Bees and Food Production
In Bees and Food Production, a group gathers around the breakfast table to enjoy a breakfast made of food that isn’t impacted by bees. But, aside from a pot of tea and some toast, the table is bare. What foods do bees help us enjoy? Everything from fruit to dairy!
Lesson Express
Q: What could happen if we keep losing our bees?
A: More and more foods could become scarce or not grow at all.
Q: How did the narrator show his coworkers the impact of bees? Do you think this was effective? Why or why not?
A: The narrator provided only food that was not pollinated by bees. Student responses will vary.
Q: What is your favorite food? Is it pollinated by bees?
A: Student responses will vary.
More Like This
In Bees in Decline, visit a collection of bee specimens at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. There are more than 250 species of bees, and they help pollinate everything from apples to flowers. But bees are in decline, and one reason is the varroa mite, a tiny bug that causes a big problem.
In Clever Ways Plants Reproduce, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how flowers are amazing problem-solvers when it comes to pollination! In sunny fields of France, sunflowers use nectar to lure insects, which help spread pollen from flower to flower. But in the icy winds of Cradle Mountain, the honey bush protects its delicate parts by fusing its petals, leaving only strong birds to break through and help with pollination. Depending on its environment, flowers are problem-solvers when it comes to reproducing! This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
In A Trap in Bloom: The Venus Flytrap’s Double Life, narrator Sir David Attenborough introduces the Venus flytrap, a carnivorous plant that attracts insects with sweet nectar on its leaves. When an insect triggers the hairs on the trap, it snaps shut. After a few days it reopens, leaving only the insect’s dry remains. However, Venus flytraps also need to pollinate, so it grows tall flowers away from its traps, allowing insects to safely feed on nectar and spread pollen, ensuring the plant can reproduce. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
In Mouse Lemurs Are Sneaky Nectar Thieves!, narrator Sir David Attenborough highlights lemurs enjoying a two-course meal in the branches of the baobab tree. First, the lemurs drink nectar meant for pollinating moths; then the lemurs attack the moths! This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.
In Bees in Decline, visit a collection of bee specimens at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History. There are more than 250 species of bees, and they help pollinate everything from apples to flowers. But bees are in decline, and one reason is the varroa mite, a tiny bug that causes a big problem.
In Clever Ways Plants Reproduce, narrator Sir David Attenborough explains how flowers are amazing problem-solvers when it comes to pollination! In sunny fields of France, sunflowers use nectar to lure insects, which help spread pollen from flower to flower. But in the icy winds of Cradle Mountain, the honey bush protects its delicate parts by fusing its petals, leaving only strong birds to break through and help with pollination. Depending on its environment, flowers are problem-solvers when it comes to reproducing! This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
In A Trap in Bloom: The Venus Flytrap’s Double Life, narrator Sir David Attenborough introduces the Venus flytrap, a carnivorous plant that attracts insects with sweet nectar on its leaves. When an insect triggers the hairs on the trap, it snaps shut. After a few days it reopens, leaving only the insect’s dry remains. However, Venus flytraps also need to pollinate, so it grows tall flowers away from its traps, allowing insects to safely feed on nectar and spread pollen, ensuring the plant can reproduce. This video is excerpted from BBC's Life, a show that explores the remarkable strategies animals and plants use to ensure their survival.
In Mouse Lemurs Are Sneaky Nectar Thieves!, narrator Sir David Attenborough highlights lemurs enjoying a two-course meal in the branches of the baobab tree. First, the lemurs drink nectar meant for pollinating moths; then the lemurs attack the moths! This video is excerpted from BBC's Planet Earth, a breathtaking documentary series that highlights the natural wonders of our planet.