I chose the topic of bees because I think they are a buzzingly fascinating creature. Also, my sister-in-law has recently read a book about bees and since then has loved bees with a passion and fervour that has made me want to learn more. And a final reason is that we currently have a colossal, furry bee lying dead in the gap between the window and the secondary glazing in our lounge (those of you that already knew about said bee - yes, it has been there too long and yes, I really do need to remove it and give it the burial ceremony it deserves). This is a huge Barnaby-worthy mystery because the windows don't open because they're too old, and we keep the secondary glazing closed to keep out the noise from the street. No way in; no way out....how has the bee arrived there, at its final resting place? Did it come there to die? Did it arrive there via a tiny gap in the way as a tiny baby bee, live its life trapped within the panes of glass, somehow invisible to us but growing bigger every day, and then finally die, a fully grown bee? These questions, and others, stoked on by my ardent admirer-of-bees sister-in-law, prompted me to pick bees as my topic of choice.
As I said, Tom went down a slightly different (more intellectual?) route, choosing the American political system for me to investigate. I couldn't have been happier with this. As I said in a previous post, I like knowing things, even if they are largely inconsequential (that's if you call having knowledge that means you beat Tom whenever you're watching a TV quiz show inconsequential). I read a lot of John Grisham, and watch a lot of American telly, and you can't really avoid American politics when there's a presidential election on the horizon, so I've picked up bits and bobs here and there, but was certainly eager to find out more. I'm not going to write about what I discovered because then a) you will know everything I know, thus removing the slight sense of pride I have in knowing (probably) more than you do, and b) you won't experience the enjoyment of finding out for yourself. But, by way of a teaser, here are the notes I made to make my presentation:
As well as knowing the difference between a democrat and a republican, to mention just one of my new areas of expertise (!), I also know the difference between a bumble bee and a worker bee. Did you know that in a bumble bee's nest there can be up to 400 bumble bees, but there can be a phenomenal 50,000 honey bees in one of their hives? Also, only the female bumble bee can sting, and she will only do so to protect herself - she's not aggressive. The queen honey bee lays up to 2500 eggs a day, and a female worker bee will live for just 5-6 weeks and produce, in that time, only half a teaspoon of honey! Incredible! I love bees! Whoever invented them must be super cool!
This was a great activity - each of us learnt lots about two new-to-us topics, and we had fun at the same time, bringing to mind that oft-used quote of my years at university, "Children learn better when they are excited and engaged." (Charles Clarke, Excellence & Enjoyment, 2003 (yes, I've forgotten how to reference properly - sorry Marion)) But don't get me started on the pitfalls of the current education system; I've already ranted about that here. Anywho. Every day's a school day!
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