🐝 Bee Life Cycle Worksheet

Name:

Date:

🔍 Part 1: Label the Life Cycle Stages

Montessori Direction Card: Read each description carefully. Write the correct stage name in each blank. Use the word bank to help you. Work slowly and check your answers when finished.

Word Bank: Egg | Larva | Pupa | Adult Bee

1. The queen bee lays a tiny, white, oval-shaped _____________ inside a honeycomb cell. It is smaller than a grain of rice.

2. After hatching, a worm-like _____________ emerges. Worker bees feed it royal jelly and then pollen and honey. It grows quickly inside the cell.

3. Worker bees seal the cell with wax. Inside, the _____________ transforms — growing wings, legs, and a fuzzy body. This resting stage is full of change!

4. The fully formed _____________ chews through the wax cap and joins the hive. It may become a worker, drone, or queen.

5. Place the four stages in the correct order by writing the numbers 1–4 in the blanks:

_____ Adult Bee _____ Egg _____ Pupa _____ Larva

✏️ Part 2: Show What You Know

Montessori Direction Card: Answer each question in your own words. Think carefully before you write. There is no single right way to express your ideas — use complete sentences where you can.

6. Choose the stage you find most interesting. Circle it: Egg / Larva / Pupa / Adult Bee — then explain why:

7. How is the bee life cycle similar to or different from the butterfly life cycle? Write one similarity and one difference.

8. Why do you think worker bees seal the pupa inside the cell? What purpose might this serve?

🎨 Part 3: Draw & Label the Life Cycle

Montessori Direction Card: In the box below, draw a circle divided into four parts. In each part, draw and label one stage of the bee life cycle in order. Add colour and as much detail as you can observe or imagine.

⭐ Extension Activity (Advanced Learners)

9. A queen bee can lay up to 2,000 eggs per day. If she lays eggs for 5 days in a row, how many eggs will she have laid in total? Show your work below, then write one sentence explaining what this tells us about the hive.

🌟 Research Challenge (Extension)

10. Investigate: What is the difference between a worker bee, a drone, and a queen? Write one fact about each role in the hive.

📋 Differentiation Strategies

(For teacher reference — may be cut off before distributing to students)

🟢 Support (Emerging Learners): Provide a printed diagram of the bee life cycle with stages partially labelled. Allow students to use picture cards alongside the word bank. Pair with a peer for the drawing activity.

🟡 Core (On-Level Learners): Complete all questions in Parts 1–3 independently. Use classroom resources (books, nature journals) to check understanding before self-correcting.

🔵 Extension (Advanced Learners): Complete Questions 9 and 10. Research Canadian native bees (e.g., bumblebees, mason bees) and compare their life cycles to the honeybee. Create a mini-book or poster.

🗂️ Control of Error Card

(Teacher/student self-check — keep separate until work is complete)

Part 1 Answers:

1. Egg | 2. Larva | 3. Pupa | 4. Adult Bee | 5. Correct order: Egg (1), Larva (2), Pupa (3), Adult Bee (4)

Part 3 Extension Answer:

2,000 × 5 = 10,000 eggs. Sample sentence: "This shows that a healthy hive can grow very quickly because the queen lays thousands of eggs each week."

💡 Montessori Note: Encourage students to check their own work using this card after completing the worksheet independently. The control of error supports self-correction and builds intrinsic motivation.