Students work in groups to research, design, build, and install a bee hotel, then observe insect activity around it.
This brick aims to raise awareness of the importance of pollinators, develop ecological thinking, and foster hands-on collaboration through sustainable design.
As students will be constructing a Bee Hotel, it is important to make sure you have all materials and tools that the students could possibly need.
Begin by discussing key facts about bees, including why they are endangered, what their nesting needs are, and why pollinators are essential for ecosystems and food production.
You can use the Quiz-Quiz-Trade, Star Race or Memory method to make it playful while still including a lot of knowledge.
Watch the articles and videos. You find them in the resources of How to Make a Bee Hotel – Videos
Divide the students in small groups (for example through Competency Groups or Interest Groups).
All groups start sketching a first version of a Bee Hotel
To include everyone in generating creative ideas in the group you can use the method Idea Relay.
To make sure the Bee Hotel will be useful for the bees, you can include the Nature-Inspired (biomimicry) method.
To pracatise Sketching you can use Sketching method.
Every group draws one final, precise sketch of the Bee Hotel (including dimensions, materials, layout etc.). They can use computer programs or hand drawings.
When the students have a clear design, they can start constructing. Make sure that all students know how to use the building tools, and supervise the students while they work with them.
When the Bee Hotel is finished, it can be installed. Place the bee hotel in a sunny and dry location, facing south or southeast, and about 1 meter above the ground.
After installing the Bee Hotel, students can observe and reflect by monitoring which insects visit or nest in their Bee Hotel. Bee Hotels can be improved according to the observations.
Methods that can be used are the User Testing (each group focussing on their own Bee Hotel) or Similarities and Differences (focussing on all Bee Hotels).
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