We are currently doing a unit on Texas woodlands and one of the dads was kind enough to gift the class a giant hornets' best. This thing is shaped like a football and about 2 feet long and a foot and a half in diameter. The children have been extremely fascinated in it and have been asking many many questions. The most frequent one being if it's a "bee hive" like they see on TV and if there's honey inside. It truly is an amazing specimen but it is huge, I was wondering what are your thoughts on the educational value of cutting it open as a class activity? On one hand the thing looks amazing intact but in the other hand I think this could be a fun interactive learning experience and I do not want to have to store that thing after our woodlands unit.
I am going to run it by my P first but I am wanting to bring in a fresh honeycomb tomorrow so the kids can see the difference and maybe have a little bite of wild honey.
I would so be cutting it open. It's a nice specimen as is, but it'll be just as nice a specimen in halves to display the insides.
Next question is what's the best/most engaging way to do this? Split the thing in half to display? Or let the kids unwrap it so they can touch and experience the feelings and textures.
Seems like a chance to be true scientists: Have them predict what the inside will look like and why they think that. Maybe even have them draw a picture of their prediction. Then, once it's opened, have them share what they notice as a class, and then have them jot down their actual observation - perhaps both descriptively and as a picture like they did at the beginning.
P already said no to that. He said he thought it would be a good idea to bring a piece of comb so the kids can see what the difference between a bee hive and hornet nest is but he said allergies are a concern when it comes to letting the kids taste it.
Welp, I was stung 9 times trying to knock a wild honey comb out of the tree behind my house. I figured if I tried this after dark the bees would be asleep. At least I got a nice big chunk so tomorrow my kids can do a compare and contrast between the wasp nest and behive.
Another precaution you might have already thought of, it's best to caution the students to be careful around seemingly inactive hives. A teacher brought one in one day from the playground, as I recall it was during a cold weather season, and when inside the warm school building, let's just say we had some unwelcome visitors in the hallways. Bzzzzzzzzz. Wa-a-a-a-ay off the subject, and contrary to entomologists' advice, I've had success combating paper wasps (and apparently other bees) with Ivory soap. In the spring, I spray soapy water onto my shed doors and various targets around the house; the bees avoid nesting there. I did try scented dishwashing liquid one year for a double whammy--the scent is a natural insecticide in most products. Yipes!!! It was a weird, weird, weird experience! The scent attracted bees from seemingly out of nowhere and repelled them at the same time! You'd have had to have seen it to believe it. Anyway, I find this a safe repellent for the bees because they sense the soap and avoid it. Bees are important. All life on earth depends upon their survival and the job they do.
Don't worry I had my bases covered. The dad who gifted it assured me that he froze the nest to death with dry ice, and just for an added measure I have kept it sitting inside a closed tote with a rag soaked in nail polish remover. Also it looks like I was stung more than 9 times yesterday and have bee welts all over my arms. I suppose I can show the children as a cautionary tale so they will know that harassing a bee hive is not add it appears in Winnie the pooh
This thread reminds me of this video. If you don't want to cut the nest open, you could show this instead.
We went ahead and cut the nest open and every kid got to keep a piece. Part of the experience was letting them touch and feel themselves. We videotaped our experience but district guidelines prohibit distribution without approval so I could not post our experience.
