Earth Day Honey Bee Art Project Pollinator Art Activity Earth Day Art Lesson

This Earth Day Honey Bee Art Project introduces students to the importance of pollinators while they draw a detailed honey bee. Students build the bee's body, wings, legs and face step by step, add decorative honeycomb shapes to the background, and finish with oil pastels and watercolor paint.

In the last stage, students layer parchment paper to make raised, translucent wings that give the bee a dimensional effect. The finished mixed media bees make a colorful display for Earth Day or environmental learning units in elementary and middle school art classes.

WHAT TEACHERS ARE SAYING

★★★★ “Students were engaged. It was easy for them to follow along with the directed drawing. Each one looked absolutely gorgeous regardless of ability/skill level. I am not a confident art teacher, so I appreciated this resource! Thank you!” Julie S.

WHAT'S INCLUDED (NON-EDITABLE)

• Teacher Lesson Plan with goals, materials and instructional strategies
• Step-by-Step Guided Drawing Worksheets that start with simple shapes and add detail each step
• Visual Reference Images and Example Artwork to project or print
• Drawing Sequence Pages for the head, body segments, wings, legs, antennae and honeycomb background
• Coloring and Painting Instructions for using oil pastels and watercolor together
• Mixed Media Wing Instructions for parchment paper wings
• Student Assessment Rubric for craftsmanship, creativity, effort and completion

WHAT STUDENTS LEARN

Students practice observational drawing of insects, learn to draw insect anatomy and body segments, and explore line, texture, shape and color through mixed media. They also learn about pollinators and why bees matter in our ecosystem, and how art can celebrate and raise awareness about important species.

Use it for Earth Day art lessons, pollinator and insect units, science and art cross-curricular lessons, or homeschool art.

FAQ

Who can use this resource?

Art teachers, classroom teachers, homeschool educators and substitute teachers looking for an Earth Day or insect art activity.

How can I use it in the classroom?

Demonstrate the drawing steps while students follow the step-by-step visual guides, then guide them through the oil pastel, watercolor and parchment paper stages.

How long does this project take?

Most classes complete it in 2 to 3 class periods, depending on student age, skill level, class behavior and the time available.

What materials are used?

Oil pastels, watercolor paint and parchment paper.

ALL TEACHER REVIEWS

★★★★ “Great step by step craft that my students enjoyed!” SaskTeach

★★★★ “This was a great activity and the students really enjoyed it. Come out looking great.” Teaching on Caffeine and Hope

★★★★ “This was exactly what I needed. It was a great resource.” Emily P.

★★★★ “Lovely resource. Used after reading the Honey Bee. Students were impressed with their hexagon shapes and enjoyed creating different bees. I liked how children were motivated to be creative.” Kirsten R.

★★★★ “My students loved this resource. It helped my class with learning Environmental Servitude. Thank you for sharing this resource.” Kelli N.

★★★★ “My students loved this drawing activity - easy for young students and still fun for older groups.” Busy B.

★★★★ “My students used this as part of a bee unit. They loved it! And they look amazing on the wall.” cindy P.

★★★★ “This was a great activity to use with our Earth Day lessons! My students were very interested in bees and this was a perfect way to incorporate art into their interest.” First G.

★★★★ “Great project!” DONNA H.

★★★★ “My class is currently working on their bees for an Earth Day bulletin board display. I have also completed this project with my 7 year old daughter (she completes almost all of the projects before my students so I have an example of student work and so my students can't claim that it is "too hard" because theirs won't look like mine!). We love this one! Thank you!” Christie J.

★★★★ “Great art project to go along with our unit on bees. My kids loved doing it!” Natalie M.

★★★★★ “Wonderful activity! LOVE it!” Susan V.

Get free, classroom-ready art lessons and printables in my Free Art Lesson Library.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kathleen McGiveron (Ms Artastic) is an artist, art educator and curriculum designer who was the featured cover educator in OCO Magazine and has been featured on NBC LX News. She designs art lessons for kids and educational resources for teachers, used by teachers and homeschool families around the world. She is the founder of Ms Artastic and hosts the Ms Artastic YouTube Channel and Podcast.

TERMS OF USE

This resource is licensed for single classroom use only.

YOU MAY: use this resource in one classroom. Additional licenses must be purchased for multiple teachers.

YOU MAY NOT: share, distribute or upload this resource to shared drives or websites.

Sincerely,

Ms Artastic