Top Shelf Tales

Grade 1:

1. What did you learn about honeybees that you didn’t know before? (RI.1.1)
2. Can you describe the different stages of a honeybee’s life? (RI.1.2)
3. What does a honeybee do to help its hive? (RI.1.3)
4. How do the illustrations help you understand the story of the honeybee? (RI.1.7)

Grade 2:

1. What did you find the most interesting about the honeybee’s life? Why? (RI.2.1)
2. What are some jobs a honeybee does during its life? (RI.2.3)
3. How do honeybees communicate with each other? (RI.2.6)
4. Explain how the picture on pages 11-12 help you understand what is being described in the text on those pages. (RI.2.7)
5. Why are honeybees important to our environment? (RI.2.8)

Grade 3:

1. What are some of the challenges that honeybees face, and how do they overcome them? (RI.3.1)
2. Use the facts and details from the story to explain the life of a honeybee. (RI.3.1)
3. What are the different stages of a honeybee’s life, and how are each of them important? (RI.3.3)
4. Describe the seven parts of a honeybee and their functions. (RI.3.7)
5. Why are honeybees important to the environment, and what can we do to help protect them? (RI.3.8)

Grade 1:

1. Draw a picture of a honeybee and write a sentence about what it is doing based on a fact from the book. (W.1.2)
2. Write a diary entry from the perspective of a honeybee. What did the honeybee do today? (W.1.3)

Grade 2:

1. Write a letter to a honeybee thanking it for its hard work. Be sure to mention some of the important jobs it does. (W.2.1)
2. Write a short report about the life cycle of a honeybee. Include at least 3 facts that you learned from the book. (W.2.2)

Grade 3:

1. Research another insect and write a comparison between it and the honeybee. Make a Venn diagram to show how they are similar and different. (W.3.2)
2. Write a short story about a day in the life of a honeybee, including details about its different jobs and adventures. (W.3.3)

1. Create a life cycle wheel of aa honeybee. Divide a paper plate into four sections and draw each stage (egg, larva, pupa, adult), then use craft materials to decorate the different stages.
2. Use cotton balls to simulate bees collecting pollen. Dip a cotton ball in powder, then touch it to different surfaces to show the “pollen” being spread.
3. Taste different types of honey and compare their flavors, discussing how bees visiting different flowers can affect the way they taste. (Always ensure no children have allergies!)

1. Empathy and Teamwork: Discuss how honeybees work together as a team to support their hive. Ask children to share examples of when they have worked as part of a team and how it made them feel.
2. Practice Mindfulness: Take children outside to (carefully and safely) observe bees and other insects. Practice mindfulness by focusing on the sounds and movement of nature.