Rounding out the school year, the first-grade students at Crestview Elementary are learning about vital roles two significant creatures play in keeping the earth green and healthy. These classes got an in-depth lesson on worms and bees. 

These two critters that nobody really likes are some of the most important creatures to the world. Without them, we would not have food. Worms create nutrient-rich soil used for growing crops and bees pollinate the plants. They aren’t just bugs or pests, they are dynamic creatures that we need.  

Students learned to identify the body parts of worms and bees and their jobs. With the bees, they learned that there are three types of bees in a hive including the queen, the workers, and the drones. They identified that the worker bees are all female and the queen bee's only purpose is to create more bees to keep the hive going.  

First-grade teacher, Lyndsi Stephens, invited the Beekeepers Association for a visit to teach the students about the suitable attire for beekeeping and why it is important to take care of the bees. They also taught them the difference in honey products based on the nectar that comes from different flowers and from different parts of the country. 

Stephens said the students enjoyed the visit from the beekeepers. They were so excited to touch and smell the honeycomb, as well as try on the farmer's uniforms.  

“I believe it is super important to give students a hands-on example of real-life interactions,” said Stephens. “Students may not know that bees and worms are extremely important until they have heard it from other people but also may not know why or how they are important until they are able to dive into it.” 

In the spirit of hands-on learning, Stephens even had a worm bucket in her classroom for the students to go over and get the worms out to observe them, handling them as if they were class pets.  

One of the many lessons that stick with the students is the knowledge that the bees around the playground aren’t trying to harm them, they are just protecting their space since we are in their home.