Bees Math and

Literacy Unit Plan

By Samantha Bee
www.mathandliteracy.com

2011

Table of Contents

Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................................2
Bees Math and Literacy Unit Plan....................................................................................................4
Objectives .................................................................................................................................................4
Components .............................................................................................................................................4
Common Core State Standards .........................................................................................................7
English Language Arts...................................................................................................................................7
Reading Literature ........................................................................................................................................7
Key Ideas and Details................................................................................................................................7
Integration and Support ...........................................................................................................................7
Reading Informational Texts ........................................................................................................................7
Foundational Skills........................................................................................................................................8
Writing..........................................................................................................................................................8
Text Type and Purpose..............................................................................................................................8
Production and Distribution of Writing ....................................................................................................9
Research to Build and present Knowledge ...............................................................................................9
Mathematics.................................................................................................................................................9
Counting and Cardinality ..........................................................................................................................9
Operations and Algebraic Thinking ..........................................................................................................9
Number and Operations in Base Ten ......................................................................................................10
Measurement and Data..........................................................................................................................10
Geometry ................................................................................................................................................10
Operations and Algebraic Thinking ........................................................................................................10
Number and Operations in Base Ten ......................................................................................................10
Measurement and Data..........................................................................................................................10
Geometry ................................................................................................................................................10
Bee Unit Resources............................................................................................................................ 11
Fiction .....................................................................................................................................................11
Nonfiction ...............................................................................................................................................13
KWL Chart Activity ............................................................................................................................ 15
KWL Tree Chart.........................................................................................................................................17
Sing Along with Guitar Chords....................................................................................................... 20
Guitar Chords..........................................................................................................................................26
Sing Along Group Questions ........................................................................................................... 27
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Reading Comprehension Activity ................................................................................................. 28

Elements of a Story Activity .....................................................................................................................29
Bees CAN/HAVE Activity..........................................................................................................................31
Bee Puzzles! ......................................................................................................................................... 32
Find the Hive! .............................................................................................................................................33
Bee Word Search ........................................................................................................................................34
Literacy Activities .............................................................................................................................. 35
Word Strips for Sing Along .........................................................................................................................36
What Color is the Flower? ..........................................................................................................................40
Math Activities .................................................................................................................................... 43
Counting Practice .......................................................................................................................................44
Counting Practice .......................................................................................................................................45
Counting Practice .......................................................................................................................................46
Counting Practice .......................................................................................................................................47
Counting Practice .......................................................................................................................................48
Counting Practice .......................................................................................................................................49
Counting by Fives........................................................................................................................................50
Fewer by Fives ............................................................................................................................................51
More by Fives .............................................................................................................................................52
Counting by Twos .......................................................................................................................................53
Fewer by Twos............................................................................................................................................54
More by Twos .............................................................................................................................................55
Bee Shapes............................................................................................................................................ 56
Bee Shapes Cut-Out Patterns .....................................................................................................................57
Bees Science Activity ........................................................................................................................ 58
How Bees Carry Pollen ............................................................................................................................58
Objective.................................................................................................................................................58
Materials ................................................................................................................................................58
Instructions .............................................................................................................................................58
How Bees Carry Pollen Observations .........................................................................................................60
The Big Book of Bees Activity..................................................................................................... 62
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................64
Things That I learned ..................................................................................................................................65
Things That I learned ..................................................................................................................................66
Things That I learned ..................................................................................................................................67
Things That I learned ..................................................................................................................................68
My Bee Diagram .........................................................................................................................................69

2011

What Color is the Flower?

Identify what color rhymes is the word and picture.
Then color the flower.

1. The color of this flower

rhymes with BED.

2. The color of this flower

rhymes with BEAN.






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Counting by Fives

How many bees belong to each hive? Count by fives and write the answer
in the box.

15

_____________________________________________________________________________________
1.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
2.

_____________________________________________________________________________________
3.

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Bees Science Activity

How Bees Carry Pollen

Objective
Students will...

learn what pollination is and what it does.

learn how bees help flowers.
learn bow bees carry pollen.
practice observation and analysis.

Materials

Velcro - one piece per student or pair of students (TIP: kids can use their shoes if you can't
get enough pieces of Velcro).
Soft material that will stick to Velcro.
Hand lenses.

Instructions
1. What is pollination? Ask your children if they know what pollinations is. If they don't have
an answer, ask them how bees help flowers. Help them access the knowledge they already
have.

2. If you have access to a projector (or other method of showing YouTube videos), show the
following two videos. The first helps define the word "pollinate." The second illustrates
what happens when bees pollinate flowers.

"Pollinate" on Sesame Street
http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=jhUfaGd-JC0

Pollinate Cartoon by David Levy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDM8OtS5MPM

Alternative: If you cannot show the videos above, simply describe the process to your
children. Draw pictures on the board to help illustrate the process. Explain that bees take
pollen from one flower and bring it to other flowers, which helps flowers reproduce (make
more flowers).

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2011