Submitted by Kathy Pavoncello
Our Yorkshire students were recently visited by master beekeeper and environmental educator, Cliff Wright-Sunflower. A gifted storyteller and performer, Mr. Sunflower teaches children all about the life and times of a typical honeybee by way of his program, “Dancin’ with the Honeybees.”
The assembly reached out to students through the use of storytelling, poetry, prose, puppetry, music, dance and audience participation. The concepts introduced in the main presentation were reinforced during the “Bee Touch Me Museum” lab, which followed. Afterward, our students were divided into workshop groups, and invited to use their senses by tasting various honeys, observing live bee hives in action, and creating their very own beeswax candle. Boys and girls discussed their thoughts on bees in general, including some of their fears, experiences, and then shared lots of questions. Mr. Sunflower answered each question in a way our students could understand and remember, alleviating many of the fears.
Mr. Sunflower provided a fun, energetic, educational experience for our Yorkshire friends, and we very much look forward to having him back in the years to come.