Patrick Harman Tutor: Patrick Hampton Word count 273

Rationale

Native bee populations are in decline needing the help of students to create more suitable bee
homes for the native bees to live and prevent the loss of biodiversity in the northern suburbs of
Perth. Providing habitat for the native bee populations is in line with UN Sustainable Development
Goal 15, Life on land, reducing the loss of biodiversity. This goal is also important to the cross-
curriculum goal of sustainability, organizing idea 1,2,3,5,6,7 and 9. The project the year 4 class will
be undertaking will reflect sustainability using discarded building materials such as timber, bricks
and clay blocks and quick replenishing materials, bamboo. The project itself has a small eco footprint
as well as promoting biodiversity of local bee populations for the benefit of future generations. The
project will also address some social requirements of the school by inviting parents to help and
communicate with their children on design and assembly of the bee hotel. The project has a simple
aim of building a home for native bees. This aim will bring them on a journey of design and
exploration as the project includes two excursions one to the local reuse site Tamala Park and a
second to the Yellagonga national park where they will learn about the interconnection of all living
things in ecosystems and lifecycles. The design phase allows students to fully imagine how they can
create a bee hotel, mansion or castle the choice is theirs. Some will have pools, others will have
gardens. Once the bee hotel is built students will observe the native bees using the home and
successfully raising families and even generations of new bees.