Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees

Luyao Huang; Xue Fang; Daihu Yang; Zhanjun Wang; Min He; Hualun Chu; Qing Zhang

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13

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Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees

Luyao Huang, Xue Fang, Daihu Yang^*

, Zhanjun Wang, Min He, Hualun Chu, Qing Zhang

Published in International Journal of Elementary Education (Volume 13, Issue 4)

Received: 27 August 2024 Accepted: 6 October 2024 Published: 12 November 2024

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Abstract

This article describes a pedagogical approach that integrated artistic expression with experiential fieldwork to enhance pupils’ learning of bees. Initially, pupils were tasked with creating an artwork of a bee or bees based on their preconceived notions, allowing teachers to identify their prior ideas of bees. Afterward, an immersive field activity was conducted to provide pupils with an opportunity to close-up observe live honey and native bees in canola fields and their pollination processes. Through teacher-guided explorations, pupils systematically inspected the morphology of various bee species, relating their external structures to associated functions. The fieldwork allowed for detailed observations of bees’ features, such as the proboscis, antennae, and legs, and their roles in nectar collection and pollen distribution. In addition, exposure to honey and native bees informed pupils of the differences in their stinging, nesting and sociality. Pupils’ summative reflections post-fieldwork suggest that the immersive fieldwork enabled multi-sensory modes of learning barely available in a traditional classroom setting. By juxtaposing the new insights from field observations with the prior ideas of bees embodied in their initial artworks, pupils achieved gains in both their conceptual understandings and perceptual knowledge about bees. Pupils acknowledged deeper understandings of bee anatomy, pollination processes and the diversity within bee species. This approach to learning about bees epitomizes the value of empirical investigation for advancing pupils’ scientific practices and understanding life science core ideas of how animals' external structures fulfill various functions and of how plants and pollinators are interdependent, as highlighted in the Next Generation Science Standards. The integration of artwork creation and experiential fieldwork exemplifies an effective pedagogical approach for enhancing pupils' engagement and learning of biological ideas.

Published in	International Journal of Elementary Education (Volume 13, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13
Page(s)	96-101
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Bee, Artwork, Experiential, Field Activities, Enhanced Learning, Reflection

References

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[3]	Stout, J., Rouse, R., Malesic, J., Krummeck, K. (2022). Chicken-Centered Design. Science and Children, 59(3), 37-43. https://doi.org/10.1080/00368148.2022.12291750
[4]	Wilson-Rich, N., Allin, K., Carrack, N., Quigley, A. (2014). The Bee: A Natural History. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt7ztpph.1
[5]	U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2020). The Value of Birds and Bees. Retrieved from https://www.farmers.gov/blog/value-birds-and-bees (accessed 26 September 2024)
[6]	United Nations. (2024) World Bee Day. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day (accessed 27 September 2024)
[7]	Hanes, S. P., Collum, K. K., Hoshide, A. K., Asare, E. (2015). Grower perceptions of native pollinators and pollination strategies in the lowbush blueberry industry. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems, 30(2), 124-31. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1742170513000331
[8]	Natural Resources Defense Council.(2022). A World Without Bees? Here’s What Happens If Bees Go Extinct. Retrieved from https://www.nrdc.org/stories/world-without-bees-heres-what-happens-if-bees-go-extinct (accessed 27 September 2024)
[9]	National Research Council. (2013). Next Generation Science Standards: For States, By States. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/18290
[10]	National Science Teachers Association. (2018). Transitioning from Scientific Inquiry to Three-Dimensional Teaching and Learning. Retrieved from https://www.nsta.org/nstas-official-positions/transitioning-scientific-inquiry-three-dimensional-teaching-and-learning (accessed 27 September 2024)
[11]	Krajcik, J. S., Czerniak, C. M. (2018). Teaching science in elementary and middle school: A project-based learning approach. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315205014
[12]	Davis, E. A., Zembal-Saul, C., Kademian, S. M. (Eds.). (2019). Sensemaking in elementary science: Supporting teacher learning. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429426513
[13]	Evagorou, M., Erduran, S., Mäntylä, T. (2015). The role of visual representations in scientific practices: from conceptual understanding and knowledge generation to ‘seeing’how science works. International Journal of Stem Education, 2, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-015-0024-x
[14]	Erdogan, M., Marcinkowski, T., Ok, A. (2009). Content analysis of selected features of K–8 environmental education research studies in Turkey, 1997–2007. Environmental Education Research, 15(5), 525–548. https://doi.org/10.1080/13504620903085776
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APA Style

Huang, L., Fang, X., Yang, D., Wang, Z., He, M., et al. (2024). Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees. International Journal of Elementary Education, 13(4), 96-101. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13

