Weekly MUSE: Honeybees

Photo Credit: Metaphorical Pltypus

I was rummaging through my cupboard, looking for something sweet, when I came across a jar of honey. Yummy honey, I thought! Perfect!

I immediately grabbed a spoon, untwisted the lid, and dipped my spoon into the golden sweetness! As soon as the honey hit my tongue, I was in heaven. And after a few more spoonful’s my mind drifted to the tiny creatures that create the sugary perfection we call HONEY!

Looks like we’ve found our MUSE! And this one’s going to be SWEEEEEEEEET!

So, how do bees make honey, anyway?

Well, first we have to know how bees operate inside their hives. It is truly a small society where every bee has a specific job to do.

Queen Bee (center)
Photo Credit: Keith McDuffey

First, we have the QUEEN BEE. She is the only bee who lays eggs, up to 2000 eggs a day. All of her life, she is fed a special food called royal jelly. All bee larvae are fed this special food when they are young, but only the Queen is fed royal jelly all her life. This is why she is FULLY developed and able to lay eggs. She is the BIGGEST bee in the hive.

Side note: Royal jelly is a special food substance that bees discharge from glands in their heads. Sounds YUMMY, huh? I think I will stick to HONEY!

Next, we have DRONES. Drones are the only male bees in the hive, and there are only a few of these guys living at the hive. In fact, once they are finished mating with the Queen, they are kicked out!

The rest of the hive is made up of WORKER BEES. These are all underdeveloped females, meaning that they cannot lay eggs. Young worker bees tend to the Queen. Older worker bees serve as scouts (bee pioneers who look for food supplies and nesting sites), foragers (nectar and pollen gatherers), honeycomb builders, honey makers, and hive guards.

Now that you know a little bit more about the secret society of bees, watch this video to see how honey is made.
 

Pretty neat, huh!?

But there is something that this video left out. When bees collect nectar from flowers, they store it in their honey sacks (or honey stomach). When they get back to the hive, they spit-up the honey into the mouths of other bees, who will “chew” on it for a while. The “chewer” bee will naturally add enzymes to the nectar, which breaks it down onto a simply sugar. She will then deposit this altered nectar into the honeycomb.
 

From there, the bees will fan the nectar by buzzing their wings. This keeps the hive warm and helps to evaporate water from the nectar, leaving behind the gooey, sweet stuff we call honey. Once the honey is gooey enough, other worker bees will cap the honey with beeswax.

Remember those “scout” bees we learned about just a second ago? These bees are my favorite, because they are TRULY pioneers. They are the astronauts or the explorers of the BEE WORLD. They hunt for large flower populations and return to the hive to let the “forager” bees know where to collect nectar. But how do they communicate? They DANCE! Take a look at this video to see the famous bee “waggle dance”.

While most of us enjoy the honey that bees tirelessly create, there is something even MORE important that bees are responsible for. POLINATION!

While bees buzz around collecting nectar, they spread pollen from one plant to another. Without this transfer of pollen, plants would not be able to make fruit. And without fruit, there would be no seeds. And without seeds, there would be no plants. Get the picture?

The bottom line: The world would have a lot less food and a lot less plants without bees!

Speaking of food, who likes Honey Nut Cheerios? I DO! And I especially love Buzz, the honeybee character on the box. He has been trying to get kids to eat Honey Nut Cheerios since I was a kid. Take a look at this video of Buzz, and play some of his videogames by clicking here.

Written By: Professor Watermelon
Illustrated By: Josh Smart

Also, if you haven’t heard already, HONEYBEES were my MUSE when I wrote my latest book, HERBERT. Click here if you would like tolearn more about this book.

With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these WHAT IF questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF your main character was a beekeeper, and the bees made a magical honey? What is special about this honey, and who wants it?

WHAT IF your main character was a Queen Bee who did not want to live at the hive all day laying eggs?

WHAT IF a scientist could make robotic honeybees?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The word of the day is “enzyme”. Here is the definition: any of various proteins, originating from living cells and capable of producing certain chemical changes in organic substances during digestion. 

The MUSEBOX: The March of the Wind-ups!

Dear Creative Writers!

Look at what I found in the MUSEBOX! These Wind-up toys are begging to be characters in your next story! Below, you will find a fun "story-starter", but if you already have an idea without using the story-starter that I provide, PLEASE go for it! This Creative Writing Challenge is worth $20 Melon Dollars!

