University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Lesson 2: Why do honey bees have different jobs?

This lesson is part of the unit:

Lesson Description:

Throughout this lesson students engage in activities that teach them how changes in the environment influence gene expression and thus behavior. First, students learn about different jobs that are carried out by worker bees in the hive. Then students learn about different molecular biology techniques, including insights from scientists who research honey bees. This enables students to analyze real scientific data and delve deeper into the environmental influences on different worker bee behaviors such as nursing and foraging. Finally, the lesson wraps up with a whole-class game called “Swarm!” which consolidates the big ideas of the lesson: bee labor is divided, and it changes due to environmental pressures.

Materials last updated:

Dec 30, 2015

Lesson materials:

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