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ACS Style

Huang, L.; Fang, X.; Yang, D.; Wang, Z.; He, M., et al. Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees. Int. J. Elem. Educ. 2024, 13(4), 96-101. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13

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AMA Style

Huang L, Fang X, Yang D, Wang Z, He M, et al. Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees. Int J Elem Educ. 2024;13(4):96-101. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13,
  author = {Luyao Huang and Xue Fang and Daihu Yang and Zhanjun Wang and Min He and Hualun Chu and Qing Zhang},
  title = {Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees
},
  journal = {International Journal of Elementary Education},
  volume = {13},
  number = {4},
  pages = {96-101},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijeedu.20241304.13},
  abstract = {This article describes a pedagogical approach that integrated artistic expression with experiential fieldwork to enhance pupils’ learning of bees. Initially, pupils were tasked with creating an artwork of a bee or bees based on their preconceived notions, allowing teachers to identify their prior ideas of bees. Afterward, an immersive field activity was conducted to provide pupils with an opportunity to close-up observe live honey and native bees in canola fields and their pollination processes. Through teacher-guided explorations, pupils systematically inspected the morphology of various bee species, relating their external structures to associated functions. The fieldwork allowed for detailed observations of bees’ features, such as the proboscis, antennae, and legs, and their roles in nectar collection and pollen distribution. In addition, exposure to honey and native bees informed pupils of the differences in their stinging, nesting and sociality. Pupils’ summative reflections post-fieldwork suggest that the immersive fieldwork enabled multi-sensory modes of learning barely available in a traditional classroom setting. By juxtaposing the new insights from field observations with the prior ideas of bees embodied in their initial artworks, pupils achieved gains in both their conceptual understandings and perceptual knowledge about bees. Pupils acknowledged deeper understandings of bee anatomy, pollination processes and the diversity within bee species. This approach to learning about bees epitomizes the value of empirical investigation for advancing pupils’ scientific practices and understanding life science core ideas of how animals' external structures fulfill various functions and of how plants and pollinators are interdependent, as highlighted in the Next Generation Science Standards. The integration of artwork creation and experiential fieldwork exemplifies an effective pedagogical approach for enhancing pupils' engagement and learning of biological ideas.
},
 year = {2024}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees

AU  - Luyao Huang
AU  - Xue Fang
AU  - Daihu Yang
AU  - Zhanjun Wang
AU  - Min He
AU  - Hualun Chu
AU  - Qing Zhang
Y1  - 2024/11/12
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13
T2  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JF  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JO  - International Journal of Elementary Education
SP  - 96
EP  - 101
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7640
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13
AB  - This article describes a pedagogical approach that integrated artistic expression with experiential fieldwork to enhance pupils’ learning of bees. Initially, pupils were tasked with creating an artwork of a bee or bees based on their preconceived notions, allowing teachers to identify their prior ideas of bees. Afterward, an immersive field activity was conducted to provide pupils with an opportunity to close-up observe live honey and native bees in canola fields and their pollination processes. Through teacher-guided explorations, pupils systematically inspected the morphology of various bee species, relating their external structures to associated functions. The fieldwork allowed for detailed observations of bees’ features, such as the proboscis, antennae, and legs, and their roles in nectar collection and pollen distribution. In addition, exposure to honey and native bees informed pupils of the differences in their stinging, nesting and sociality. Pupils’ summative reflections post-fieldwork suggest that the immersive fieldwork enabled multi-sensory modes of learning barely available in a traditional classroom setting. By juxtaposing the new insights from field observations with the prior ideas of bees embodied in their initial artworks, pupils achieved gains in both their conceptual understandings and perceptual knowledge about bees. Pupils acknowledged deeper understandings of bee anatomy, pollination processes and the diversity within bee species. This approach to learning about bees epitomizes the value of empirical investigation for advancing pupils’ scientific practices and understanding life science core ideas of how animals' external structures fulfill various functions and of how plants and pollinators are interdependent, as highlighted in the Next Generation Science Standards. The integration of artwork creation and experiential fieldwork exemplifies an effective pedagogical approach for enhancing pupils' engagement and learning of biological ideas.