Story-starter: Once upon a time, a wizard received a package. When he tore it open, he found seven wind-up toys...

I can't wait to see what you come up with! Please leave your stories in the comment section below, or you can bring them to class! See you soon!

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

WEEKLY MUSE: Cardinals

Male Cardinal 

I just returned, once again, from the HOOSIER State. You remember which state that is, don’t you? INDIANA!

And while I was there, a HUGE snowstorm blew its way across the state, leaving nine inches of snow in its path. I loved it!

But what I loved even more were the bright red Cardinals who would dash from snow-covered tree branch to snow-covered tree branch, searching the landscape for food.

Cardinals are easy to see any time of the year because of their bright red feathers, but they are even more stunning against the white snow.

Looks like we’ve spotted another MUSE, and we didn’t even need our binoculars. Let’s take a closer look at these crimson aviators we call CARDINALS and see what we can uncover.

Here are some general facts that I found:

Cardinals live mostly in the Eastern United States. They are NOT migratory, which means that they do not travel due to seasonal climate change. They stay put. Take a look at the video below to watch a Cardinal at a bird feeder.

Cardinals are average sized birds. They are eight to nine inches long and have a wingspan of ten to twelve inches across. The male is brilliant red with a black face and orange beak. The female is tan with highlights of red. She has a black face and orange beak.



Female Cardinal

Both male and female Cardinals are excellent songsters, which mean they chirp beautiful tunes to each other.

Cardinals eat a diet of mostly weed seeds, grains, fruits and sunflower seeds. They also sip the sugary sap from maple trees. Maple syrup, anyone?

Now, here are the most interesting CARDINAL facts that I uncovered:

Roman Catholic Cardinal

Cardinals get their name from early European settlers who thought this bird’s bright red plumage reminded them of the Catholic Cardinals’ bright red robes. Cardinals are also referred to as redbirds.

In the Eastern United States, people LOVE Cardinals. In fact, seven states claim the Cardinal as their state bird: Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky.

And… Have you ever heard of the St. Louis Cardinals? Or the Louisville Cardinals? Or the Arizona Cardinals? Cardinals are such a popular bird that several sports teams use the bird as their mascot. I don’t blame them! I would, too!

This leads me to the most interesting fact I uncovered. Cardinals can be very territorial, meaning that they will tirelessly defend the area they call home. And if they see their reflection in a window, they will even “fight” themselves by charging at the window.

Do I sense an ANGRY bird??? Maybe that is why the Cardinal was chosen as one of the lead characters in the video game, Angry Birds. Take a look at the fun video below to see the Cardinals and other birds cast in this popular game.



With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these WHAT IF questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF your main character was a blue cardinal?

WHAT IF your main character had a GIANT cardinal and traveled on the Cardinal’s back?

WHAT IF Cardinals were extinct, but your main character found one?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The word of the day is “climate”. Here is the definition: the average weather conditions of a specific regioin including temperature, precipitation, humidity, sunshine, and cloudiness.

The MUSEBOX: Hide Your Walnuts!

Professor Watermelon!

Walnuts! Chestnuts! Peanuts! Hazelnuts! Almonds! Pecans! Cashews!

I WANT NUTS!

Boris Nutcracker


Dear Boris,

With all due respect, I don't know what to tell you. You see, the MUSEBOX is where messages and artifacts are left for my Creative Writers! If you want NUTS, I am sorry to say that you were sent to the wrong address. But I'm sure my Creative Writers will go NUTS over writing a story about you!

Ah La Peanut Butter Sandwich!

Professor Watermelon

Dear Creative Writers!

All main characters WANT something really badly, or the story they star in will simply fall short. I think we have found a great main character in Boris Nutcracker. He definitely WANTS something. Can you write a story about how he goes about getting what he wants? This Creative Writing Challenge is worth $20 Melon Dollars!

With Imagination!

Professor Watermelon

The MUSEBOX: A Gift from Santa's Elves

Greetings Professor Watermelon,

Our North Pole Teddy Bear factory has never been busier. We have stuffed nearly a million Teddy Bears in last week. We wanted to send you a few of these Teddy Bears to share with your Creative Writing students. I'm sure Santa won't mind! We also wanted to ask your Creative Writers if they could write a story about our Teddy Bears and the factory. Do you think they are up for it?

