Need 1) Understand the importance of pollinators to humans

1. Needs- This will address several specific needs to dispel current misconceptions and replace them with more robust scientific explanations tied to real-world application. • Need 1) Understand the importance of pollinators to humans • The honey bee is a misunderstood animal. Honey bees play a role among a bigger categorization of animals of pollinators. Pollinators are responsible for bringing us one out of every three bites of food that we eat and pollinating 90% of the world’s plants. Bees, moths, and other pollinators are responsible for producing 80% of all the fruit we eat daily (LaBare, K. et al.) and of that, “80% of insect crop pollination is accomplished by honey bees,” (The National Honey Board 2001 as cited by Campbell, A.).

2. Lawrence DuBoseEvolution and Ecology- ENTER SYMBIOSIS • Objective • The objective of this unit is to integrate the concept of symbiosis into the ecology curriculum with a field trip. By studying symbiotic relationships in general, and a specific mutually beneficial symbiotic relationship between honey bees and human in particular, students will complete this section being able to describe in detail the process of and some historical origins of symbiosis, as well as the benefit to each . They will identify the direct benefits of honey bees to them and their daily diets as well as to the ecosystem in general.

3. Need 2) Understand the history of honey bees in our lives • "The human-honey bee partnership as a classic example of coevolution. The bees have benefited at least as much as we have." (Jacobsen 33-34) • "It took bees millions of years to hammer out the details of the pollination-for-nectar deal with flowers, but just a few thousand to get humans to break our backs building hives and hauling them around in exchange for a little sugar. / Sure, you can say that we were conscious of the relationship in a way that the bees weren't, but EVOLUTION doesn't care about consciousness or intention, only results, and the results are unequivocal: Honey bees have conquered the world with the help of their human general contractors" (Jacobsen 34). • How did honey bees separate from other similar insects? "About two million years ago, in Africa, a branch of honey bees decided to give up veranda living. ApisMellifera moved indoor, usually to a dry tree hollow or rock crevice, and weatheredproofed the place... Instead of hibernation... migration... generational death... they brought the tropics with them, staying metabolically active through the winter and leaning heavily on honey stores" (Jacobsen 29). • Why does the current popular honeybee dominate beekeeping? "One race of bee made things especially attractive... [They] were particularly gentle and industrious. The made tons of hone, rarely stung, and were prolific breeders. [A Swiss army captain] acquired a colony and began spreading the word" (Jacobsen 32-33). It spread to Europe, the Americas, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan and continues to dominate the industry(Jacobsen 33).

4. Need 3) Understand the concept of pollination • Students at younger ages have deeply embedded misconceptions about pollination. These come from a lack of instruction in the primary grades supplemented with misconceptions or gaps in content in children’s text books and science books. • Here’s one assessment of the current situation: • Research suggests that students struggle with concepts related to plant reproduction, such as not understanding that flowers are the source of fruit and that pollination is related to sexual reproduction. As part of an analysis of the effectiveness of a long-term unit of study on fourth-grade students’ (about 9 years old) understanding of the flowering plant lifecycle, Schussler and Winslow (2007) analysed 81 student drawings of a plant lifecycle before the unit of study. Earlier in the school year, these same students had been taught about the flowering plant lifecycle using the school district’s textbook and associated curriculum materials. Despite this prior instruction, only 84% of students drew a flower being produced by the plant, 64% drew a • seed being produced from that flower, and only three of the 81 students (4%) drew a fruit being produced from the flower. • Schussler also identifies other misconceptions that text books have led children to develop: • “Hershey (2004) refers to the common confusion between pollination and fertilization, as well as a tendency to think pollination is solely dependent on animals.” For example, students don’t understand wind pollination or self-pollination. • “Since research indicates that students take the information in children’s book as the authority (Rice, 2002).” Since it’s in a book, children assume all the information contained in it is factual. • “these inaccuracies have the potential to support or create misconceptions about the topic being presented (Mayer, 1995). For instance, a book that does not make clear that flowers are the site of fruit development, and that also has an inaccuracy about the flowers falling off after pollination, may embed improper knowledge about plant reproduction in its readers” (1691).

5. Need 4) Understand the present risks to our symbiotic friends • It is estimated that between 2006-2007, 23% of beekeeping operations suffered from a mysterious loss of bees termed Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) in which beekeepers have lost on average 45% of their colonies (Cox-Foster). The bees go out to gather nectar and do not return, with only a few remaining in a hive which eventually die off. The circumstances behind CCD are poorly understood, but there is strong evidence that pesticides play some role in causing the bees to become disoriented and losing their way back to the hive. “CCD provides a real-world example of the importance of learning about honeybees and their connection to our food supply.” Bee hives in the United States have decreased from 6.0 million in the mid-1940’s to 2.1 million today (DuBose).

6. Need 5) Carry out a trip with safety • In order for students to carry out a successful field trip investigation of pollinators in their natural settings, their safety must be considered the top priority. Rupp surveys the different reactions to stings, their symptoms, and the appropriate medical interventions needed. He provides educators, specifically those conducting biology field trips, with preventive measures as well as in field responses to students. Those with severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis) are required to carry an epi-pen as a sting could kill them within fifteen minutes. However, the possibility of fatality from bee stings is extremely low, with only 40-50 people in the U.S. dying a year from it. However, the single best prevention strategy is not to be stung at all. By educating students about bee attractants and deterrents, they are more likely to conduct a successful excursion in which students avoid being stung. Brightly colored clothing, especially blues, greens and yellows as well as flashy jewelry are attractants for honey bees. Fragrant perfumes also attract bees while swatting angers them. For educators, aspirin or antihistamine tablets serve as effective measures to reduce swelling if a sting does occur. In the event a sting occurs, scraping the stinger, washing with antiseptic, applying ice, and applying baking soda all minimize reaction. For the worst case scenario, anaphylaxis shock, educators need to scrape out the stinger, apply ice to the spot, notify medical personnel, and use an epinephrine syringe. Having a little bit of training, a first aid kit, and brief classes in preventive measures can make a big difference in student safety around bees on field trips.

