How crucial is pollination to life? How do different seasons affect honey? These are two of the questions the Ag in the Classroom program helped answer to 2nd-grade students at C.R. Weeks Elementary.
The children listened to the story The Bee Man, and were able to touch, smell, and taste items that are used to make honey and the actual finished product as well. Students sampled two different batches of honey, one that was harvested in the spring (much lighter honey) and one that was harvested in the fall (darker honey).
"The darker one was better," said Gianna Sodon.
They also simulated being bees by using touching Cheetos and rubbing the ‘pollen’ off of their hands onto paper flowers. They learned Bees are important pollinators and are helpful for our everyday lives.
“ The beehive looks really cool. I liked how they showed us how the beekeeper gets the honey from the box," said Dustin Marks.
Windsor beekeeper Sue Garing donated the teaching supplies while the Cornell Cooperative Extension provided the honey.