Main Idea
What is the main idea of paragraph 1 in The Buzz About Bees: Tiny Worker in Trouble?
Bees help make our food by spreading pollen between plants.
What are two causes of honeybee decline?
Pesticides
Habitat loss
Climate change
What was the difference in percentage loss in 2022 and 2018?
8.3%
What is the main idea of paragraph 2, The Vanishing Act in The Buzz About Bees: A Tiny Worker in Trouble?
Bees are disappearing, and there are many reasons why.
Consider the following prompt:
Your science teacher has asked that you write a paper about the declining bee population. Write an explanatory essay about bees.
Your essay must be based on ideas and information that can be found in the “The Buzz about Bees: A Tiny Worker in Trouble” passage. Include evidence from the article.
Draw Conclusions: Based on the trend shown in the table from 2020 to 2022, is the honeybee crisis getting better or worse? Support your answer with data.
The data shows that the loss is getting worse. The loss in 2018 was 30.70% and rose 8.3 % by 2022. While there was a decline in 2020, there is still an overall increase every other year.
What is the main idea in paragraph 3 Analyzing Numbers (not including the chart) in The Buzz About Bees: A Tiny Worker in Trouble?
Scientists count how many bee colonies die in winter to see if bees are in trouble.
What text evidence shows that many foods depend on bees?
They are pollinators, meaning they move pollen from one flower to another, allowing plants to grow seeds and fruit. In fact, about one-third of every bite of food you eat—including apples, almonds, and broccoli—depends on bees.
What does Sustainable Loss Level (%) mean?
This is the percentage of honeybee colonies that die off during the cold winter months.
What main idea can be found using the chart Table 1: Annual Winter Colony Loss in the U.S. (Sample Data)?
Every year shown has winter losses above the sustainable level.
OR
Bee populations are declining more than expected.
Of the three factors responsible for bee colonies shrinking, which is caused by humans?
All of them.
Compare and Contrast: Compare the "Total Winter Loss" in 2020 to the "Sustainable Loss Level." Was the 2020 loss rate considered healthy or unhealthy for the bee population? Why?
Unhealthy, the loss should be 15% or fewer.
What is the main idea of the entire article?
Honeybees are important to food production, but their populations are declining at dangerous levels due to human and environmental factors.
Find two causes of honeybee decline and quote or paraphrase the evidence that supports them
Pesticides: Chemicals used on farms that can confuse or harm bees.
Habitat Loss: As cities grow, there are fewer wild meadows for bees to find food.
Climate Change: Rising temperatures can cause flowers to bloom at the wrong time, leaving bees with nothing to eat.
When writing an informational paper about this article, what should our H-Chart look like? Label each part of the chart with what goes in each place.
Teacher will check answers.