VL  - 13
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Author Information

Luyao Huang

Department of Biological Sciences, Hefei Normal University, Hefei, China

Contact Email
Xue Fang

Department of Biological Sciences, Hefei Normal University, Hefei, China
Daihu Yang

Department of Biological Sciences, Hefei Normal University, Hefei, China

Contact Email

http://orcid.org/0009-0002-2553-6672
Zhanjun Wang

Department of Biological Sciences, Hefei Normal University, Hefei, China
Min He

Hefei No. 45 Middle School, South Furong Campus, Hefei, China

Contact Email
Hualun Chu

Guoyang No. 6 Middle School, Bozhou, China
Qing Zhang

Hefei No. 45 Middle School, South Furong Campus, Hefei, China

Contact Email

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Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Huang, L., Fang, X., Yang, D., Wang, Z., He, M., et al. (2024). Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees. International Journal of Elementary Education, 13(4), 96-101. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13

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ACS Style

Huang, L.; Fang, X.; Yang, D.; Wang, Z.; He, M., et al. Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees. Int. J. Elem. Educ. 2024, 13(4), 96-101. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13

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AMA Style

Huang L, Fang X, Yang D, Wang Z, He M, et al. Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees. Int J Elem Educ. 2024;13(4):96-101. doi: 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13,
  author = {Luyao Huang and Xue Fang and Daihu Yang and Zhanjun Wang and Min He and Hualun Chu and Qing Zhang},
  title = {Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees
},
  journal = {International Journal of Elementary Education},
  volume = {13},
  number = {4},
  pages = {96-101},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijeedu.20241304.13},
  abstract = {This article describes a pedagogical approach that integrated artistic expression with experiential fieldwork to enhance pupils’ learning of bees. Initially, pupils were tasked with creating an artwork of a bee or bees based on their preconceived notions, allowing teachers to identify their prior ideas of bees. Afterward, an immersive field activity was conducted to provide pupils with an opportunity to close-up observe live honey and native bees in canola fields and their pollination processes. Through teacher-guided explorations, pupils systematically inspected the morphology of various bee species, relating their external structures to associated functions. The fieldwork allowed for detailed observations of bees’ features, such as the proboscis, antennae, and legs, and their roles in nectar collection and pollen distribution. In addition, exposure to honey and native bees informed pupils of the differences in their stinging, nesting and sociality. Pupils’ summative reflections post-fieldwork suggest that the immersive fieldwork enabled multi-sensory modes of learning barely available in a traditional classroom setting. By juxtaposing the new insights from field observations with the prior ideas of bees embodied in their initial artworks, pupils achieved gains in both their conceptual understandings and perceptual knowledge about bees. Pupils acknowledged deeper understandings of bee anatomy, pollination processes and the diversity within bee species. This approach to learning about bees epitomizes the value of empirical investigation for advancing pupils’ scientific practices and understanding life science core ideas of how animals' external structures fulfill various functions and of how plants and pollinators are interdependent, as highlighted in the Next Generation Science Standards. The integration of artwork creation and experiential fieldwork exemplifies an effective pedagogical approach for enhancing pupils' engagement and learning of biological ideas.
},
 year = {2024}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Into the Buzzing World: Integrating Artwork with Fieldwork to Learn About Bees

AU  - Luyao Huang
AU  - Xue Fang
AU  - Daihu Yang
AU  - Zhanjun Wang
AU  - Min He
AU  - Hualun Chu
AU  - Qing Zhang
Y1  - 2024/11/12
PY  - 2024
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13
T2  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JF  - International Journal of Elementary Education
JO  - International Journal of Elementary Education
SP  - 96
EP  - 101
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7640
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijeedu.20241304.13
AB  - This article describes a pedagogical approach that integrated artistic expression with experiential fieldwork to enhance pupils’ learning of bees. Initially, pupils were tasked with creating an artwork of a bee or bees based on their preconceived notions, allowing teachers to identify their prior ideas of bees. Afterward, an immersive field activity was conducted to provide pupils with an opportunity to close-up observe live honey and native bees in canola fields and their pollination processes. Through teacher-guided explorations, pupils systematically inspected the morphology of various bee species, relating their external structures to associated functions. The fieldwork allowed for detailed observations of bees’ features, such as the proboscis, antennae, and legs, and their roles in nectar collection and pollen distribution. In addition, exposure to honey and native bees informed pupils of the differences in their stinging, nesting and sociality. Pupils’ summative reflections post-fieldwork suggest that the immersive fieldwork enabled multi-sensory modes of learning barely available in a traditional classroom setting. By juxtaposing the new insights from field observations with the prior ideas of bees embodied in their initial artworks, pupils achieved gains in both their conceptual understandings and perceptual knowledge about bees. Pupils acknowledged deeper understandings of bee anatomy, pollination processes and the diversity within bee species. This approach to learning about bees epitomizes the value of empirical investigation for advancing pupils’ scientific practices and understanding life science core ideas of how animals' external structures fulfill various functions and of how plants and pollinators are interdependent, as highlighted in the Next Generation Science Standards. The integration of artwork creation and experiential fieldwork exemplifies an effective pedagogical approach for enhancing pupils' engagement and learning of biological ideas.

VL  - 13
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download