After a two-week long spring break, students returned to the ELC (Environmental Learning Center) well rested and enthusiastic to learn from nature. The topic for this past week was bees.
1st graders studied the life cycle of bees, their roles, and interesting facts such as a bee flaps its wings 200 times per second.
2nd graders discovered that bees communicate through a dance known as the waggle and sketched bees in the garden and labeled the three parts of a bees anatomy.
3rd graders designed and built hexagon structures to mimicking the way bees design their hive cells. They also learned that bees have five eyes and the lenses are hexagonal shaped. A few examples of innovations inspired through studying structures built by bees are packing materials, airplane wings, and insulating glass.
Next week our theme is Earth Day, plus Kindergarten and first graders will harvest radishes and make a salad.
For more information please visit us at www.cornucopiafoundation.net
Joseph Peck ELC Teacher, The Cornucopia Foundation Malibu, CA
(Photos: Ms. Levy's 3rd grade students from Juan Cabrillo Elementary School studying bees and designing hexagon structures from recycled cardboard at The Cornucopia Foundation's Environmental Learning Center.)