13 minute read
Rettet die Bienen!: What Germany Can Teach the World About Saving the Bees” by Andrea Overby
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Materials needed HS-LS2-7. Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
HS-LS4-5. Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
Access to recommended texts and websites included in the “Teacher Background” section of this lesson Access to the internet/computers/printers for some activities and assignments “Save The Bees“ Graphic Organizer (Handout 1) Rettet Die Bienen (Save the Bees) Letter-Writing Campaign (Handout 2) Rubric for “Save the Bees” Letter-Writing Campaign (Handout 3)
Phenomenon
In the mid-2000s, the world was alerted to declining bee populations. Until recently, this problem had not gained much global attention, despite the importance of bees in maintaining ecosystems, biodiversity and human food sources. Germany serves as an example of a progressive, forward-thinking nation that addresses many environmental issues including the plight of the bees. How can other nations, such as Canada and the United States, emulate the German efforts to “Rettet die Bienen” (Save the Bees)? What can highschool students do to not only bring awareness to others of the plight of the bees, but also actively work to encourage the growth of bee populations?
Engage
Explore
Explain
Create a Prototype Introduce the topic by generating a discussion of the importance of bees. Ask students to reflect on the role bees play in maintaining ecosystems and our global food supply. It should be emphasized to the students that bees play an important role in ecosystems and their removal may cause ecosystem collapse. As a class, brainstorm reasons why bee populations may be declining.
Inform students that Germany has a long history of being a leader in environmental practices and policies. Use examples such as the sustainable neighborhood of Vauban in Freiburg; the prevalence of the use of solar and wind power; and the interactive ecostation in Freiburg.
Students will investigate what their local region (town/city/province/state/country) is doing to address declining bee populations. Students will undertake a letter-writing campaign to lobby local governments to follow the example of Germany and create laws that aid bee populations.
Teachers may want to find and show examples of letter-writing campaigns and public service announcements to help students understand the task(s) they are undertaking.
Elaborate
Evaluate Understand: Globally, the population of bees has been declining.
Assess: See what actions have been taken in your community to protect the bee population.
Act: Students can further apply the knowledge they have gained throughout this lesson by creating a public service announcement to inform others about the plight of the bees, and call for action in their local area.
Rubric for the letter-writing campaign (as a summative performance task) is included in the handouts section.
INQUIRY OVERVIEW
For many decades Germany has been an environmentally focused nation. A recent referendum in Bavaria, centered around saving the bees, has put Germany in the world’s spotlight as a leader in species conservation and climate change endeavors.
This lesson highlights the current plight of the bees: examining why their populations are diminishing, their importance to ecosystems and the human food supply, and Germany’s efforts to aid their survival.
Students will have opportunities to conduct research on environmental issues and potential solutions (using Germany’s efforts as an exemplar), interact with others to gather ideas, and learn and apply skills for letter-writing campaigns centered around the theme of “Rettet die Bienen (Save the Bees)“.
TEACHER BACKGROUND
Globally, the population of bees has been declining.
Bees play an important role in pollinating the world’s food crops. Nearly 70 percent of the major food crops human beings rely on are pollinated by bees (Nichols, 2016). Without bees to pollinate food crops, our global food supply would greatly change. This change to the global food supply would limit choices in available foods and may ultimately lead to nutritional deficiencies and food insecurity. Extinction of bees would alter biodiversity and lead to changes in ecosystems that may include effects such as ecosystem collapse, extinction of other organisms, loss of plant life that could be used for nutraceuticals, etc.
The decline in bee populations worldwide has been attributed to a combination of several factors including use of neonicotinoids (pesticides that are detrimental to bee health), habitat loss, climate change, and diseases/parasites.
A recent movement in the Bavaria region of Germany, colloquially known as “Rettet die Bienen” (in English: “Save the Bees”), garnered nearly two million signatures on a petition calling for a referendum in support of environmental protection for bees and other native pollinators. This movement was so powerful that it influenced the Christian Social Union, the governing party of Bavaria, to vote the petition’s contents into law. The law commits the government to preserve the environment, protect clean water, increase the number of natural habitats for bees, support organic farming, prevent further losses to biodiversity, limit pesticide use, and work to protect other organisms like amphibians and birds.
More in-depth information regarding bees, pollination, and efforts to help the bees can be gathered by accessing information found in the following sources (these may also be helpful for student research):
10 things Germany is doing for the environment. (2018, May 22). Deutschland.de. https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/environment/10-things-germany-is-doing-for-the-environment.
Bees in decline: A review of factors that put pollinators and agriculture in Europe at risk. (2013, April 9). Greenpeace International. https://www.greenpeace.org/international/publication/6839/bees-in-decline/
Benjamin, A. & McCallum, B. (2009). A world without bees. Pegasus Books.