Happy Holidays!

Santa's Elves


Dear Santa's Elves,

I LOVE these Teddy Bears. They are so soft and cuddly! And I'm absolutely certain that my Creative Writing students will LOVE them, too. As for the Teddy Bear stories, you got it. Let's see what my Creative Writers come up with.

Seasons Greetings!

Professor Watermelon

Dear Creative Writers,

You heard them! Santa's elves want some Teddy Bear stories. Can you write one? Maybe your main character is a Teddy Bear. What does this Teddy Bear want more than anything in the world. Who is keeping the Teddy Bear from getting it? You can write your story in the comment section below, or you can bring it to Creative Writing Club. This challenge is worth $20 Melon Dollars!

With Imagination,
Professor Watermelon

Picture this...

Using the comment section below, write a few paragraphs describing this picture. This creative writing challenge is worth $10 Melon Dollars. Be creative (wink).

Weekly MUSE: Reindeer

Reindeer (Photo by Dawn Endico)

Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder, and Blitzen.

There is something magical about these names. They make me want to look toward the sky and listen for the sound of sleigh bells.

What’s that? I forgot one? Oh, yes…

RUDOLPH the Red-Nosed Reindeer! 

These nine reindeer have been on my mind lately, and they have probably been prancing around in your mind, too. So let’s explore these magnificent creatures called REINDEER!

Reindeer (Photo by Billy Lindblom)

So, why did Santa choose reindeer instead of horses to pull his sleigh? Well, it is just a little too cold for horses at the North Pole. But reindeer thrive in the cold climates of northern Europe, North America, Asia, and Greenland.

Reindeer are herbivores, which mean that they only eat plants. They especially like moss and lichen. Reindeer eat up to twelve pounds of food every day. Imagine eating twelve pounds of pizza!

Reindeer are also the only member of the deer family in which both males and females grow antlers. Sometimes the males can grow antlers reaching five feet tall. Holy Cow… I mean, REINDEER!

Reindeer migrate up to 1,600 miles a year from north to south in the winter and south to north in the summer. This is one of the farthest animal migrations on the planet. At some parts of this migration, reindeer must swim through icy-cold bodies of water. Watch this AMAZING video of some reindeer herders in Northern Norway.

What an extraordinary adventure. Did you see the reindeer’s hooves paddling underwater? If you look closely, you will notice that the hooves are hollow. This helps with swimming and digging for food in the snow.

Also in the video, you saw some very young reindeer. Females give birth to one calf a year. And these calves can stand after just a few minutes, and they are able to move along with their mothers by the next day. WOW! It takes us several months to learn how to walk.

In northwestern Mongolia (Asia), there is a tribe of people known at the Reindeer People. Ancient forests are a part of this region, and the Dukha Tribe believes that their ancestors’ ghosts live in these forests as animals that lead the living. The Dukha people live very closely with the reindeer and rely on them for milk and transportation for hunting.  Sadly, these forests and wildlife are dwindling, which threatens the Dukha’s way of life. Take a look at these photos of the Dukha people.

If you live in the Seattle area, you there are two places that I know of where you can meet some real-life reindeer: The Cougar Mountain Zoo and Swanson’s Nursery.  Ask an adult to check out these websites to plan a visit.

So, let’s get back to Santa’s reindeer – RUDOLPH in particular. I love the story of Rudolph, and if you are currently in Creative Writing Club, there will be an opportunity to buy the movie with your Melon Money. In the meantime, let’s sing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer together. Click on the video below.

With this new knowledge, what kind of story could you write? Maybe these WHAT IF questions will help you get started.

WHAT IF your main character was a reindeer who wanted to migrate to the North Pole in hopes of becoming a member of Santa’s sleigh team?

WHAT IF your main character lived in a family of reindeer herders?

WHAT IF your reindeer character’s antlers would not stop growing?

The possibilities are endless, and please leave your own what if questions in the comment section below. I’d love to see what you come up with.

So, grab a cup of hot cocoa, a pencil and a piece of paper, and let’s begin. With your imagination, we can go anywhere. I look forward to seeing where you take us.

With Imagination,

Professor Watermelon

The word of the day is “migrate”. Here is the definition: to pass periodically from one region or climate to another, as certain birds, fish, and animals.