Bees and Honey (1.5 hours)

The “Bees and Honey” program is a three-part program that involves the following: visiting the hive, a slide presentation on the inner workings of a hive, and extracting and tasting different types of honey.  The “Bees and Honey” program may also be modified into two 45-minute units in order to accommodate two groups, as described later.

Part One: Hive Visit (1/2 hour) 

During the hive visit portion of the Bees and Honey program, students will be able to visit the beehive located in the apple orchard.  Students will be seated on benches as they learn the safe behaviors around this hive.  They will be guided in an overview of the basic make up of an insect (body segments, legs, wings, and other body parts) and how the honeybee fits within these parameters.  Students will learn the casts of honeybee from queen to drone to worker along with the corresponding jobs of each one.  Proper handling of bees and the function of various bee-keeping tools will be demonstrated as an instructor explains how to open the hive.  Students will be able to take a close-up look through a glass window at the inside of the hive as they learn why the hive is located in the orchard, the various inner-parts of the hive and how bees communicate.

Part Two: Slide Presentation (1/2 hour) 

The slide presentation, presented in one of our classrooms, will consist of a series of color slides allowing for close up observations of the honeybee.  The honeybee will be defined as an insect and the identifying parts of the different casts of honeybee will be identified throughout the slide presentation.  An in-depth look at the queen, drone, and worker bees will familiarize students with the physical and social differences in each cast of honeybee.  Students will become acquainted with the life cycle of the honeybee through a series of pictures tracing the cycle from egg through larva and pupa stages to an adult bee.  The various jobs of the bees will also be discussed and illustrated through slides.  Other honeybee behaviors, such as swarming, navigating, and communication, will also be covered.  Students will also learn how the honeybees survive the winter months.

*In the event of rain, the hive portion of the program will be moved to an indoor classroom, with the exception of going outside to look in the hive.  While outside looking in the hive, cover will be provided under a canopy.

Part Three: Honey Tasting (1/2 hour) 

Students will trace the process of making honey from the bees gathering nectar to the collection of honey by humans.  Students will be able to observe a demonstration of honey extraction using a decapping knife to remove the beeswax caps and an extractor to remove the honey from the honeycomb.  Students will also learn that honey can have a different taste depending on the source of the nectar used to make the honey.  Students will be able to taste various kinds of honey from different sources of nectar in order to compare and contrast the honey flavors.  Students will also participate in making a special honey treat from honey and other ingredients. 

The “Bees and Honey” program may also be modified into two 45-minute units in order to accommodate two groups, as described below.

Part One: Hive Visit (45-minutes)

During the hive visit portion of the Bees and Honey program, students will be able to visit the beehive located in the apple orchard.  Students will be seated on benches as they learn safe behaviors around this hive.  They will be guided in an overview of the basic make up of an insect (body segments, legs, wings, and other body parts) and how the honeybee fits within these parameters.  Students will learn the casts of honeybee from queen to drone to worker along with the corresponding jobs of each one.  Proper handling of bees and the bee keeping tools will be demonstrated as an instructor explains how to open the hive.  Students will be able to take a close-up look through a glass window at the inside of the hive as they learn why the hive is located in the orchard and the various inner-parts of the hive.   Students will trace the process of making honey from the bees gathering nectar to the collection of honey by humans. 

*In the event of rain, the hive portion of the program will be moved to an indoor classroom, with the exception of going outside to look in the hive.  While outside looking in the hive, cover will be provided under a canopy.

Part Two: Slide Presentation and Honey Tasting (45-minutes) 

The slide presentation, presented in one of our classrooms, will consist of a series of color slides allowing for close up observations of the honeybee.  A look at the queen, drone, and worker bees will familiarize students with the physical and social differences in each class of honeybee.  Students will become acquainted with the life cycle of the honeybee through a series of pictures tracing the cycle from egg through larva and pupa stages to an adult bee.  The various jobs of the bees will also be discussed and illustrated through slides.  Other honeybee behaviors, such as swarming, navigating, and communication, will also be covered.  Students will also learn how the honeybees survive the winter months. 

Students will be able to observe a demonstration of honey extraction using a decapping knife to remove the beeswax caps and an extractor to remove the honey from the honeycomb.  Students will learn that honey can have a different taste depending on the source of the nectar used to make the honey.  Students will be able to taste various kinds of honey from different sources of nectar in order to compare and contrast the honey flavors.  Students will also participate in making a special honey treat from honey and other ingredients.