Waggle Dance – Part 1

What is communication?

• Quick discussion using the Catch a Partner method
• Focus on: Can communication happen without words?

Discover the Waggle Dance 

• Give students one observation question beforehand:

“What information do you think the bee is communicating?”

• Watch  the video: The Waggle Dance – Part 1, from NativLang, showing how bees communicate.
• Briefly discuss what students noticed.

Explain (or have students research briefly):

• The ‘Waggle Dance’ communicates direction, distance, and quality of food sources.
• It’s based on angle relative to the sun and vibration duration.
• It’s a form of symbolic language, which is rare in the animal kingdom.

How does the Waggle Dance work? 
Explain the essentials:

• Direction → related to the sun
• Distance → communicated through the duration of the waggle
• Food quality/value → communicated through aspects of the dance/recruitment behaviour

Create your own dance language 
In groups:

• Choose a destination in the school.
• Decide how your dance will communicate direction and distance.
• Create a simple code.
• Test whether another group can understand it.

The important question is:

“Can someone understand your message without you explaining it with words?”

Reflect with the students.  Ask questions as:

• What does the Waggle Dance tell us about the intelligence of bees?
• Can movement ever replace language? In what contexts?
• Why is communication often misunderstood?