7. Materials and Methods • Textbook • Internet • Poster • Journal • Bus (for transportation) • First aid kit with ice-pack and epi-pen(s) • Time • This ecological lesson will take about one and a half to two weeks.

8. Procedure • These assessments and activities will be conducted with high school freshmen. • To better understand symbiosis, students will view the video, Ancient Farmers of the Amazon: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/library/01/3/quicktime/l_013_01.html • They will identify three benefits the fungi render to the ants and three benefits the ants render to the fungus. • Read and then explain current misconceptions in current children’s books on pollination, • watch a video and take notes on the life cycles of honey bees, • sit through a safety exercise on how to avoid being stung by honey bees by wearing appropriate length clothing (long-sleeves, long pants), avoiding certain colors clothing (bright yellow, blue, and green), avoiding strong perfumes, and taking a quiz of how to be safe around honey bees, also consider interventions if they do get stung (Rupp), • See models to illustrate the role of pollination in nature, and, • Journal what they know about honey bees and listen to a speaker on colony collapse disorder (CCD) and its effect on the honey bee populations. • During the field trip, students will be broken up into five groups of five, each with a parental chaperone. To prevent from overwhelming the resources at the nature center, classes will stagger their visits either morning or afternoon on one of the following days of Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday the second week of the unit. Students will spend equal amounts of time at the following stations doing the following: • observe a glass observation hive and draw each stage of development of the bees and then write down one thing they want to know about bees, • put on bee veils and observe an actual hive (this is where students with allergies or abstention or non-passing grades on the safety quiz observe butterflies with instructor), • take a snack break, • listen to a talk about the big picture of pollination and honey bees from a local beekeeper. • Following the field trip, the students will return to class and complete, by the end of the week, a poster presentation project with a partner in which they use pictures to connect the ideas of: fruit, flower, seed, larva, pupae, adult, pollen, pollination, human food, symbiosis, coevolution, and bee food.

9. To better understand this unit as a whole, students should be able to: • Identify types of pollinators • Identify how much of the average person’s diet depends on pollinators • Study life cycle model organism (honey bee) to determine purpose for their pollination • Accurately trace the life cycle of a plant from seed through the flowering and fruit stage. Identify especially the process that allows a flower to change from a flower to a fruit. • The activity will have several assessment phases: • Diagnositc pretest administered at the beginning of the unit- determine student understandings of the following: • Definitions: • Pollination- • Pollinator- • Pollen- • Co-evolution- • Symbiosis- • Parasitism- • Concepts: • Where does fruit come from? • What helpful role do insects, such as honey bees, play in the environment • What is food for insects, such as butterflies and bees? • How can the following be connected: • Seed • Pollinating Insects • Fruits • Humans • Flowers

10. Actions • What are things you may do that would harm pollinators? • What can you do to avoid these things? • What are things you can do that can benefit pollinators? • On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being not important and 10 being very important, how important is it for us to help pollinators? • Why • Formative assessments administered as written quiz to track student understanding after classroom prep time and as requirement to participate on field trip: • What is the life cycle of bees? • To keep from getting stung- What clothing should be avoided around bees? • To keep from getting stung- What actions should be avoided around bees? • What should you do if you do get stung by bee? • What do bees carry from flower to flower? • What do bees feed off of? • Formative assessment in the field where student: • Draws bee life cycles after talking with beekeeper • Draws what bees carry when going from flower to flower • Summative assessment measured in two parts • Class poster presentation diagramming bee life cycle and relationship between bees and flowers and humans using the following words: • Fruit • Flower • Seed • Larva • Pupae • Adult • Pollen • Pollination • Human food • Bee food • Individual exam that asks the same questions as pre-unit exam to measure student learning and understanding of concepts following project.

11. References • Campbell, A. (Feb 2009) Honeybees, butterflies and ladybugs: partners to plants, help students • recognize the mutually beneficial relationships honeybees, butterflies, and ladybugs share with plants. Science and Children. 46,6, 29-33. • Diana L. Cox-Foster, et al. (Oct 2007). A Metagenomic Survey of Microbes in Honey Bee Colony • Collapse Disorder. Science. 318, 12, 283-287. • DuBose, L.A. The Plight of the Honey Bee. Meeting of the Illinois State Beekeeper’s Association. (Nov 7, 2009). • Jacobsen, R. 2008. Fruitless Fall. Bloomsbury, USA, New York, NY. • LaBare, K.; Broyles, S.; Klotz, L. (Apr. 2000). Exploring nectar biology to learn about pollinators. The • American Biology Teacher, 62,4,292-296. • Rupp, R. (1991) Bee stings and their consequences. The American Biology Teacher. 53, 5, 275-280. • Schussler, Elisabeth E.(2008)'From Flowers to Fruits: How children's books represent plant reproduction', • International Journal of Science Education,30:12,1677 — 1696