Collective Eye Production (n.d.). Ten things you can do to help the bees. Queen of the Sun: What Are the Bees Telling Us? www.queenofthesun.com/get-involved/10-things-you-can-do-to-help-bees/.
Evenson, Jane, Melinda Schaefer Zarske & Denise Carlson. (2004). Hands on activity: What’s a kid to do: Environmental Letter Campaign. Teach Engineering: STEM Curriculum for K-12. University of Colorado Engineering. https://www.teachengineering.org/activities/view/cub_air_lesson10_activity5
Formisani, L. (n.d.). Save the bees, save the world. Overture. https://www.overtureglobal.io/story/save-the-bees-save-the-world.
Grossman, Elizabeth. (2013, April 30). Declining bee populations pose a threat to global agriculture. YaleEnvironment360. https://e360.yale.edu/features/declining_bee_populations_pose_a_threat_to_ global_agriculture
Nichols, Megan. (2016, April 4). Why declining bee populations are a threat to global health. GreenTumble. https://greentumble.com/why-declining-bee-populations-are-a-threat-to-global-health/
Peddie, Susy. (n.d.). 5 great green initiatives in Germany. Green Global Travel. https://greenglobaltravel.com/5-great-green-initiatives-germany/
Ten ways to save the bees. (n.d.). Honeybee Conservancy. https://thehoneybeeconservancy.org/how-to-save-the-bees/
What are the causes of bee decline? (2017, July 25). Friends of the Earth. https://friendsoftheearth.uk/bees/what-are-causes-bee-decline.
What is a bee? (2020). Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum. https://bees.techno-science.ca/english/bees/what-is-a-bee/default.php
What is a letter writing campaign? (n.d.). Wonderopolis. https://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-is-a-letter-writing-campaign
SUGGESTED TIME FRAME: Multi-period lesson – at minimum, two 60-minute periods.
MATERIALS NEEDED
Background and Supplementary Information: Access to recommended texts and websites included in the “Teacher Background” section of this lesson. • Access to the internet/computers/printers for some activities and assignments. • “Save The Bees” Graphic Organizer (Handout 1) All handouts • • Rettet Die Bienen (Save the Bees) Letter-Writing Campaign (Handout 2 Rubric for “Save the Bees” Letter-Writing Campaign (Handout 3) ) can be found here https://tinyurl.com/yyxsw5ou
NEXT GENERATION SCIENCE STANDARDS (NGSS)
HS-LS2-7. Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.
HS-LS4-5. Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
KEY LITERACY CONNECTIONS
CCR Reading Anchor #1: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
CCR Reading Anchor #7: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
CCR Writing Anchor #7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating an understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCR Speaking & Listening Anchor #1: Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
CCR Writing Anchor #8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
RELEVANT DOMAIN(S) OF DISCIPLINARY CORE IDEAS
Life Sciences LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functions and Resilience LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING PRACTICES
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions: • Construct an explanation of observed relationships. • Use evidence to construct or support an explanation Analyzing and Interpreting Data: • Analyze and interpret data to make sense of phenomena, using logical reasoning, mathematics and computation. • Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence of phenomena.
CROSSCUTTING CONCEPTS
Cause and Effect • Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects (HS-LS2-8) Stability and Change • Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable (HS-LS2-7)
PHENOMENON / MAIN PROBLEM
In the mid-2000s, the world was alerted to declining bee populations. Until recently, this problem had not gained much global attention, despite the importance of bees in maintaining ecosystems, biodiversity and human food sources. Germany serves as an example of a progressive, forward-thinking nation that addresses many environmental issues including the plight of the bees. How can other nations, such as Canada and the United States, emulate the German efforts to “Rettet die Bienen” (Save the Bees)? What can high-school students do to not only bring awareness to others of the plight of the bees, but also actively work to encourage the growth of bee populations?
ENGAGE - INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY/HOOK
Introduce the topic by generating a discussion of the importance of bees. Ask students to reflect on the role bees play in maintaining ecosystems and our global food supply. A brief overview of pollination and its effects on a diversified food system, biodiversity and food chains may be required. It should be emphasized to the students that bees play an important role in ecosystems and their removal may cause ecosystem collapse. Students should also understand that bees play an important part in a diversified human diet, and that loss of pollinators such as bees may result in decreased food options subsequently leading to potential nutritional deficiencies and food insecurity (additional reading and research on the part of the teacher may be required to explain this to students - many resources to aid in this are listed in the “Teacher Background” section).
As a class, brainstorm reasons why bee populations may be declining. Several articles are listed in the “Teacher Background” section and may provide additional background information for the teacher to facilitate this discussion.
Read aloud to the students, the opinion piece: “Without Bees, We Are In Trouble” by Marvin Lazerson to students.
