Where Would You Winter? Bee Sort

This is a low-prep activity that turns bee survival into evidence-based thinking.

Bees & pollinators

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4 steps

Run with a class

In fall, the flowers fade… but the bee story is not over.

This is a low-prep activity that turns bee survival into evidence-based thinking.

That is the real lesson: notice the life cycle, then predict the winter strategy.

Questions to ask

Which bee needs a colony?
Which bee needs a hidden queen?
Which bee needs an undisturbed nest cell?

Where it comes from

Students may notice fewer bees as the air cools and gardens turn brown. So where did they go?

The answer depends on the bee. A honeybee has one winter plan. A bumblebee has another. A solitary bee may be tucked into a stem, a tunnel, or the soil like a secret waiting for spring.

Read the blog post ↗ Where Do Bees Go in the Fall? The Tiny Winter Plans Students Can Track · 2026-09-16

Run it

Ticks stay in this browser, so you can set up now and teach later.

What you need

Three bee cards: honeybee, bumblebee, solitary bee
Habitat cards: hive, leaf litter, hollow stem, soil tunnel, flower patch
Optional: a schoolyard map or garden sketch

Steps

Sort Students match each bee to its likely winter shelter.
Defend Each group explains its match using one piece of evidence.
Revise Add a weather card, like “early frost” or “warm fall,” and ask what might change.
Design Students draw one pollinator-friendly fall corner.

00:00

Workspace

Run it with your class

Set up the class, count what needs counting, write down what happened, then save it and take it with you. Everything here stays in this browser until you download it.

The class

Class or group Date Students Students per group

Counters

Results table

Notes as you go

Sort: Students match each bee to its likely winter shelter. Defend: Each group explains its match using one piece of evidence. Revise: Add a weather card, like “early frost” or “warm fall,” and ask what might change. Design: Students draw one pollinator-friendly fall corner. Anything else: what worked, what to change

Answers to the questions

Which bee needs a colony? Which bee needs a hidden queen? Which bee needs an undisturbed nest cell?

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