning about the process of honey?

Objective(s): Gifted 2nd grade students will be able to define pollination beyond basic terminology.

Gifted 2nd grade students will be able to define biodiversity.

Gifted 2nd grade students will make connections with pollination and biodiversity as it relates to the bees.

Gifted 2nd grade students will learn the importance of biodiversity in relation to biology with the study of living animals and insects (organisms).

Gifted 2nd grade students will think outside-of-the-box to examine why they might be guided to learn about pollination and biodiversity before learning about how honey is made. (At this point after learning about the hive, bee behavior, and bees’ roles with responsibilities, the gifted 2nd grade students might be anticipating to learn about honey. Some gifted 2nd grade students

might have already begun researching about honey.)

Materials: Computers and/or tables with internet access

Kidblog or “kid safe” blogging website

If desired, student journals or interactive notebooks

If desired, a grade-level or preferred rubric for grading responses or growth of learning during the unit; please see Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything if in need of rubrics (referenced at the end of this unit)

NEEDED RESOURCES: Hanson, J. [It’s Okay to Be Smart]. (2013). How bees

can see the invisible. [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1TUDFCOwjY.

[How Does it Grow?] (2015). How does it grow:

Apples. [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWLmEh1HIBw.

Preshoff, K. [TED-Ed]. (2015). Why is biodiversity so

important? [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK_vRtHJZu4.

Schwartzberg, L. [TED]. (2011). The hidden beauty of

pollination. [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqsXc_aefKI.

Brief Outline of Teaching Methods/Steps: 1. Now that students have learned about the hive and honeybee jobs and responsibilities, they will learn about pollination before learning about the complete process of making honey. Guide students to the unit’s resource website (www.beefriendswiththebees.weebly.com) to view the video texts about pollination and biodiversity (referenced above). Encourage the students to watch these video texts in small groups or individually.

2. Encourage students to move beyond basic words

for defining pollination and biodiversity. Also, challenge students to use creative imagery and word play when also defining pollination and biodiversity. Students may use the referenced video texts as inspiration.

3. If needed, prompt students to investigate which crops need to be pollinated. Challenge students to investigate the costs of crops if bees could not pollinate them.

4. Encourage students to make connections with pollination and cost along with food supply and our issues of poverty and hunger.

5. Prompt the students to document their learning about pollination and biodiversity in their Kidblogs. As always, they have the choice how to document their learning to fit their unique learning needs.

6. Challenge the students to take on the perspectives of bees and/or biologists or researchers to document their learning about bees in relation to pollination and biodiversity. How can taking on another perspective challenge misconceptions?

7. Also, challenge students to think about why learning about pollination and biodiversity might be important before learning about the process of honey. (It is acceptable if students have become curious and previously read/researched about honey throughout this unit. It is important for students to know why learning about pollination should come before the process of honey.)

Evaluation/Assessment: A rubric or checklist would be beneficial for grading/evaluating students’ learning responses in their Kidblogs. At this point after learning about the hive, bee behavior, and bees’ roles with responsibilities along with pollination and biodiversity, the gifted 2nd grade students might be anticipating to learn about honey. After all, most students know that bees are famous for producing honey; it is common knowledge for most. Some gifted 2nd grade students might have already begun researching about honey. It might be beneficial to interview individual or small groups of students to truly see how their learning is developing and how their natural curiosity might be influencing their unique learning needs.

Supporting ESE (2e) and ELLs Strategies: Using text-to-speech, 2e and ELL students can access

the text. 2e students with reading difficulties may watch videos instead of reading texts. 2e students with writing difficulties may record themselves in audio or video format for their Kidblog responses. For ELLs, they could copy text into Google Translate into their native language. ELLs may also use Google Translate to copy text in their native language to English for their Kidblog responses.

Technology Integration Matrix Level: “Constructive Infusion” as students consistently have opportunities to select technology tools and use them in the way that best facilitates their construction of understanding; the teacher provides the context and is supportive of the student autonomy in choosing the tools and when they can best be used to accomplish the desired outcomes. Students are also moving towards “Collaborative Adaption” with students beginning to work collaboratively as teams online with their research and applying bees’ teamwork to real life.

Lesson 7: Process of Honey with Links to Sweet Sugars

Florida’s Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners Focus:

By graduation, the student identified as gifted will be able to conduct thoughtful research/exploration in multiple fields.

Standards: LAFS.2.RI.1.2, LAFS.2.RI.2.4, LAFS.2.RI.2.6, LAFS.2.RI.3.7, LAFS.2.RI.3.8, LAFS.2.RI.3.9, LAFS.2.W.1.2, LAFS.2.W.2.5, LAFS.2.W.2.6, LAFS.2.W.3.7, LAFS.2.W.3.8, LAFS.2.SL.1.1, LAFS.2.SL.1.2, LAFS.2.L.3.4

Key/Essential Question(s): What is honey? How can we define honey beyond basic terms?

How is honey made?

What are the benefits of honey? Why is honey important?

Who are beekeepers and how do they harvest honey?

