The World’s Most Important Insect

First, watch The World’s Most Important Insect from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.  It explains why bees are so important for our ecosystems and food supply.

Discuss the video together. You can ask questions like:

• What proportion of all plants depend on pollination?

• What human-made factors are threatening bees?

• What key points are mentioned in the video?

You can use the Round Robin – Writing or the Matrix Groups for the discussion.

Then watch this short video from Cheerios, that shows what supermarkets might look like in a future without bees.

In some places, a world without bees is already becoming a reality. In these areas, hand pollination or using robotsis the only alternative.
Watch The World’s Most Important Insect from DW to see how hand pollination works in Southwest China.

Now, let’s take action! Even small changes can make a big difference for bees. You can do something at school or in your local community. Find inspiration in the following Bricks:

• To experiment with hand pollination, try the activity Learn About Pollination
• To do something concrete for the bees, try the activity How to Make a Bee Hotel?
• To examine the situation of the bees in your region? Try the activity Biodiverisity Mapping
• To start a campaign, try the activity Bee the Change – Part 1.

If you want the students to work in groups, you can use the Team Contract, Interest Groups or Competency Groups method.