Technically, it should be impossible for bees to fly. Their wings are too small and too light to support the weight of their bodies. They are an aerodynamic anomaly. If they were told they could not fly, they probably would not. Yet, because they are expected to fly and succeed in flight, they simply fly and defy the rules of science. In that respect, bees are much like students.
If they are told that they can succeed and encouraged along the way, the odds of them soaring are much greater than if they are constantly told they cannot achieve their dreams. Who are we, as adults, to tell them they cannot soar? If your students are having trouble believing in their own potential, you may want to introduce them to The Great Sunflower Project.
Teach Science with The Great Sunflower Project
The Great Sunflower Project is the brainchild of Associate Professor of Biology at San Francisco State University, Gretchen LeBuhn. It encourages average people from across the country to plant sunflowers, especially in urban areas, and record how long it takes for bees to visit one plant, one day each month. It is not too late to sign-up and get involved.
Start sunflower seeds with your class this week and have them plant them as a summer project. Urban settings are ideal, because it allows scientists to see how bees migrate and why some species are declining. With bees being responsible for the pollination of the majority of our food, it is important for scientists to find out why their numbers have been declining.
Students do not need big backyard gardens to plant their sunflower seedlings. A pot on a back stoop or a container garden on a patio or balcony work just as well. Even in the most urban of settings, students can care for and nurture a sunflower during the summer months. Encourage them to remember that the tiny seed that they plant will, with a little water and a lot of sun, grow to be a giant sunflower. And more importantly, to remember that the bee flies because he believes that he can do it. When you believe you can do something, there is nothing that can stop you.
For more information about The Great Sunflower Project, visit their site here.
Heather says
I believe the Sunflower Project is a really great way to boost students’ self-esteem. We have a club called, Garden Guardians at our school. This group begins each Summer the last week of school. Students are chosen based on their commitment to show up through the summer months to get the clean up area started and to plant some fresh things so they are blooming by Fall when school starts. While I like the Garden Guardian program at our school, I feel like the students whom would best benefit from the lesson pertaining to the Sunflower Project are those who do not have the commitment level required for the club. I think this is a great idea for the Classroom setting. I might try this in the upcoming school year with my students. I will have them do starter pots in styrofoam cups during the month of May, like at the beginning, and then send them home with them, including instructions of care, so they can measure and watch their sunflower grow and bloom just like them!