Objective(s): Gifted 2nd grade students will define honey in advanced terms in relations to the sugars such as fructose, etc.

Gifted 2nd grade students will explore and examine the process how honey is made from honeybees.

Gifted 2nd grade students will make a timeline of the process how honey is made and make connections to the previous

lessons of the bees’ job responsibilities, pollination, biodiversity, etc.

Gifted 2nd grade students will explore and examine the benefits of honey and why honey is considered important to many cultures all around the world.

Gifted 2nd grade students should make connections how the bees make honey along with how beekeepers harvest honey.

Materials: Computers and/or tables with internet access

Kidblog or “kid safe” blogging website

If desired, student journals or interactive notebooks

If possible, bring food labels and honey labels for students to examine the different types of carbohydrates

If possible, invite a beekeeper to be a guest and speak to the students about their job roles harvesting honey

If desired, a grade-level or preferred rubric for grading responses or growth of learning during the unit; please see Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything if in need of rubrics (referenced at the end of this unit)

NEEDED RESOURCES: Collier, I. (2009). Honey: How it’s made. [Video File].

Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT6IQx26eHk.

Mud Songs Beekeeping. (2011). Cutting and bottling

honey. [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lvaphnin8Iw.

PBS Studios. [It’s Okay to Be Smart]. (2016). How do

bees make honey? [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZlEjDLJCmg.

SUGGESTED RESOURCE: National Honey Board. (n.d.). Carbohydrates and the

sweetness of honey. Retrieved November 6,

2016 from http://www.honey.com/images/downloads/carb.pdf

The above website defines the types of carbohydrates and sugars in honeys found all over the world. The language and vocabulary is very advanced as it uses scientific words. This website also introduces that honey is fermentable and provides a sensory profile of honey in aqueous solutions.

Brief Outline of Teaching Methods/Steps: 1. Now that students have learned about pollination and biodiversity, they will learn about the process of honey and its benefits. Guide students to the unit’s resource website (www.beefriendswiththebees.weebly.com) to view the video texts about honey (referenced above). Encourage the students to watch these video texts in small groups or individually.

2. Challenge students to define honey in advanced terms.

3. Challenge students to examine the different types of carbohydrates in honey and possibly compare them to other sweeteners found in our foods today.

4. While engaging with the video texts (referenced above), encourage the students to organize their learning into a timeline or some type of graphic organizer with the process of honey.

5. Prompt students to explore and examine the benefits of honey.

6. Challenge students to explore how honey is used in different cultures.

7. Challenge students to compare and contrast the job roles of honeybees making honey to beekeepers harvesting honey.

8. Encourage students to explore the generic and local honey markets.

9. As always, promote choice when students are documenting their learning within their Kidblogs.

10. Encourage students to share their documented learning within their Kidblogs.

Evaluation/Assessment: It would be beneficial to use a rubric or checklist to evaluate/assess student learning. At the end of this lesson, the gifted 2nd grade students should be able to list some of the carbohydrates like fructose in honey. Gifted 2nd grade students should be able to

provide some type of timeline or detailed list of how honeybees make honey. Moreover, the gifted 2nd grade students should examine how honey is beneficial. The gifted 2nd grade students should be able to make connections how honey is made and how it is harvested. This is towards the end of the unit; therefore, the gifted 2nd grade students should be developing as learners about the bees, becoming better at collaborative teamwork, and providing criticism or feedback with friendly tone. Interviews or some type of rubric to assess students’ reflections would be beneficial to examine the growth from beginning to the end of this unit.

Supporting ESE (2e) and ELLs Strategies: Using text-to-speech, 2e and ELL students can access the text. 2e students with reading difficulties may watch videos instead of reading texts. 2e students with writing difficulties may record themselves in audio or video format for their Kidblog responses. For ELLs, they could copy text into Google Translate into their native language. ELLs may also use Google Translate to copy text in their native language to English for their Kidblog responses. Honey has many benefits, especially when it comes to other cultures; special populations of gifted from other cultures may explore and examine how honey is harvested or “treated” in their native countries.

Technology Integration Matrix Level: “Constructive Infusion” as students consistently have opportunities to select technology tools and use them in the way that best facilitates their construction of understanding; the teacher provides the context and is supportive of the student autonomy in choosing the tools and when they can best be used to accomplish the desired outcomes. Students are also moving towards “Collaborative Adaption” with students beginning to work collaboratively as teams online with their research and applying bees’ teamwork to real life.

Lesson 8: Endangerment of Bees and Encouraging Future Global Gifted Leaders

Florida’s Frameworks for K-12 Gifted Learners Focus:

By graduation, the student identified as gifted will be able to develop and deliver a variety of authentic products/performances that demonstrate understanding in multiple fields/disciplines.

Standards: LAFS.2.RI.1.2, LAFS.2.RI.2.4, LAFS.2.RI.2.6, LAFS.2.RI.3.7, LAFS.2.RI.3.8, LAFS.2.RI.3.9,

LAFS.2.W.1.2, LAFS.2.W.2.5, LAFS.2.W.2.6, LAFS.2.W.3.7, LAFS.2.W.3.8, LAFS.2.SL.1.1, LAFS.2.SL.1.2, LAFS.2.L.3.4

Key/Essential Question(s): Why are bees endangered?

