Here is the Beehive

I prepared a lesson about bees today, but it didn't go well. I taught the kids a rhyme, then we talked about bees and what they do. It would be great if I could read them a story about bees, but the lesson wasn't planned in time for me to borrow a book. But lesson planning will be better starting next week because we have a program to follow for the new school year, and everything will be more organized.

Here is the Beehive

Here is the beehive, where are the bees?
Hidden away where nobody sees!
Watch and you'll see them come out of the hive,
One two three four five! Bzzzzzzzzz~~


After our discussion, I showed the kids how to do a fingerpaint bee. I put my thumb on the yellow paint and pushed it onto the paper, to make a couple of "bee's bodies". Then I told them that while we wait for the fingerprints to dry, we would use crayons to draw grasses and flowers, because bees love flowers~ Then after the paint is dried, we would draw black lines across the bees' bodies, and add the wings, eyes and stings.

The first problem that I encountered was that some of the kids were smudging the paint. If I could do it again, I would ask the students to hold up their thumb and practice the motion of pressing onto the paper and lifting it. That way, they would have a sense of how to do it neatly. My next problem came when the kids had trouble using the paintbrushes to add the features on the bees, because their fingerprints were too tiny! I didn't foresee that, but I asked the kids to use crayons instead after I noticed the problem. Also, it took quite a long time for the paint to dry, so it was a bit messy. Added to that was the cup of water that they were using for the paint, because it got spilled and a few kids had to start all over again since their papers got soaking wet.

It was a bit crazy, but I think the kids actually enjoyed it. Fingerpaint is fun~ Most of the kids couldn't make a picture that actually looks like bees though! I think this activity would be more suitable for kids that are a little bit older. But I think that the same fingerpaint technique can be used in many different context, and modified so that it's easier for the kids to handle.

Although the lesson didn't go too well, I learned from it, and that's what matters the most! I think that we have to take risks in order to grow, and that's the same for teaching. We never know exactly what would work and what won't, because there's too many external factors that could intervene with the process and determines the outcome. But it's all about experiencing, reflecting, and modifying so that hopefully it'll work better next time! =)


My sample:


Victor's:


Riley's: