Report: Bumblebee Case Study: HHMI BioInteractive

Before you start the video, consider the following statement: People are concerned that bee populations throughout the world are declining. Write down a few sentences that summarize what you know about which factors may be contributing to the decline of bee populations. Additional thoughts:

The narrator is interested in investigating the impact of fungicides on bees. Which of the following best describes a fungicide?

A type of pesticide that uses toxins extracted from fungi to kill pests.
A type of pesticide that kills fungi and bacteria.
A type of pesticide that makes plants resistant to fungal pathogens.
A type of pesticide that kills fungi or inhibits their growth.

You selected: A. A type of pesticide that uses toxins extracted from fungi to kill pests.B. A type of pesticide that kills fungi and bacteria.C. A type of pesticide that makes plants resistant to fungal pathogens.D. A type of pesticide that kills fungi or inhibits their growth.

Shawn wants to determine which species of bacteria and fungi live with bees. In a few sentences, describe a method you might use to identify the microbes.

Additional thoughts:

Shawn has a hypothesis that fungicides harm bee development. Using what you now know, describe an experiment to test Shawn’s hypothesis. Be sure your response includes what data should be collected and how you would collect it. Additional thoughts:

A graph that shows the two labeled axes but no data. The x axis has two labels: 'Control' and 'Fungicide.' The y axis is labeled 'Individuals per Colony.'

Shawn plotted the data in a bar graph with two bars: one representing the number of bees per colony in the control cages and the other representing the number of bees per colony in the cages exposed to the fungicide.

If the results support the hypothesis that fungicides harm bee development, what would you expect this bar graph to show? Describe the expected pattern in a few sentences.

Additional thoughts:

Are the results consistent with what you expected?

You selected: YesNo What do you conclude from this experiment? Write your conclusion in a few sentences. Additional thoughts:

Shawn explains that many studies have shown that directly spraying bees with fungicides doesn’t harm them. Are those results consistent with what Shawn has discovered? Explain your answer in a few sentences. Additional thoughts:

Shawn has made progress in understanding how fungicides may impact bee colonies, but there is still work to be done. Can you suggest additional research that you think would help us better understand how fungicides affect bees? Additional thoughts:

How could farmers use the knowledge gained in this study to reduce possible harmful effects of fungicides on bees? Additional thoughts:

Do we have a responsibility to protect bees?

You selected: YesNo Write down a few sentences to capture your thoughts. Additional thoughts:

Bumblebee Case Study Report