Waggle Dance - A Poetry Break

INTRODUCTION

Honeybees are amazing creatures, and Florian’s new poetry book hits all the fun facts. One of the coolest facts (other than honey is technically bee vomit… no, I’m not kidding!) is that the bees do a little jig to tell others in the hive that there is pollen to harvest.  This poem is perfect for a science/nature lesson about bees. The poem could be even paired with others from the book to talk about the cycle of flower pollination. Additionally, if you could show a video show the bees’ dance will it would be great!

  

POEM

Waggle Dance

By Douglas Florian

We dance. We prance.

            We waggle. We wiggle.

Come glance at our stance

            While we jiggle and wriggle.

Our dance round and round

            Shows where flowers are found.

And our figure eights

            Show where pollen awaits.

EXTENSION

• Have the children share what they would do if they were bees and found pollen. Would they dance too?
• Have the children describe their favorite facts about bees, and offer the option for them to write it in poetic form.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Florian, Douglas. 2012. UnBEElievables: Honeybee poems and Paintings. Illus. by Douglas Florian. NY, NY: Beach Lane Books (Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division). ISBN: 9781442426528.