STEM RATIONALE

Teaching STEM in the primary years of schooling is very important, and the need for it to be
taught is only growing, as society and technologies continue to develop. Through teaching
STEM, students are given many opportunities to explore, design and create solutions to
problems they face.

The UN sustainable development goal that aligns with this major stem project is goal 15 Life on
Land. This goal places emphasis on the urgent actions we must take to sustainably manage
forests, restore our ecosystems, halt and reverse biodiversity loss and land degradation. Bees
play a major role in achieving goal 15. As pollinators, bees play a vital role in every aspect of
our ecosystems. Bees sustain and grow wildlife habitats, by supporting the growth of flowers,
trees and other plants, which serve as shelter and food for many other species. Many plants
cannot survive without bees, as bees are responsible for the production of seeds, fruits, berries
and nuts which serve as food for many animals.

In recent years, bee populations have been declining globally, due to climate change, colony
collapse and loss of habitat. If bees were to go extinct, many plants would die, and a third of our
food supply would be gone, as it is estimated that bees are responsible for a third of all the food
we consume globally. The major stem project that is a result of the 8 lessons is the creation of a
bee hotel. Through this unit, students will develop an understanding of the importance of bees
and sustainability, and will be given an opportunity to use their critical and creative thinking to
design solutions to the problems that bees face. In lesson 2, students will experience an
incursion where they will learn about bee hives, making honey and beekeeping. Through many
lessons, students will be learning about the various species of bees that are native to Australia
and will gain an understanding of Australian biodiversity. Throughout the unit, students will also
learn about various bee friendly plants, and how we can create our homes and gardens to be
more bee friendly and sustainable.

Students will be encouraged to use their critical and creative thinking skills to research, design
and build a bee habitat that will be installed at the school. Students will be provided with 3
lessons dedicated to this, and are encouraged to work outside, and participate in nature
scavenger hunts to resources to build their habitats. In the design criteria of the design brief,
students are told to choose two flowers that are native to Australia to go in their bee habitat and
to work with natural and reused materials

As a result of this unit, students will have a greater understanding of how important bees are to
our ecosystems globally, and will be encouraged to have a new outlook on sustainability, and
incorporate their knowledge in their everyday lives to work towards achieving the UN
sustainable development goal 15.