Three honey bee observation hives were installed at the middle school just before the start of the school year. For students, the hives are the beginning of a rare opportunity to see scientific concepts applied to the real world. For middle school science teacher Becky Martin, it was also the culmination of months of planning.
Martin applied for a Foundation grant to cover the cost of the hives in November, 2016. Then in January of this year she applied for a William O. Vandenberg Scholarship from the Foundation to obtain her Master Beekeeper Certification from Cornell University.
The hives are in the science classes of Martin, Lindsey Lantz and John Burke and they’ve been a huge hit with students. “The hives give kids the chance to learn about biology, chemistry, astronomy, diversity, competition, botany, ecology, pollution. There’s so much we can learn from honey bees,” Martin says. “They’re also known for teamwork, consistent tireless efforts and a sense of the greater common good. These principles will be tightly coupled with our middle school culture.”
School News Network wrote a terrific article about how students are interacting with the hives. You can find it at their site at: https://www.schoolnewsnetwork.org/index.php/2017-18/learning-eye-bee-holder/
