Abstract
Honeybees are vital to pollination and food production, yet their populations are declining in the United States. This underscores the need for ecological literacy, making honeybees an ideal focus for STEM/STEAM lessons. Middle grades students are familiar with honeybees and instantly engage with them, providing a framework for promoting inquiry, creativity, and real-world problem solving. This article presents a lesson taught in Southern Appalachia, a region facing educational disparities with limited access to advanced STEM/STEAM opportunities. The honeybee focused STEAM lesson presented in this article addresses this gap by providing middle grades students with an interactive, interdisciplinary opportunity that links scientific understanding with creative, hands-on experiences.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Padgett, Gary and Holt, Haley
(2026)
"Integrating STEAM Through Honeybee Education in Southern Appalachia,"
The Transdisciplinary STEAM+ Journal:
Vol. 6:
Iss.
1, Article 15.
Available at:
https://scholarship.claremont.edu/steam/vol6/iss1/15
Author/Artist Bio
Gary Padgett has a Ph.D, in Curriculum and Instruction and his research interests involve integrating contemplative practices with STEM and STEAM curricula to foster deeper understanding through a holistic, cross disciplinary approach. He is currently a Professor in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership. Haley Holt is currently pursing degrees in Secondary Education and Biology. She plans to teach science in middle school or high school while completing graduate school. Her teaching philosophy is focused on building a classroom environment that values curiosity, critical thinking, and inclusivity while encouraging students to actively participate in their own learning.