Who are global leaders?

What can we, as future global gifted leaders, do to help bees?

How have we developed as individuals and a class throughout this unit?

Objective(s): Gifted 2nd grade students will explore and examine reasons why bees are endangered.

Gifted 2nd grade students will define the characteristics, qualities, and examples of global leaders.

Gifted 2nd grade students will examine their own personal characteristics and qualities individually and as a collaborative team.

Gifted 2nd grade students will brainstorm and begin to creatively problem solve how to save the bees in their geographic area and beyond.

Gifted 2nd grade students will reflect on their learning experiences throughout the unit.

Materials: Computers and/or tables with internet access

Kidblog or “kid safe” blogging website

If desired, student journals or interactive notebooks

If possible, invite a local beekeeper to be a guest for the school to speak about saving the bees

If desired, a grade-level or preferred rubric for grading responses or growth of learning during the unit; please see Kathy Schrock’s Guide to Everything if in need of rubrics (referenced at the end of this unit)

NEEDED REFERENCE: PBS Studios. [It’s Okay to be Smart]. (2015). Why

are the bees dying? [Video File]. Retrieved October 23, 2016 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKQNx0av7eY.

Brief Outline of Teaching Methods/Steps: 1. Guide students to the referenced video text

about bees dying and the Colony Collapse Disorder. Prompt a discussion to engage students’ prior knowledge about what they have learned about bees and the challenges bees face in many geographic areas. Students may share what they know about other endangered animals.

2. Challenge students to research in small groups about the statistics of bees along with the Colony Collapse Disorder.

3. Encourage students to group/compare and contrast reasons why bees are disappearing and what is currently being done or not being done to save the bees.

4. Challenge students to research in small groups the characteristics, qualities, and examples of global leaders.

5. Allow students to take personality quizzes or explore appropriate (and credible) websites like “16personalities” and write/type poems about their personal qualities and characteristics.

6. Encourage students to take on the role of a global gifted leader. How can they save the bees as a collaborative team member?

7. Encourage students to explore leaders who are trying to save the bees.

8. Explore safe ways students can communicate and collaborate with other students in other areas. (There are educational websites that can arrange pen-pals/buddies in other states or even countries.)

9. As always, promote choice when students are documenting their learning within their Kidblogs.

10. Encourage students to share their documented learning within their Kidblogs.

11. Invite members of the school and outside of the school to provide feedback of the students’ Kidblogs.

12. Create a timeline or plan to keep saving the bees beyond this unit.

13. Continue to develop and work on a project of the students’ choice(s) to save the bees and reach out to others across the globe in safe ways. (The possibilities are endless. Students could choose to raise money like a fundraiser to give to an organization devoted to saving

the bees, develop a school-safe beehive, etc.)

Evaluation/Assessment: Interviews may be beneficial to examine and evaluate/assess the growth during this unit. A rubric or checklist can be used to evaluate/assess each Kidblog. It would be beneficial if the students could get feedback from each other as well as other people inside and outside of the community. One of the major goals for this entire unit is to guide gifted students’ curiosity to become better researchers examining credibility and become collaborative teammates to creatively problem solve local and global issues. Since student choice is embraced throughout this entire unit when they document their learning on Kidblog, gifted students should be able to reflect on their overall learning in connections to their needs and strengths. The students should be able to also communicate what they learned about bees as well as themselves as individuals.

Supporting ESE (2e) and ELLs Strategies: Using text-to-speech, 2e and ELL students can access the text. 2e students with reading difficulties may watch videos instead of reading texts. 2e students with writing difficulties may record themselves in audio or video format for their Kidblog responses. For ELLs, they could copy text into Google Translate into their native language. ELLs may also use Google Translate to copy text in their native language to English for their Kidblog responses.

Technology Integration Matrix Level: “Constructive Infusion” as students consistently have opportunities to select technology tools and use them in the way that best facilitates their construction of understanding; the teacher provides the context and is supportive of the student autonomy in choosing the tools and when they can best be used to accomplish the desired outcomes. Some classrooms may even be in the “Collaborative Transformation” as the teacher seeks partnerships outside of the setting to allow students to access experts and peers in other locations and encourages students to extend the use of collaborative technology tools in the higher order learning activities.

References

Creative Education Foundation. (2016). Creative problem solving: Brainstorming. Retrieved November 5,

2016 from http://www.creativeeducationfoundation.org/creative-problem-

solving/brainstorming/

Florida Department of Education. (2013). Florida’s frameworks of k-12 gifted learners. Retrieved

November 5, 2016 from

http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7567/urlt/k12giftedlearners.pdf

Shrock, K. (2016). Kathy schrock’s guide to everything: Assessment and rubrics. Retrieved November 5,

2016 from http://www.schrockguide.net/assessment-and-rubrics.html

University of South Florida Florida Center for Instructional Technology. (2016). The technology

integration matrix. Retrieved November 5, 2016 from http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix.php