Several stations for students to rotate through:
Station 1: Look at real hornets closely. Draw them. Materials: Wasps in petri dishes with magnifiers
Station 2: Look at the outside of nests. Peer into the complete one to see the cells inside.
Station 3: Look at the outside of the nest with microscopes. Materials: 6 microscopes, whole outside of nest, tape to put some nest in journal
Station 4: Look at the inside of the nest. Draw how they built it. Materials: Nest inside, individual cells in magnifier boxes.
You tube video of nest building: layers of nest being added over time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cymGYvpKGOg&feature=related time lapse of outside of nest being built: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JF25K9yg8oQ half a hornet’s nest, see larvae being fed. http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=v4h_DIQKPPI
Some children are allergic to wasp venom. This activity may need to be avoided, or at least the materials contained.
Gordon Elementary Science Club