Lazerson, Marvin. (2019, August 21). Without bees, we are in trouble. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/21/opinion/bees-germany.html
ANTICIPATED GUIDING QUESTIONS
After reading the article aloud, ask students to summarize what Germany will do to help save the bees. (You should get responses such as: work to preserve the environment, help support organic farmers, increase the amount of natural habitat, work towards preventing further loss of biodiversity, limit pesticide use, and protect water sources).
Ask students if these efforts are being done by the governments of their own countries (Canada/United States)? If they are being done, to what extent? If they aren’t being done, why not?
EXPLORE - GATHERING INFORMATION
Inform students that Germany has a long history of being a leader in environmental practices and policies. Use examples such as the sustainable neighborhood of Vauban in Freiburg, the prevalence of the use of solar and wind power, the interactive ecostation in Freiburg (Okostation), the “Energiewende” (the planned transition by Germany to a low carbon, environmentally sound energy supply), prevalence of green roofs on many German buildings, use of light-rail train systems for public transportation, the Pfand system (recycling initiative - consumers are rewarded for recycling), the popularity of car-sharing and bike renting, and efficient and green urban planning. (You may want to do some of your own research on these initiatives to enhance your understanding).
Emphasize that environmental thinking and enjoying nature are at the forefront of many Germans’ daily lives and experiences.
EXPLAIN - IDENTIFY POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS
As students complete this section, they will need to use the graphic organizer found in Handout 1.
Students will investigate what their local region (town/city/province/state/country) is doing to address declining bee populations. This activity asks them also to reflect upon what they are doing at home and at school to help the bees, so as to create a sense of autonomy and empowerment with aiding the bees. (Students will require time to investigate what they themselves can do in their homes and at school to help the bees. Ideas and information about this can be acquired through brainstorming and through internet/book research/interviews. Some suggested sites and books are listed in the “Teacher Background” for this lesson).
They will then re-examine how Germany is addressing the problem of declining bee populations and compare this to local efforts. (This can be done as a group activity [reflection conversation] after they complete the graphic organizer).
CREATE A PROTOTYPE / INVESTIGATING SOLUTIONS
Teachers may want to find and show examples of letter-writing campaigns and public service announcements to help students understand the task(s) they are undertaking.
EVALUATE - TEST, REFINE
Rubric for “Save the Bees” letter-writing campaign (as a summative performance task) is included in Handout 3.
EXPLAIN - SUMMATIVE PERFORMANCE TASK
Students will undertake a letter-writing campaign to lobby local governments to follow the example of Germany and create laws that aid bee populations. Students will require copies of Handout 2 and Handout 3 for this task. Suggested websites about letter-writing campaigns are included in the “Teacher Background” section.
**Consider discussing this activity with your school administration, to set parameters and get their approval if you intend to have the students send these letters. Organize computer access for students to draft and write letters. If you will be sending actual paper letters to law makers/government officials, you will need to get supplies like stamps and envelopes.
ELABORATE - TAKING INFORMED ACTION
UNDERSTAND Globally, the population of bees has been declining.
ASSESS See what actions have been taken in your community to protect the bee population.
ACT Students can further apply the knowledge they have gained throughout this lesson by creating a public service announcement to inform others about the plight of the bees and call for action in their local area.
https://www.storyboardthat.com/articles/e/public-service-announcements (Provides ideas on what a PSA is and how to begin planning.)
https://cleanet.org/cced_media/your_classroom/activities/75638.html (Uses the example of creating a climate change PSA but has many good resources that can be adapted as necessary.)
VIRTUAL EXCHANGE
To extend or adapt this lesson, teachers can partner with another STEM (MINT) class in Germany. Instead of the teacher telling the students about Germany’s efforts to save the bees (and the environmental mindset of Germans in general), a video conference could be arranged to exchange information.
CAREER CONNECTION EXPLORATION
As students are completing the activities in this lesson, discussions about potential careers associated with these topics and activities could be discussed. If the teacher so desires, the lesson can be expanded to include a more formal exploration of related careers, such as by researching careers and by interviewing people who work in related fields.
MODIFICATIONS FOR DIFFERENTIATION
Extension: Involve the broader school community in the letter-writing campaign. Host an information session and foster interest in the letter-writing campaign amongst peers (and others) that are not in this class.
Research extension activities include investigating plant foods that may cease to exist if bee pollination is not possible and the resultant nutritional deficiencies that may manifest.
Modifications: Some terminology may have to be explained in simpler terms. Some tasks may require extra time, scaffolding or more frequent checks for understanding.
MODIFICATIONS FOR ONLINE LEARNING
Most of the information and tasks for this lesson can be adapted for online/remote learning. By posting links to online articles, examples, and samples on the remote learning platform, teachers will be able to share necessary content with the students. Online meeting platforms (ex: Zoom, Skype, Teams, etc.) provide opportunities for teachers and students to have discussions when in-person learning is not possible.
Andrea Overby is a grade 9-12 STEM educator at Westwood Collegiate in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
