Sights and Sounds of Spring, Grades 9-12
Lessons, Activities, and Curriculum Resources Usher in Spring
A variety of curriculum resources for grades 9-12, focus on bees, the changing seasons, myths, and haiku.
Lesson Plans & Activities
Lesson Plans
Africanized Honey Bees on the Move
Students in grades K-12 learn about honeybees and bee safety with a variety of lessons and activities.
Build Your Own Stonehenge Activity
Students in grades 3-12 can use a compass, rope, and stakes to build a “Stonehenge” and record the track of the sun as the year progresses.
Say Hi to Haibun Fun
In this cross-curricular lesson, students in grades 9-12 are introduced to elements of Haibun, a combination of prose and poetry created by Basho.
Activities
Free Pollinator Friendly Planting Guides
Enter a zip code to access a planting guide for your ecoregion. (Grades K-12)
Background Resources
Haiku
Haiku
For older students. Links to essays on writing and aspects of Haiku.
Poetic Form: Haiku
For older students. This page provides a brief description of Haiku and links to examples in English.
Bees
The Honey Files: A Bee’s Life (
PDF, 3.1 MB, 97 pgs.)
This 97-page teacher’s guide is designed especially for educators of grades 4-6.
Honeybee
Photo, range map, audio.
Silence of the Bees
The companion website to the video includes interviews and updates.
Decline of Honey Bees Now a Global Phenomenon, says United Nations
“…of the 100 crop species that provide 90 per cent of the world's food, over 70 are pollinated by bees.”
- Adult Bee Anatomy (Basic Bee Biology for Beekeepers)
- Dance Language of the Honey Bee
- The Basics of Bird Migration: How, Why, and Where
Equinox
- Seasons of the Year (a detailed description for grades 6-12)
Myths
Persephone: Greek Queen of the Underworld, Goddess of Spring
A description of Persephone, goddess queen of the underworld, wife of the god Hades, and the goddess of spring growth.
Demeter
A description of the goddess of agriculture, grain, and bread, the prime sustenance of mankind and mother of Persephone.
Horai
A description of the Horai, goddesses of the seasons and the natural portions of time.
Video
Silence of the Bees (50:40)
The first in-depth look at Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) and the search to uncover what is killing the honeybee.
Honey Bee Swarm (2:28)
A beekeeper collects a swarm of honey bees to form a new hive.
- Honey Bee Life Cycle (9:57)
last updated: March 29, 2018
