Summer Learning Journey - Week 3 Day 2 Activity 1: Bee Informed

DAY 2: The Air Up There

Activity 1: Bee Informed [4 points]

One of the most important, but least talked about, animals in New Zealand is the bumblebee. It was first introduced to New Zealand in 1885 to help pollinate a special plant called the ‘Red Clover.’ Today, bumblebees do many other important jobs, including the pollination of greenhouses and orchard crops. If the bees did not pollinate the plants, they would not survive.

For this activity, we would like you to bee-come detectives and to learn more about the mysterious, and often ignored, bumblebee. We will provide you with five sentences about bumblebees from the NZ Bumblebee Conservation Trust website and it is your job to fill in the blanks with the missing information about bees. Choose the phrase/word that makes the most sense from the list at the bottom. (Each phrase/word can only be used once).

To earn full points for this activity you must type all five sentences and then fill in the blanks for each one. Post the completed sentences on your blog.

Unbee-lievable Facts about Bumblebees

• The first sentence is The word ‘bumblebee’ is a compound word (bumble + bee). The word ‘bumble’ means to hum, buzz, or drone.

• The second sentence is Bumblebees can fly very quickly. They can reach ground speeds of 54 kilometers per hour (km/h).

• The third sentence is Bumblebees are very strong! They carry up to 50% percent of their body weight in food with them to avoid starvation.

• The fourth sentence is Bumblebees can do more work and carry more pollen than other bees, including honey bees