Honeybee Crisis Socratic Seminar Cross Curricular PBL Ecology Storyline

Project-based learning is “a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem, or challenge” from BIE . The Vanishing of the Bees project allows students to assume the role of various stakeholders in the bee industry and research ways to solve the problem. After reading an extensive article and viewing The Vanishing of the Bees documentary, students will join together in their groups to research solutions that will benefit their role. After presenting their solutions to the rest of the class, the entire class will interact using a Socratic seminar method. Ultimately, the class will come up with one or multiple solutions to the problem that can be agreed upon by most (if not all) the stakeholders. This project works best in a collaborative digital environment (Google Apps work best) but can be done on paper with the teacher doing some extra prep work to make copies for all students.

This listing includes a Google folder link with ALL files as Google Documents, a Google Slideshow, and 2 Google Forms. Included in folder is a file dedicated to helping you best utilize this project in your classroom.

Included with your purchase:

• Google instructions
• Teacher Resources file
• Detailed lesson plan
• Informative article questions
• Collaborative documentary graphic organizer
• Socratic seminar introduction presentation
• Self and Group Evaluations (Form and Document)
• Socratic seminar/presentation and listening rubrics
• Article questions
• Informational student project handout
• Project Log (Form and Document)
• Socratic Seminar agenda

....see the preview for information on all these files!

This project aligns with Common Core and NGSS standards.

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UPDATE: May 2023

Instead of "The Vanishing of the Bees" consider showing students "The Pollinators" documentary to introduce the project (or a section of it). Colony Collapse Disorder is still a problem but was a larger issue in the late 00s and early 10s. Today, CCD is a small part of a larger problem facing the bee populations in the United States; "The Pollinators" does an excellent job of educating students on the bee problem as it relates to current agriculture processes, sustainability, and environmental disturbances.

This is exclusively an online resource.