CREATING & EVALUATING Artificial Domiciles for Bumble Bees

• Published in: The American biology teacher 2006-04, Vol.68 (4), p.e29-e34
• Main Authors: Golick, Douglas A., Ellis, Marion D., Beecham, Brady
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ecology; Entomology; High School Students; Hypothesis Testing; Middle School Students; ONLINE HOW-TO-DO-IT; Plants (Botany); Science Experiments; Science Instruction; Science Projects; Scientific Methodology; Secondary School Science; Teaching Methods
• ISSN: 0002-7685; 1938-4211
• DOI: 10.1662/0002-7685%282006%2968%5Be29%3ACEADFB%5D2.0.CO%3B2

Bumble bees are valuable pollinators of native and cultivated flora. Despite our knowledge of bumble bee nest site selection, most efforts to attract bumble bees to artificial domiciles have been met with limited success. Creating and evaluating artificial domiciles provides students an opportunity to investigate a real problem. In this lesson, students are challenged to develop artificial domiciles and to evaluate their success in attracting bumble bee queens. In conducting their investigation, they will learn about the biology and life cycle of bumble bees, their vital role as pollinators, and the interdependence of the bees and plants they visit. They will also have an opportunity to contribute to solving a problem that could greatly enhance bumble bee conservation efforts. This lesson teaches students to follow the scientific method. Participants formulate a hypothesis and then design an experiment to test their hypothesis. Students manipulate variables to test their hypotheses including domicile structure materials, insulating materials, and field placement location. To close the lesson, students draw conclusions as to why their design did nor did not work as a guide to other students continuing the investigation. (Contains 3 figures.)