Bee Writing Prompts with Gnomes, Too! Detailed Bee Writing Lesson

Have you ever wondered what a gnome would look like dressed up as a bee? If so, we have a treat for you! Get your students’ creative juices flowing with our bee writing prompts and use the printable pages with gnomes dressed up as bees to inspire writing.

Spring and Summer are the best times to have a bee writing lesson. If you are feeling really brave, take the lesson outside to a picnic table near a patch of flowers for first-hand inspiration. Students will be able to do a direct comparison between living insects and fictional gnomes.

Reading to Become Better Writers

Reading often will help your child become a better writer. As your student is working on these writing prompts with bees, you might enjoy reading some non-fiction books about bees to add. a little science to your child’s story-writing fodder. Not that they *have* to include scientific references in their stories, but sometimes having knowledge will spark an idea or inform character development in fun ways. 

• The Honey Makers by Gail Gibbons. Details about the process of making honey.
• Give Bees a Chance by Bethany Barton. Make a welcoming spot for bees in your backyard. 
• The Life and Times of the Honeybee by Charles Micucci. Learn about the life of bees and beekeeping.
• Honey in a Hive by Anne Rockwell. Part of our favorite series, this is A Read and Find Out About Science book.
• Bee: A Peek-Through Picture Book by Britta Terkentap. View the world of bees from a new perspective and learn about bees at the same time.

Bee Writing Lesson

In addition to the printable writing prompts, use this lesson to help students explore creative writing more. Follow each step together as described below to teach a simple writing process to your student. Your student might like to use this honeybee-themed writing paper to complete the assignment.

Brainstorm.

Brainstorming is a process of zero judgment spontaneous idea gathering. When you brainstorm you cannot have a.wrong answer. Here are the steps for brainstorming.

Questions for the Bee Writing Lesson.

Ask a question or make a statement to spark an idea. Directions: Write down 10-20 possibilities for each question or statement you explore. You can make this super simple and just put the word BEE in the middle of a piece of paper with a circle around it. Then add other circles with whatever thoughts the word Bee sparks in your mind.  If you want to start with a question write one of these in the first circle. 1) Have you ever had a bee sting? (write different things you remember about that experience) 2) What would you do with a jar of honey? (write down several possibilities) 3) Can you imagine a world without bees? What would that be like? (write down any thoughts you have). 

Write it Down.

Record all the options. Have your student write down all ideas on a piece of paper or whiteboard so that nothing is forgotten.

Evaluate.

Have the student evaluate the options and pick one or two that will form the basis for the assignment.

Writing Assignment for the Bee Writing Lesson

You will choose one of your brainstorming sessions and use that to write a three-paragraph story. Begin by creating a basic outline incorporating ideas from your brainstorming session. Write a draft, and have someone else read the story and critique it or ask questions. Make corrections and create a final draft.

The Bee Writing Prompts 

Once you’ve finished the introductory bee writing lesson, use the printable Bee Gnomes Writing Prompts to practice brainstorming, outlining, and story crafting. I’ve included all of the prompts or “story starters” below for reference, but the graphics in the printable pack really do make the prompts come alive, so I highly recommend you grab it. For extra fun or inspiration, your student might enjoy making a bee craft with writing prompts pages.

Some of these bee writing prompts may seem to lend themselves to scientific answers, however, you have the freedom to write fantastical tales with no basis in science if you wish. Own it!

1. If you could move your hive anywhere on earth, where would you take your bee colony and why?
2. Make up a fantasy dessert flavored with honey and describe it in detail.
3. Early Spring flooding has washed away your hive and all your remaining honey. Describe what happens next.
4. You hatch a plan to save the new “queen bee” baby and keep her safe until birth to begin a new hive. How will you protect the unborn queen for the next few months?
5. You find the perfect tree for a new beehive and in your excitement to share with your fellow bees, you accidentally attract the attention of an unwanted predator. Describe the predator and tell the story of what happens.
6. Honey is the first ingredient in a packaged food your company plans to sell. How will you market the new product?
7. You were voted Best Bee 2021 by your classmates and friends. Write your acceptance speech.
8. You’ve been kicked out of Bee Basics School and must write a letter home to your parents explaining what happened. Write this letter.
9. An incessant buzzing outside your bedroom window has been making you crazy. One morning you open the window and discover something. Describe what you’ve found and your response.
10. As you run up the beach to the car after a long day in the sand, you kick over a soda can and fifty bees pour out. How do you escape the wrath?
11. One afternoon you discover a hole in your backyard — the entrance to a bumblebee’s nest. Will you a) destroy the bees b) embrace the bees or c) get someone else to deal with it? Describe what happens. 
12. You find a beautiful tree filled with luscious flowers, but an older member of your hive tells you it is poisonous. Later you see her enjoying the nectar from that tree. How do you respond to this deception?
13. You are the queen of an amazing hive, but one day your guard bees discover a plot to overthrow your reign. How will you deal with the threat?
14. As a worker bee in Spring, you are busy day and exhausted at night, but you miss your family terribly. If you stop gathering nectar your hive will suffer. Describe the perfect solution.
15. The nursery is full to the brim with wiggling bee larvae, but you need more space for honey and babies before winter. How will you expand the space? Describe the process.
16. Your friendly beekeeper has “rescued” and brought a rival hive into his collection. Tell me what happens next.
17. You’ve flown too close to a human, who in their haste to get away have knocked you senseless into a glass of water. Describe the struggle that leads to your survival.
18. As a certified bee gnome, your number one job is protecting the honeybees. What is your day-to-day job like?
19. A honeybee yourself, you’ve become best friends with a bumbling bear. Describe a moment in your friendship.
20. A hasty lion has crashed your hive and taken more than his fair share of honey. Describe your revenge.

Have you enjoyed the bee writing prompts and bee writing lesson shared here? Tell us how it went in the comments!