Carolina Curriculum: GEMS > Kits for Grades K-5

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Expanded view of the Buzzing a Hive Kit

GEMS^® Buzzing a Hive (Grades K–3)

Most young children are fascinated by bees. Often their fascination is a mixture of fear and curiosity. Studying bees in a classroom generates enthusiasm for these helpful insects and promotes a respect for bees and other living things. GEMS Buzzing a Hive allows students to explore the complexity of the honeybee’s social behavior, communication, and hive environment. The children learn about bees by making paper bees, flowers with pollen, a beehive, and bee predators. They discover real pollen and nectar in flowers, and examine and taste honeycomb. During the last days of the unit, the children enact the drama of the beehive and perform bee dances.

Age modifications for preschool and kindergarten are provided within the guide. Although you may plan to have your students observe real bees, no live bees are required for any of the activities in this unit.

Benefits of using this kit:
	Introduces foundational science concepts that lead to student success
	Strongly aligned with multiple state standards and the National Science Education Standards and Bench Marks for Science Literacy
	Provides clear step-by-step instruction, assessment suggestions, literature connections, and ideas for further instruction

Goals Standards In the Kit Pilot this Kit Support

Goals of Buzzing a Hive
	Students identify structures and behaviors that help the honeybee survive in the wild.
	Students articulate how and why bees collect pollen and nectar from flowers.
	Students describe the different jobs that bees perform in the hives during their lifetime and the activities that occur inside the hive.
	Students identify honey and beeswax as two products that come from bees and are helpful to people today.
	Students gain knowledge about the life cycle of a bee.
	Students are able to identify bee predators.

National Standards addressed by Buzzing a Hive:

	Life Science Standard, K–4: The characteristics of organisms; life cycles of organisms; organisms and their environment.
	Inquiry Standard, K–4: Abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry.
	Science in Personal and Social Perspectives, K–4: Changes in environments.
	Unifying Concepts and Principles: Systems, Order, and Organization.

In the Kit:
The unit kit comes with a Teacher's Guide, a Teacher's Pack containing: copy masters, MSDS sheets, matrix of provided materials where used and materials needed but not supplied, and materials needed for a class of 32 students.

Try the Carolina Curriculum Pilot Program
What’s the best way to learn about STC Program®, Building Blocks of Science™, Math Out of the Box®, or GEMS Kits®? Pilot a unit in your school or district!

Here's how it works:

	Complete the pilot information request form.
	You choose a lead teacher(s) to pilot the units.
	Carolina ships the selected unit kit(s) to your school/district.
	At the end of the pilot, you can purchase one of the unit kits for 10% off the catalog price!

Contact our Sales Staff
Carolina’s Curriculum Sales and Services group provides districts and schools that are evaluating curriculum with samples, professional planning, and implementation assistance. Our staff includes in-office curriculum account managers and regional sales managers in the field. Click here to contact the account manager and sales manager for your school district.

Customer Service
All Carolina customers have their own customer service representative, determined by state, to meet their specific needs. Click here for customer service representative contact information.

Technical Support
With Carolina's technical support staff, you have access to knowledgeable professionals with expertise in many areas of the sciences. Call 800-227-1150 (8 am to 5 pm ET) or email curriculum@carolina.com and trained staff will answer your questions about a Carolina Curriculum product or provide additional information.


	Buzzing a Hive Kit This Kit comes with a Teacher's Guide, an information packet, and the materials needed for a class of 30.

	Buzzing a Hive Kit Teacher's Guide Additional Teacher's Guides are available if you need them.

	Buzzing a Hive Kit Refill Pack This set replenishes the consumable materials in the Kit.